looked down at me. “Come on, Gator. Let’s go home.”
I watched Jim walk over to his horse. I was really hungry, and now there would be no steak. I looked up at the line of mules standing there with their sacks full of grass. Maybe I would just eat the mules. But with my stomach growling, I ran over and followed Jim home.
Chapter Eighteen
Events moved rapidly during the next couple of months. Jim left the army and went to Goliad. While he was there the Texans attacked General Cos, who had taken refuge in the old mission called the Alamo, and drove him from Texas. We heard about the battle while we were in Goliad. Jim had begun to cough a lot. He said it was just a cold, but it sounded much worse. The doctors at Goliad gave him some medicine, but it did not seem to help.
One day as Jim and I sat in the small room we shared, trying to keep warm, a messenger brought a letter to Jim. I watched him read it as I lay next to the fire. When he had finished reading the letter, he put it on the table and looked at me.
“Well, Gator. It seems that General Sam Houston wants me to see about leading a force against Matamoros. It seems several people think we should take the fight into Mexico instead of having them come here. What do you think?”
I yawned and stretched and lay back down by the fire with my head resting on my paws.
“That’s what I think, too.” Jim laughed and scratched my head. “I don’t think we have enough men for that kind of war. Anyway, the word is that Santa Anna is heading this way with a large army. He’s mad about our army kicking General Cos out of San Antonio. I think before long we’ll have all the fighting we want, right here.”
Jim started coughing. He lay on his bed and pulled some covers over him. I lay by the fire and watched his body shake from the coughing. I did not know what was wrong with Jim, but I had a bad feeling it was very serious.
Several weeks later, Jim came into our room. I looked up as he sat at the table and read another letter from General Houston.
“It seems that General Houston is coming here. He has another mission for me. He’ll tell me what it is when he gets here. The government could not agree on a leader for the Matamoros expedition, so now he has a new plan. He should be here soon. I can’t wait to hear his latest idea.”
One day there was a knock on our door. Jim opened the door and a tall man was standing there. He wore a great coat to protect himself from the cold. Jim smiled and put out his hand when he recognized the man.
“General Houston. Good to see you. Come in and have a seat.”
Houston walked into the room and sat down at the table. Jim sat across from him. “What can I do for you, General?”
Houston took off his coat and leaned back in his chair. “Jim, you know the rumors are that Santa Anna is on his way to Texas with a large army. In fact, the story is he’s headed to San Antonio. He’s mad about General Cos being run out of San Antonio, and he wants revenge.”
Jim nodded. “I’ve heard those stories.”
Houston continued. “As you know, we have a small army there right now. Colonel Neill is in command. From all the reports I receive, the army is in bad shape. Little food or medicine. Their clothes are all rags. About the only thing they have plenty of is cannon.”
Jim coughed. “I’ve heard they need a lot of things at San Antonio.”
“You’re one of the few men I can count on. I’m leaving to make a treaty with the Indians so they won’t attack us while we fight Santa Anna. I have a very important job for you.”
“What do you want me to do, General?”
“Jim, I want you to take some men to San Antonio, blow up the Alamo, and bring the cannon to Gonzales.”
Jim sat up in his chair. “Blow up the Alamo? That’s one of the key posts in keeping Santa Anna out of the colonies.”
Houston shook his head. “We cannot fight Santa Anna from forts. We’re not strong enough. The army is too small. We must
I watched Jim walk over to his horse. I was really hungry, and now there would be no steak. I looked up at the line of mules standing there with their sacks full of grass. Maybe I would just eat the mules. But with my stomach growling, I ran over and followed Jim home.
Chapter Eighteen
Events moved rapidly during the next couple of months. Jim left the army and went to Goliad. While he was there the Texans attacked General Cos, who had taken refuge in the old mission called the Alamo, and drove him from Texas. We heard about the battle while we were in Goliad. Jim had begun to cough a lot. He said it was just a cold, but it sounded much worse. The doctors at Goliad gave him some medicine, but it did not seem to help.
One day as Jim and I sat in the small room we shared, trying to keep warm, a messenger brought a letter to Jim. I watched him read it as I lay next to the fire. When he had finished reading the letter, he put it on the table and looked at me.
“Well, Gator. It seems that General Sam Houston wants me to see about leading a force against Matamoros. It seems several people think we should take the fight into Mexico instead of having them come here. What do you think?”
I yawned and stretched and lay back down by the fire with my head resting on my paws.
“That’s what I think, too.” Jim laughed and scratched my head. “I don’t think we have enough men for that kind of war. Anyway, the word is that Santa Anna is heading this way with a large army. He’s mad about our army kicking General Cos out of San Antonio. I think before long we’ll have all the fighting we want, right here.”
Jim started coughing. He lay on his bed and pulled some covers over him. I lay by the fire and watched his body shake from the coughing. I did not know what was wrong with Jim, but I had a bad feeling it was very serious.
Several weeks later, Jim came into our room. I looked up as he sat at the table and read another letter from General Houston.
“It seems that General Houston is coming here. He has another mission for me. He’ll tell me what it is when he gets here. The government could not agree on a leader for the Matamoros expedition, so now he has a new plan. He should be here soon. I can’t wait to hear his latest idea.”
One day there was a knock on our door. Jim opened the door and a tall man was standing there. He wore a great coat to protect himself from the cold. Jim smiled and put out his hand when he recognized the man.
“General Houston. Good to see you. Come in and have a seat.”
Houston walked into the room and sat down at the table. Jim sat across from him. “What can I do for you, General?”
Houston took off his coat and leaned back in his chair. “Jim, you know the rumors are that Santa Anna is on his way to Texas with a large army. In fact, the story is he’s headed to San Antonio. He’s mad about General Cos being run out of San Antonio, and he wants revenge.”
Jim nodded. “I’ve heard those stories.”
Houston continued. “As you know, we have a small army there right now. Colonel Neill is in command. From all the reports I receive, the army is in bad shape. Little food or medicine. Their clothes are all rags. About the only thing they have plenty of is cannon.”
Jim coughed. “I’ve heard they need a lot of things at San Antonio.”
“You’re one of the few men I can count on. I’m leaving to make a treaty with the Indians so they won’t attack us while we fight Santa Anna. I have a very important job for you.”
“What do you want me to do, General?”
“Jim, I want you to take some men to San Antonio, blow up the Alamo, and bring the cannon to Gonzales.”
Jim sat up in his chair. “Blow up the Alamo? That’s one of the key posts in keeping Santa Anna out of the colonies.”
Houston shook his head. “We cannot fight Santa Anna from forts. We’re not strong enough. The army is too small. We must
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