ul friend I could have just
now."

It was, of course, Davy Crockett who spoke. He was as cool as a cake of
ice. Old Betsy rested in the hollow of his arm, the long barrel
projecting several feet. His raccoon skin cap was on the back of his
head. His whole manner was that of one who was in the first stage of a
most interesting event. But as Ned was looking at him a light suddenly
leaped in the calm eye.

"Look there! look there!" said Davy Crockett, pointing a long finger.
"We'll need food in that Alamo place, an' behold it on the hoof!"

About forty cattle had been grazing on the plain. They had suddenly
gathered in a bunch, startled by the appearance of so many people, and
of galloping horsemen.

"We'll take 'em with us! We'll need 'em! Say we can do it, Colonel!"
shouted Crockett to Travis.

Travis nodded.

"Come on, Ned," cried Crockett, "an' come on the rest of you
fleet-footed fellows! Every mother's son of you has driv' the cows home
before in his time, an' now you kin do it again!"

A dozen swift Texans ran forward with shouts, Ned and Davy Crockett at
their head. Crockett was right. This was work that every one of them
knew how to do. In a flash they were driving the whole frightened herd
in a run toward the gate that led into the great plaza of the Alamo. The
swift motion, the sense of success in a sudden maneuver, thrilled Ned.
He shouted at the cattle as he would have done when he was a small boy.

They were near the gate when he heard an ominous sound by his side. It
was the cocking of Davy Crockett's rifle, and when he looked around he
saw that Old Betsy was leveled, and that the sure eye of the Tennessean
was looking down the sights.

Some of the Mexican skirmishers seeing the capture of the herd by the
daring Texans were galloping forward to check it. Crockett's finger
pressed the trigger. Old Betsy flashed and the foremost rider fell to
the ground.

"I told that Mexican to come down off his horse, and he came down,"
chuckled Crockett.

The Mexicans drew back, because other Texan rifles, weapons that they
had learned to dread, were raised. A second body of horsemen charged
from a different angle, and Ned distinctly saw Urrea at their head. He
fired, but the bullet missed the partisan leader and brought down
another man behind him.

"There are good pickings here," said Davy Crockett, "but they'll soon be
too many for us. Come on, Ned, boy! Our place is behind them walls!"

"Yes," repeated