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

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.
    “War is very loud, isn’t it, Davy?”
    “Yes, I guess it is. Do you and your baby need anything?”
    “No, thank you. Almeron has given us what we need for now. We are as comfortable as can be expected under the circumstances.”
    Davy put on his cap and turned to walk away. “Well, if you need something, please let me know.”
    The sun was setting as Davy walked past Travis’s office. Travis called out to him to come in.
    “How is Bowie doing?” Travis asked.
    “When I left him, he was not feeling very well. I think he is very sick.”
    Travis shook his head. “That is too bad. I do have respect for him as a fighter. We have some differences, but I would want to be on his side in a fight.”
    Juan Seguin walked into the room. “You wanted to see me, Colonel?”
    “Yes, Juan. I need for you to take a message to Sam Houston for me.”
    “Colonel Travis, I cannot leave my men. They followed me here. As long as they are staying, I must stay also.”
    “Juan, I appreciate how you feel. But you can be of great service to those men by going to General Houston and bringing back reinforcements. You know this country better than anyone else here. You have the best chance of getting through to General Houston.”
    Davy nodded his head. “He is right, Juan. You have seen the number of enemy troops today. We need a lot of men to come here if we are going to stop Santa Anna.”
    Juan thought for a moment. “My horse is lame. I will need to borrow one.”
    Travis sat down in his chair. “Jim Bowie has a good horse. He won’t be using it for a while. I bet he would let you use his horse.”
    “All right. I will ask Jim.”
    “Come back in an hour. It will be dark by then, and I will have the message ready.”
    Davy watched Juan walk out the door. “He is a brave man, Colonel.”
    “Yes. I hate to lose him here, but we must get reinforcements, and he has the best chance of bringing them back. Well, I must finish this message. I will talk to you later.”
    The weather was getting colder as they walked back to their post. The men were roasting some meat over a fire. The meat smelled good, and the warmth of the fire helped take the chill out of the air. One of the men who had come in with Davy called to him as he walked up.
    “Hey, Davy. Tell these fellows about the time you grinned that raccoon down from a tree.”
    Davy sat down by the fire. “Well, it wasn’t quite that way. You see, I was out hunting one day and I saw a raccoon up in a tree. Well, I raised old Betsy and pointed it at him. Well sir, that raccoon threw up his hands and said, ‘Don’t shoot, Davy. I will come down.’ That raccoon ran down the tree and jumped right in my bag. That beat all I ever saw.”
    The men laughed as Davy finished his story. Soon Juan came up, leading a horse. Travis was walking beside him.
    “Here is the message, Juan. I will have Davy and his men fire at the enemy. That should give you a chance to get away.”
    Juan mounted his horse. “There is an old trail just