Read Online Davy Crockett by Robert E. Hollmann - Free Book Online

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?”