"
Worth turned and looked at the fort. A great red flag on
which was the word T-E-X-A-S floated from its battlements, and
there were two men standing on its roof, with their faces
westward.
"They are the lookouts," said Burnett, "and we have scouts
through the surrounding country; but Santa Anna will come,
when he comes, with tens of thousands."
"And there is a line where even the coolest courage and the
most brilliant bravery succumbs to mere numbers--Eh!"
"That is what I mean, Doctor."
"Where is Houston?"
"On the Brazos, at the small town of Washington. The
council have established headquarters there."
Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a little
bell, and the doleful supplications of a priest followed by a
crowd of idle men and women. He was begging, "for the sake of
the Holy Virgin," alms to say masses for the soul of an
unfortunate, who had not left a peso for his burial. He
droned on, and no one noticed him until James Bowie stretched
his tall figure, sauntered up to the monk and dropped a gold
piece into his cap. He did not stay to hear the exclamations
and the gracias, but with steps that rang like metal upon
metal took his way to the Alamo.
However, dangers postponed make the most timorous indifferent
to them; and when General Cos did not return, and nothing was
heard of Santa Anna, every one began to take up their ordinary
life again.
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