, for the sake of the
republic. Now, more than ever, since all the volunteers were either
killed or prisoners, had Texas need of our arms and rifles. We turned
our horses, and galloped back to Victoria, whence we marched to join
Houston at Gonzales."

The Mexicans lost no time in pursuing Horton and his people, but without
success. The fugitives reached the thickly-wooded banks of the
Guadalupe, and disappeared amongst intricacies through which the foe did
not dare to follow them. Had the reinforcement arrived one half hour
sooner, the bloody tragedy soon to be enacted would never have taken
place.

The unfortunate Texian prisoners were now marched back to Goliad, and
shut up in the church, which was thereby so crowded that scarcely a
fourth of them were able to sit or crouch upon the ground. Luckily the
interior of the building was thirty-five to forty feet high, or they
would inevitably have been suffocated. Here they remained all night,
parched with thirst; and it was not till eight in the morning that six
of their number were permitted to fetch water from the river. In the
evening they were again allowed water, but for two nights and days no
other refreshment passed their lips. Strong pickets of troops, and guns
loaded with grape, were stationed round their prison, ready to massacre
them in case of an outbreak which it seemed the intention of the
Mexicans to provoke. At last, on the evening of the second day, six
ounces of raw beef were distributed to each man. This they had no means
of cooking, save at two small fires, which they made of the wood-work of
the church; and as the heat caused by these was unendurable to the
closely packed multitude, the majority devoured their scanty ration raw.
One more night was passed in this wretched state, and then the prisoners
were removed to an open court within the walls of the fortress. This was
a great improvement of their situation, but all that day no rations were
given to them, and they began to buy food of the soldiers, giving for it
what money they possessed; and when that was all gone, bartering their
clothes, even to their shirts and trousers. So enormous, however, were
the prices charged by the Mexicans, Mr Ehrenberg tells us, that one
hungry man could easily eat at a meal ten dollars' worth of _tortillas_
or maize-cakes. Not satisfied with this mode of extortion, the Mexican
soldiers, who are born thieves, were constantly on the look-out to rob
the unhappy prisone