Bowie, who was near. "It's the Alamo or nothing. No
matter how fast we fired our rifles we'd soon be trod under foot by the
Mexicans."

They passed in, Bowie, Crockett and Ned forming the rear guard. The
great gates of the Alamo were closed behind them and barred. For the
moment they were safe, because these doors were made of very heavy oak,
and it would require immense force to batter them in. It was evident
that the Mexican horsemen on the plain did not intend to make any such
attempt, as they drew off hastily, knowing that the deadly Texan rifles
would man the walls at once.

"Well, here we are, Ned," said the cheerful voice of Davy Crockett, "an'
if we want to win glory in fightin' it seems that we've got the biggest
chance that was ever offered to anybody. I guess when old Santa Anna
comes up he'll say: 'By nations right wheel; forward march the world.'
Still these walls will help a little to make up the difference between
fifty to one."

As he spoke he tapped the outer wall.

"No Mexican on earth," he said, "has got a tough enough head to butt
through that. At least I think so. Now what do you think, Ned?"

His tone was so whimsical that Ned was compelled to laugh despite their
terrible situation.

"It's a pity, though," continued Crockett, "that we've got such a big
place here to defend. Sometimes you're the stronger the less ground you
spread over."

Ned glanced around. He had paid the Alamo one hasty visit just after the
capture of San Antonio by the Texans, but he took only a vague look
then. Now it was to make upon his brain a photograph which nothing could
remove as long as he lived.

He saw in a few minutes all the details of the Alamo. He knew already
its history. This mission of deathless fame was even then more than a
century old. Its name, the Alamo, signified "the Cottonwood tree," but
that has long since been lost in another of imperishable grandeur.

The buildings of the mission were numerous, the whole arranged,
according to custom, in the form of a cross. The church, which was now
without a roof, faced town and river, but it contained arched rooms, and
the sacristy had a solid roof of masonry. The windows, cut for the needs
of an earlier time, were high and narrow, in order that attacking
Indians might not pour in flights of arrows upon those who should be
worshipping there. Over the heavy oaken doors were images and carvings
in stone worn by time.

To the left of the church, beside