But Ernest _knew_ that General Houston had no notion of retreating.
“Young de Zavala’s come into camp,” remarked Leo, as if to end the discussion. “The colonel’s boy. Have you seen him?”
“He’s all right,” assured Sion. “Smart little lad. He says he could see the battle from the house, but he wants to get a little closer. Brought his gun and fixin’s, and thinks maybe he’ll shoot Santa Anna――if Sam Houston lets us get close enough!”
“You wait till to-morrow. We’ll all be close enough,” prophesied Ernest.
“Listen to that flute,” bade Jim. “Same old tune.”
The flute was piping, and some of the men joined with tenor voices.
Will you come to the bow’r I have shaded for you? Your bed shall be roses bespangled with dew. Will you, will you, will you, will you, Come to the bow’r?
The song drifted sweetly through the great oaks and their drooping mosses.
“Special invitation to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna,” quoth Leo. “Well, think I’ll go to bed. We musketeers have orders to turn in early. I’ll see you to-morrow, after we-all finish our easy-going fight.”
Sion and Leo left. The flute ceased, and the song ceased, and everybody went to bed. The companies slept in ranks, on their arms, ready for any sudden call. As Ernest, rolled in his blanket, was about to close his eyes, a large figure, blanket-draped, moved past, in the gloom of the trees. He recognized it at once. It was the general, alone, exploring around as if to see that his army were safely tucked in bed. Current opinion had it that the general himself never went to bed until about four in the morning――when he went to bed at all; and between drum-taps and breakfast usually slept about an hour while the men were being prepared for the day’s duties. So now here he was, inspecting his weary, resting soldiers, and perhaps thinking upon to-morrow’s battle. Big and silent and broody, he was rather a comforting sight.
Strangely enough, almost everybody slept late, this morning of April 21; that proved how tired the army really were. General Houston did not appear until after the sun had risen. He had again used the coil of cannon rope for a pillow. He looked happy and confident for the first time in a long while. The report came from his staff that on opening his eyes to the sunshine he had sprung up alertly with the words: