Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 8Sylvester, Charles Herbert
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Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 8
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
His entry for the fourth of March is substantially as follows: "Shells
have been falling into the fort like hail during the day, but without
effect. About dusk this evening we saw a man running toward the fort
pursued by about a dozen Mexican cavalry. The bee hunter immediately
recognized him as the old pirate who had gone to Goliad for assistance,
and calling to two others, the bee hunter sallied out of the fort to the
relief of the old man, I following close after. Before we reached him
the Mexicans were close upon his heels. He stopped suddenly, turned
short upon his pursuers, discharged his rifle, and saw one of his
enemies fall from his horse. After running a short distance again, the
old pirate, finding that he would be taken and cut to pieces, turned
fiercely, and to the amazement of the enemy clubbed his gun and dashed
among them like a wounded tiger. By the time we reached him, his
pursuers had fled like sparrows, and in the ardour of the moment we
followed them some distance, not seeing that our retreat was cut off by
another detachment of cavalry. Nothing was to be done but to fight our
way through. We were all of the same mind. They were about twenty in
number and stood their ground while we dashed among them, and for about
five minutes a bloody conflict ensued. Then a detachment was seen coming
from the fort to our relief, and the Mexicans scampered away, leaving
eight of their men dead upon the field. We did not escape unscathed, for
both the pirate and the bee hunter were mortally wounded, and I received
a saber cut across the forehead.
"The old man died without speaking as soon as we entered the fort. We
bore my young friend to his bed, dressed his wounds, and I watched
beside him. He lay without complaint or manifesting pain, until about
midnight, when he spoke. I asked him what he wanted. 'Nothing,' he
replied with a sigh that seemed to rend his heart, and his eyes filled
with tears as he continued his 'Poor Kate of Nacogdoches; her words
were prophetic, Colonel,' Then he sang in a low voice,--
'But toom' cam' the saddle, all bluidy to see,
And hame cam' the steed, but hame never cam' he.'
"He spoke no more, and a few minutes afterward died. Poor Kate, who will
tell this to thee?"
The last entry in Crockett's diary bears date March fifth. It is as
follows:
"Pop, pop, pop! Bom, bom, bom! throughout the day.----No time for
memorandums now.----Go ahead!----Liberty and independence forever!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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