ed the match from the hand of the dying man, but the
juggler, who had followed me, handed me his rifle, and the next instant
the Mexican was stretched on the earth beside the first. A third came
up to the cannon. My companion handed me another gun, and I fixed him
off in like manner. A fourth, then a fifth seized the match, who both
met with the same fate. Then the whole party gave it up as a bad job,
and hurried off to the camp, leaving the cannon ready charged where
they had planted it. I came down, took my bitters, and went to
breakfast."

In the course of a week the Mexicans lost three hundred men. But still
reinforcements were continually arriving, so that their numbers were on
the rapid increase. The garrison no longer cherished any hope of
receiving aid from abroad.

Under date of March 4th and 5th, 1836, we have the last lines which
Crockett ever penned.

"March 4th. Shells have been falling into the fort like hail during the
day, but without effect. About dusk, in the evening, we observed a man
running toward the fort, pursued by about half a dozen of the Mexican
cavalry. The bee-hunter immediately knew him to be the old pirate, who
had gone to Goliad, and, calling to the two hunters, he sallied out of
the fort to the relief of the old man, who was hard pressed. I followed
close after. Before we reached the spot the Mexicans were close on the
heels of the old man, who stopped suddenly, turned short upon his
pursuers, discharged his rifle, and one of the enemy fell from his
horse. The chase was renewed, but finding that he would be overtaken
and cut to pieces, he now turned again, and, to the amazement of the
enemy, became the assailant in his turn. He clubbed his gun, and dashed
among them like a wounded tiger, and they fled like sparrows. By this
time we reached the spot, and, in the ardor of the moment, followed
some distance before we saw that our retreat to the fort was cut off by
another detachment of cavalry. Nothing was to be done but fight our way
through. We were all of the same mind. 'Go ahead!' cried I; and they
shouted, 'Go ahead, Colonel!' We dashed among them, and a bloody
conflict ensued. They were about twenty in number, and they stood their
ground. After the fight had continued about five minutes, a detachment
was seen issuing from the fort to our relief, and the Mexicans
scampered of, leaving eight of their comrades dead upon the field. But
we did not escape unscathed, for both the pirate a