Chapter Eighteen
The streets of San Antonio were nearly empty as Addie, Dylan, and Braden passed by the bell tower. The party had lasted late into the night, and most people were still sleeping. The sentry in the bell tower rubbed his eyes and stared into the distance. Nothing was moving on the flat prairie. He wished that he were still in bed instead of standing in the tower staring at nothing.
“What do you think about the message last night?” Braden asked.
“Davy and Jim Bowie think that it should be taken seriously,” Addie said. “I think Colonel Travis does too, or else he would not have put the sentry in the tower.”
Dylan pointed down the street. “Here comes Davy and Jim Bowie.”
The children watched as the two men walked toward where they were standing. They were having a serious conversation. As they got nearer, the children heard Bowie speaking.
“Putting a sentry in the tower is not enough. We should have patrols out searching for Santa Anna’s army. I don’t care what Travis thinks, I believe that messenger.”
Davy looked down the nearly deserted street. “Well, Jim. I guess nothing is keeping us from taking a morning ride.”
Just then the bells in the tower began to ring. Everyone looked up and saw the sentry pulling on the bell rope. Colonel Travis ran by and climbed the stairs to the tower. Davy and Jim Bowie followed him. When they reached the top, the sentry pointed and said, “The enemy are in view. They are right over there.”
Davy and the others looked where the man was pointing. Nothing moved on the prairie.
“Where is the enemy?” Travis asked.
“Right there,” the man answered. He looked and saw that there was nothing on the prairie. “I tell you, I saw a troop of enemy soldiers right there.”
Everyone looked again. People were gathering at the bottom of the tower. Someone called up to ask what was going on.
“The sentry thought he saw some enemy troops,” Travis called down.
The men on the ground looked where the sentry had pointed. They could see nothing.
“He must have been asleep and dreamed he saw the enemy,” someone said.
The people laughed, then started back to their homes to go back to sleep.
The sentry was mad that no one believed him. “I tell you, I saw the enemy army. Right over there.”
“I think we should check it out,” Davy said.
Bowie nodded. “I agree. Davy and I will ride out and see what is there.” As he finished speaking, Bowie coughed so hard that he doubled over.
Travis looked at him. “I agree we should check out the report, but you are in no shape to go. Davy is new to the area. I will send some men who know this country.” He turned to the sentry. “Stay here. If you see the scouts coming back here at any pace faster than a walk, ring the bell.”
Soon two men rode out to check out the place where the sentry said he saw the enemy troops. Davy and Bowie sat at a table in a small café and drank coffee.
“Jim, you need to see a doctor about your cough. It is getting worse.”
Bowie waved a hand. “I am all right. It sounds worse than it is.”
The children sat nearby, watching the streets begin to fill up with people. Travis came out of his office and walked over to Davy and Bowie.
“Well, so far no news from the scouts. I doubt the sentry saw anything. Sometimes your eyes can play tricks on you. Especially if you are sleepy.”
Suddenly the bell in the tower began to ring. Travis, Davy and Bowie rushed up the tower stairs once again. The sentry pointed to where the two scouts had ridden. Davy looked and saw two riders riding toward San Antonio as fast as their horses could run. Travis led the way downstairs and was waiting as the two scouts pulled their horses to a stop.
“What did you see?” Travis asked.
One of the scouts caught his breath and then spoke. “We saw a lot of enemy cavalry. In that dry creek bed, just out of sight. It looks like they are getting ready to attack.”
Travis turned to the people standing around him. “The time has come. The enemy is here. Everyone head for the Alamo.”
Chapter Nineteen
Addie, Dylan, and Braden watched as the people of San Antonio rushed about the streets. Some of them loaded carts with all their goods and headed out of town. Some grabbed what they could carry and hurried toward the Alamo.
Almeron Dickinson raced his horse down the street and stopped it in front of his house. His wife, Susannah, stood there holding their baby daughter. Dickinson called down to his wife. “Ask no questions. Give me the baby and climb on behind.” When Susannah was sitting behind him, he spurred his horse toward the Alamo.
