That first night no fire was kindled, and the march began again before the sun was up. Before the end of the next day one worn-out horse had to be left behind. "We'll use 'em all up if need be," remarked Bowie. "All I want is to get to the chaparral with critters enough to go home from there on a walk." It was on one of those days of watchful, tiresome pushing for the men who had the secret to carry and the ingots of gold from the cave, but it was hundreds of miles away from them that a group of very serious-looking men sat around a table in a log farm-house. If it were any kind of council, the conversational part of it had momentarily ceased and they all were thinking silently. A heavy step sounded outside the door; it swung suddenly open, and a voice not at all loud but very much in earnest startled them to their feet. "Here I am, Houston! They're coming!" "Crockett!" shouted the astonished general. "I thought you were in Washington." "Well, I ain't, then," responded the grim bear-killer, throwing his coonskin cap violently upon the table. "I didn't git beyond New Orleans. I found a heap of letters thar, and thar was all sorts of deviltry in 'em. It's no use to look for anything from Congress this session, and that ain't the wust of it." "Out with it, colonel," came from across the table. "Let's have it all. We were having a blue time anyhow." "Stingy! stingy! stingy!" roared Crockett. "Everybody's afraid to put in a cent. Not a dollar to be had, nor any pound of stuff without the dollars. You see, boys, the trouble is the news from Mexico. Santa Anna was at Monterey gathering his best troops and getting ready to come after us. Thar are several regiments already down near Matamoras on the coast getting supplies by the sea. Every friend of ours seems to be skeered. They reckon we'll be chawed up." "Not so easy," came again from across the table. "I reckon the Greasers have got their work cut out." "Travis," said Crockett, "I'm glad you're here. Have you heard from Bowie?" "Not a word," replied Travis, "except that he and Castro had some kind of a brush with the Comanches, and another with Bravo's lancers. Reckon it was all right. He's just the kind of fellow to pull through." Even while he spoke, however, the bright-faced ranger colonel caught Crockett's eye and sent him a look that prevented further questioning. "Time for us to be moving," said Houston, steadily. "We'll gather what forces we can. The first thing is the Alamo. We can send a pretty good lot of rations." "Powder!" said Travis, with energy, "What the Alamo needs is powder. And we want men enough to handle guns." "You shall have them," said Houston. "Texas won't leave you in the lurch. Go and put things in as good condition as you can."