in' to give
my word that here are six of us who will be in arms then, roarin' an'
rippin' an' t'arin'! They'll sweep the country clean, will they? They'll
need a bigger broom for that job than any that was ever made in
Mexico!"

The others made comment in like fashion, but young Fulton was silent.
His resolution was immutable, and it required no words to assert it.

"I guess we'd better take this letter with us an' give it to Sam
Houston," said "Deaf" Smith. "Houston has been criticized a lot for not
gatherin' his forces together an' attackin' the Mexicans, but he ain't
had any forces to gather, an' talk has never been much good against
cannon balls an' bullets. Still, he's the only man we've got to fall
back on."

"You keep the letter, 'Deaf'," said the Panther, "an' now that we've got
a horse for Ned I guess we can go a little faster. How you feelin' now,
Ned?"

"Fine," replied Ned. "Don't you bother about me any more. I started on
the upgrade the moment you fellows found me."

"A good horse and a good rifle ought to be enough to bring back the
strength to any Texan," said Obed White.

They resumed their journey at a faster pace, but before nightfall they
met another Texan who informed them that large forces of Mexicans were
now between them and Harrisburg. Hence they concluded that it was wiser
to turn toward the coast, and make a great circuit around the forces of
Santa Anna.

But they told the Texan scout of what had been done at Goliad, and bade
him wave the torch of fire wherever he went. He rode away with a face
aghast at the news, and they knew that he would soon spread it through
the north. As for themselves they rode rapidly toward the east.

They spent the night in a cluster of timber, and the Panther was
fortunate enough to shoot a wild turkey. They made Ned eat the
tenderest parts, and then seek sleep between blankets. His fever was now
gone, but he was relaxed and weak. It was a pleasant weakness, however,
and, secure in the comradeship of his friends, he soon fell into a deep
slumber which lasted all the night. The others had planned an early
start, but, as Ned was sleeping with such calm and peace, they decided
not to disturb him, knowing how much he needed the rest. It was three
hours after sunrise when he awoke, and he made many apologies, but the
rest only laughed.

"What's the use of our hurryin'?" said "Deaf" Smith. "It'll take some
time for Sam Houston to get any army together, an' we