The Lost Gold of the Montezumas: A Story of the AlamoStoddard, William O.
General
The Lost Gold of the Montezumas: A Story of the Alamo
Stoddard, William O.
Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.) -- Siege, 1836 -- Juvenile fiction
He had recognized, therefore, the original of some verbal picture in
the Lipan gallery of famous men.
"Sí!" exclaimed the Panther, looking more like one. "Tlascalan!
People gone! Tetzcatl one left. Boy, Lipan, fight all Mexicans. Kill
all the Spaniards."
From other remarks which followed, it appeared that the warriors of the
plains could be expected to sympathize cordially with the remnants of
the ancient clans of the south in the murderous feud which they had
never remitted for a day since the landing of Cortez and his
_conquistadores_.
Moreover, no Indian of any tribe could fail to respect an old chief
like Tetzcatl, who had won renown as a fighter, even if he had taken no
scalps to show for his victories.
The mustang had moved when the mule did, with a momentary offer to bite
his long-eared companion, while the mule lashed out with his near hind
hoof, narrowly missing the pony. Not either of the riders, however,
was at all disturbed by any antics of his beast.
Tetzcatl, as they rode on, appeared to be deeply interested in the
reported gathering at the Alamo. He made many inquiries concerning the
men who were supposed to be there, and about the cock-fight. The boy,
on the other hand, asked no questions except with his eyes, and these,
from time to time, confessed how deep an impression the old
Spaniard-hater had made upon him.
"Mountain Panther kill a heap," he muttered to himself. "Cut up
lancer. Cut off head. Eat heart. No take scalp."
Beyond a doubt he had heard strange stories, and it was worth his while
to meet and study the principal actor in some of the worst of them.
One of the old man's questions was almost too personal for Indian
manners.
"Why go?" sharply responded the young Lipan. "Son of Castro. Great
chief. Go see warrior. See great rifle chief. See Big Knife! Fort.
Big gun. Old Mountain Panther too much talk."
That was an end of answers, and Tetzcatl failed to obtain any further
information concerning an assembly which was evidently puzzling him.
They were now nearing their destination, however. They could see the
fort, and both pairs of their very black eyes were glittering with
expectation as they pushed forward more rapidly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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