icer of the land swore revenge; but as his guides did not understand
him, he was lucky enough to reserve his tongue for more lies and more
swearing at a more fitting time.

He soon rejoined his men, and fell back with them about a mile,
apparently to prepare for an attack upon our encampment. In the
evening, Roche and some five or six Indians passed the stream a few
miles below, that they might observe what the Texians were about; but
unfortunately they met with a party of ten of the enemy hunting, and
Roche fell heavily under his horse, which was killed by a rifle-shot.
One of the Comanches immediately jumped from his horse, rescued Roche
from his dangerous position, and, notwithstanding that the Texians were
at that instant charging, he helped Roche to his own saddle and bade him
fly. Roche was too much stupified by his fall that he could not
reflect, or otherwise his generous nature would never have permitted him
to save his life--at the expense of that of the noble fellow who was
thus sacrificing himself. As it was, he darted away, and his liberator,
receiving the shock of the assailants, killed two of them, and fell
pierced with their rifle-balls. [See note 1.]

The report of the rifles recalled Roche to his senses, and joining once
more the three remaining Indians, he rushed madly upon the hunters, and,
closing with one of them, he ripped him up with his knife, while the
Comanches had each of them successfully thrown their lassoes, and now
galloped across the plain, dragging after them three mangled bodies.
Roche recovered his saddle and holsters, and taking with him the corpse
of the noble-minded Indian, he gave to his companions the signal for
retreat, as the remaining hunters were flying at full speed towards
their camp, and, succeeded in giving the alarm. An hour after, they
returned to us, and, upon their report, it was resolved that we should
attack the Texians that very night.

About ten o'clock we started, divided into three bands of seventy men
each, which made our number about equal to that of the Texians; Roche,
who was disabled, with fifteen Indians and the five Americans remaining
in the camp. Two of the bands went down the river to cross it without
noise, while the third, commanded by Gabriel and me, travelled up the
stream for two miles, where we safely effected our passage. We had left
the horses ready, in case of accident, under the keeping of five men for
every band. The plan was to sur