end," answered the boy, earnestly.
The enthusiasm of those around him had entered his soul, and he had
forgotten the meaning of the word fear.

As one day and another passed, Santa Anna's army increased in size, and
he succeeded in planting many other batteries around the Alamo. The
bombarding was continual, yet but few of the Texans suffered from this,
being well protected by the heavy stone walls of the mission.

On the first of March, when the garrison was much worn by constant
guard duty, there was a commotion during the night. At first it was
thought that the Mexicans had begun an attack, but soon it was
discovered that the newcomers were Texans. They numbered thirty-two men
from Gonzales, who had stolen through the Mexican lines with scarcely
any difficulty.

"Henry Parker!" cried Dan, as he recognized his friend in the crowd. "I
never dreamed of seeing you here."

"I couldn't stay behind, after I read Travis's appeal for help,"
answered Henry Parker. "I guess a lot more of our men are coming, too."
But in this Parker was mistaken; none others arrived at the ill-fated
place. Colonel Fannin started from Goliad with three hundred men and a
few pieces of artillery, but his ammunition wagon broke down, he had no
rations but a little rice and dried beef, and at the river his cannon
got stuck and could not be gotten across. So the party returned whence
it had come.

Henry Parker and the others had come in on Monday night, and by Tuesday
the last of Santa Anna's troops arrived at San Antonio. Following this
came three days in which but little was done upon either side.

"This looks as if the Mexicans were going to give up trying to take the
place," remarked Dan to Stover, as both rested in one of the side rooms
of the convent on a litter of straw.

"Don't worry, lad; it may be the calm afore the storm," was the answer.
"Sumthin' is bound for to happen soon, hear me!"

"If it doesn't, I'll be for going home," went on Dan. "I believe I can
get through the Mexican lines just as well as Henry Parker and those
others."

"It would be risky, Dan, mighty risky." Poke Stover puffed away
thoughtfully at the corncob pipe he was smoking. "We missed it
altogether on the white mustang and on Carlos Martine, didn't we?"

"Yes. I would like to know if Martine is still in San Antonio."

"Like as not--and hobnobbing with some of them Mexican officers, too.
Well, he sha'n't have your pap's land, and that's all there is about