able to do as well every time."

"You mustn't expect it. If you could do as well every time you'd be as
fine a shot as Davy Crockett himself."

"They tell me Crockett thinks of coming down to Texas," put in Mr.
Radbury. "They say he is tired of things up in Tennessee."

"Yes, I heard he was coming down," replied Poke Stover. "Well, he's a
wonderful old fighter, and if we have any trouble with the Mexicans ye
can reckon on it as how he'll be to the front from the very start." How
true was the old frontiersman's prediction the future chapters of our
tale will show.

They hardly knew what to do with the Indian. Stover wished to turn him
out to shift for himself, but the boys pleaded for the wounded red man,
and in the end he was allowed to remain where he was. The Radburys
retired to their sleeping-apartment, while Stover made himself
comfortable in front of the big open fireplace. All, however, slept, as
the saying goes, "with one eye open."

The next week was a busy one. It was found that not only had the
Indians attacked the cabin, but they had also tried to wreck the cattle
shed, and both structures had to be mended and put into order. During
the absence of the settlers some of the cattle and the mustangs had
strayed away to other ranges, and these had to be rounded up, for in
those days men of limited means, like Mr. Radbury, did not allow their
live stock to wander far away, to be rounded up once or twice a year.
If they had allowed this, cattle and ponies might have gotten into the
Indian country and never been heard of again.

At the end of the week Poke Stover left, stating that he was going to
make a trip to San Antonio de Bexar, to learn how matters were going
politically.

"There may be a scrap on already," he remarked, "and, if so, I don't
want to be sitting here, sucking my thumbs."

"I admire your sentiment," replied Mr. Radbury. "If there is trouble,
can I rely upon you to give me warning?"

"Certainly," answered Poke Stover.

He left on Saturday morning, and on Sunday Big Foot sat up for the
first time. The Radburys had done their best for him, and for this he
was extremely grateful.

"Big Foot pay back some day," he said. "Pay back sure." The boys hardly
gave attention to these words, but had good cause to remember them
later.

During the next few months matters ran smoothly, until one day when
some of the settlers from Gonzales came in. They reported another
Indian uprising farther east