To a few of the citizen soldiers the proposed breaking up of the army did not seem wise. Dick Carroll opposed it; Captain Dickinson also was a little dubious――although he much wished to get back to his wife, and a baby that had arrived. Captain Travis, too, thought that the troops should remain under arms, and the enlistments should be pushed, to be ready to oppose the next Mexican force.
But on December 15, the day after Cos marched out. General Burleson himself left for his home in East Texas, and took with him a crowd of other East Texans.
“I’m going,” proclaimed Leo, to his chums. “Aren’t you?”
“Sure, I’m going,” answered Sion. “Got to put in some corn, and help celebrate Christmas.”
“Guess I will, too. Most the Gonzales men are,” said Ernest. “But if Santa Anna doesn’t wait for us, what’ll we do then? We’ll have to hustle.”
“Shucks!” scoffed Leo. “Santa Anna’ll think twice, now, when he hears how just a few of us licked Cos’s regulars out of Bejar. I reckon after I get home I’ll join that Matamoros expedition. When we’re invading Mexico Santa Anna’ll have all he can do there, without trying to come in here again.”
“Most those United States volunteers are going to stay on the border, anyway,” reasoned Sion. “That’ll give us other fellows a chance to catch up at home.”
“Besides, Sam Houston’s raising a regular army. That’s why he was elected commander-in-chief,” added Jim. “There’ll be five thousand Texan regulars ready for Santa Anna. Somebody’s got to plant corn to feed ’em.”
Immediately after General Burleson left, the army broke up. By companies and by squads the settlers rode and marched for their homes. The New Orleans Grays and the Mississippians and all the other volunteers from the United States, about 400, remained at Bejar; and so did sixty Texans. Acting Adjutant-General Johnson was in command; Colonel Neill was his second.
The home-going of the rest was a free and easy trip. The four boys cantered together (for Sion had picked up a horse, at last); and Ernest, his arm in a sling, felt like a veteran returning from the wars. He not only had fought, but had bled for Texas and liberty.
At Gonzales Ernest stopped; he was home. But the three others would not stop a minute; that is, no longer than to eat, and freshen their horses. So, after dinner, they all shook hands with him.