The children looked for Davy. They finally found him helping some people load a wagon. He looked up as they approached. “Hurry and follow me. We must get to the Alamo as soon as possible.”
They watched the wagon drive away, then followed Davy as he walked toward the old mission. The footbridge over the river was crowded, so they walked downstream and found a shallow place to wade across. Soon they were walking through the gates of the Alamo. Men were working hard to get things ready for the coming battle. Ammunition was carried to the cannons. Some soldiers took their places on the wall and watched for the approach of the enemy army. Gregorio Esparza helped his family get settled in the old chapel, then took his place alongside Almeron Dickinson near their cannon.
Travis was in his office writing letters asking for reinforcements. Jim Bowie coughed as he showed men where their places on the wall were. The children jumped out of the way as thirty head of cattle were driven into the courtyard and then into a pen. Several men followed the cattle, carrying bushel baskets of corn. When the last people had entered the mission, the gates were shut and barred.
Davy found his friends standing behind the wooden fence on the south side of the Alamo. He walked over to them. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Travis told us this was our spot. He told us to defend it to the end.”
Davy turned and walked toward Travis’s room. The children hurried to keep up with him. Davy entered without knocking. Travis looked up from his desk.
“Hello, Davy. I am busy right now. Can we talk later?”
Davy walked over to Travis. “No. We need to talk now. Why did you put us on the weakest part of the defenses? We don’t have enough men to hold that spot.”
“Davy, you and your men can hold that position better than anybody else I have. We don’t have enough men to really defend this mission. That spot is stronger with you and your men there than if I put anybody else. Anyway, I am writing to Colonel Fannin at Goliad and to the legislature, telling them that Santa Anna is here. I am sure that before long we will have many men come to join us, and you will have more men with you.”
“You think more men will come here?”
“I am positive. Now excuse me, but I must finish this message. I need to get the messenger on his way before we are cut off.”
Davy walked outside. Men were still rushing to their positions on the wall. He saw a group of defenders, including Bowie, looking toward town. Davy climbed up the wall and stood next to Bowie.
“What are you looking at, Jim?”
Bowie motioned toward the town plaza. A long column of enemy troops was marching into San Antonio. As the defenders watched, a band started to play. Townspeople who had not had a chance to leave lined the streets and watched the troops march past. Bowie pointed to a group of riders wearing bright new uniforms.
“I bet you that is Santa Anna and his staff. Looks like we got out of there just in time.” He coughed and leaned against the wall for support.
The children looked on with the others.
“Wow,” Dylan said. “Look at that. I have never seen anything like that in my life. There must be thousands of them.”
“Yes,” Braden said. “They sure make a pretty sight.”
“Pretty scary if you ask me,” Addie said. “I am starting to wish we had stayed in Eden Prairie.”
While the defenders watched, Santa Anna gave a message to one of his officers. The officer grabbed a white flag and rode toward the Alamo. Travis walked up to the group and stood by a cannon. He did not say anything as he watched the enemy officer approach. When the officer was in front of the men on the wall, he stopped his horse. He pulled out a piece of paper and read the message from Santa Anna. The general demanded that the Texans surrender or they would all be killed. The officer asked for the Texans’ answer.
Before anyone could say anything, Travis fired the cannon that was next to him. The cannonball skipped harmlessly through town. Travis called down to the enemy officer.
“That is our answer. Tell Santa Anna we shall never surrender or retreat.”
Chapter Twenty
“Why did you do that?” Bowie screamed at Travis as they sat in Travis’s office. “We might have been able to work something out.”
Travis yelled back at Bowie. “If you think you can deal with someone like Santa Anna, you are crazier than I think you are.”
The children huddled in the corner as the two men yelled at each other. Finally Davy stood between them.
“It doesn’t matter now. It has been done. We must get ready to fight Santa Anna, not each other.”
Bowie began to cough, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He slumped down into a chair.
“Are you all right, Jim?” Davy asked.
Bowie looked up. His eyes were sunken into his head. “I don’t feel very good. I think I better go lie down for a while.”
The door opened and Juan Seguin walked in. “The enemy has raised a red flag. It is flying from the tower of San Fernando church.”
Travis looked at Bowie. “What does that mean?”
Bowie started to answer, but he began coughing again.
“It means that we can expect no mercy from the enemy. If they win the battle, all of us will be killed,” Juan said.
“This is the man you thought we could work a deal with?” Travis said to Bowie. “At least we have some chance if we fight them. Reinforcements will be here soon. I don’t know about you, but I will never surrender.”
Davy walked over to Bowie. “We can talk about this later. Juan, give me a hand. We need to get Jim to his room. He needs to rest.”
Davy and Juan helped Bowie to his feet. As they were walking out the door, Bowie turned to Travis. “I don’t know how much good I will be for a while, so I am turning command of the volunteers over to you. I will help all I can.”
Travis walked over and put his hand on Bowie’s shoulder. “Thank you, Jim. We must all work together now. I will check on you later.”
The children followed Davy and Juan as they helped Bowie across the courtyard. They carried him into his room and laid him on a cot. Bowie was coughing more and his face had turned red. Juan went to get some water while Davy pulled off Bowie’s boots.
“I’ll talk to some of the ladies about looking after you, Jim.” Davy reached into a drawer and pulled out two pistols. “Just in case you need them. I guess you have your Arkansas toothpick handy.”
Bowie smiled weakly. He pulled his knife from his belt. “I never let this get too far away.”
Davy patted Bowie’s shoulder. “I better get back to my post. I will check on you later.”
Addie, Dylan, and Braden walked out of the room.
“He looks real sick,” Braden said.
Dylan nodded. “It is too bad. He is a real good fighter, and I think they are going to need all the fighters they can find.”
Davy walked over and sat down by the wooden fence. Addie sat next to him. The boys looked over the fence at the enemy soldiers.
“What do you think, Davy?” she asked.
“I think there is going to be a real big fight here soon. I hope Travis is right and some people come to help us.”
“Are you sorry that you came to Texas?”
Davy smiled. “No. I think Texas is about the prettiest place I have ever seen. A person can make a good life here. I think we are doing what is right. And you know what I say. If you are right, then go ahead.”
“Wow. Look at all those soldiers,” Dylan said.
Davy and Addie stood up and looked over the fence. A long line of soldiers was marching into the town.
“Well,” Davy said. “Looks like Santa Anna got some more men.” He looked at the uniforms the soldiers were wearing, and then looked down at his dirty clothes. “At least they look like soldiers.”
“Don’t worry, Davy,” Addie told him. “I know you are a better fighter than any of them.”
Davy smiled and shook his head. “Maybe so, but there are sure a lot of them. Oh well. Guess I will take a walk around the fort.”
As Davy got up, a cannon fired in the enemy camp. A cannonball hit in the courtyard and exploded. Davy looked at the smoke slowly drifting away from the hole in the ground where the cannonball had exploded. “I guess Santa Anna is showing us he has some cannon too. A whole lot of them.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Davy walked into the Alamo chapel. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. The children looked around. The roof had fallen in, and a great pile of rubble was in the middle of the chapel. A ramp had been built to the top of the church, and a cannon sat on top of the ramp. They could hear talking coming from the rooms where the women and children were staying. Susannah Dickinson walked out of one of the rooms. She was carrying her baby. When she saw Davy, she smiled and walked over to him.
“Why, Davy. How nice to see you.”
Davy took off his cap. “It is nice to see you too.”
Davy looked at the baby. He held out his finger, and the little girl grasped it in her tiny hand.
“Do you like babies, Davy?” Susannah asked.
“Well, I kissed my fair share of them when I was running for Congress. I would have to say I like them much better than most of the politicians I have known.”
Susannah walked over and looked at the activity in the Alamo courtyard. Davy stood next to her.
“Everyone seems to be busy,” she said.
“There’s a lot to do. Personally, I would rather march out and fight in the open. I don’t like being hemmed in. But I guess we don’t have that choice now.”
Shells from the enemy cannon were thudding against the walls. Some fell into the courtyard. Susannah held her baby tighter as she listened to the noise of the guns.