At Cibolo Creek, where camp was made until Captains Allen and Benjamin Fort Smith should arrive with their men from Goliad and Victoria, who should appear but Don Placido Benavides, the alcalde of Victoria, with thirty Mexican ranchers. They had come to join with their fellow Texans in the fight for liberty. This pleased General Austin and all the army. Don Placido declared that he received circulars inviting him and the other Mexicans to enlist with Texas, and approved of them; and he believed that a great many other native people also would rise for the constitution and state rights.
Colonel Milam’s spy company sighted 1000 Mexican cavalry only ten miles from the camp, and sent in word to the general to be prepared for an attack. Leo, who with two other men had been out on a scout under Lieutenant Bull, returned in high feather and Jim and Ernest were fairly envious at his tale.
“We made ’em leg it――you ought to’ve seen ’em leg it!” jubilated Leo. “Ten of ’em, only three miles from this camp. The lieutenant ’lowed ’em to think they were chasing us back, till they were in about five rods of us, and then we turned to let ’em have it, and you ought to’ve seen ’em leg it. They legged it so smart they didn’t take time to aim, and shot by pointing their guns over their shoulders. We chased ’em two miles and then we quit.”
“If four Texans can lick ten Mexican regulars that easy,” quoth Jim, scornfully, “I rather guess we won’t have much trouble cleaning out Bejar.”
“Maybe we won’t have to clean it out,” proposed Jim. “Did you know we’ve sent a message by a _paisano_ to Cos, asking whether he’ll respect a flag of truce for a parley?”
“Who wants to parley?” demanded Leo, hotly. “What about?”
“There was a council of war at headquarters, anyway,” pursued Jim. “I got that straight. And the council decided we ought to try to make it clear to Cos just why Texas is fighting. When he understands that all we’re after is our rights under the republic he might agree to quit with us till we could treat with Santa Anna. I reckon General Austin’d rather save Texas by peace than by war, of course. It’d mean a lot of lives.”
“Suppose so,” admitted Leo. “The men here in this very camp are the best crop in Texas, so far. All right; let ’em parley, if they can. We’ll be getting reinforcements all the time, anyway. Ugartechea might agree to a talk――he’s white, for a Mexican――but Cos never will. You’ll see.”