ing out of his tent, Santa Anna yelled to his men to arm themselves
and form into battle-line. But the confusion was so great that none of
his followers paid attention to him. The Texans were aroused as never
before, and struck at the Mexicans with such lightning-like rapidity
that the enemy was dazed, and scores of them fell upon their knees
begging for mercy. The shooting still continued, and now Dan was
horrified to see his father go down, stabbed in the leg by a Mexican
bayonet.

"Father!" he yelled, hoarsely, and then turned to the Mexican who had
done the deed. The fellow tried to pierce Dan with his steel, but more
by instinct than reason the youth leaped to one side. Then Dan's gun
came crashing down, and the Mexican with it, his skull cracked by the
force of the blow.

A crowd was now rushing that way, a score of Mexicans pursued by fully
as many Texans, and Dan had his hands full to keep his parent from
being trampled upon. There was a strange humming in the boy's ears, and
he seemed to be lifted up as though walking on air, while he panted for
breath.

"Keep off,--he is my father!" he screamed, and hurled one of the
Mexicans to one side. Then another came to take his place, and man and
boy rolled over on the prairie--grass close to the wounded lieutenant.
The Mexican had Dan by the throat when a Texan, rushing forward, kicked
the enemy in the head, rendering him partly unconscious.

Leaping up, Dan tried to collect his confused senses. Texans and
Mexicans were running in every direction, but at a glance he saw that
his own side had the best of the battle, and a prayer of thankfulness
burst from his lips. Then he saw General Houston go down, struck in the
ankle by a bullet. Yet the staunch commander kept to his post. His
horse was also shot several times.

At last the Mexicans were in full retreat. Paralysed with fear, some of
them sought the open prairie, where they were shot down by the Texan
sharpshooters, while others ran frantically for where the Vance bridge
had been located. Here the banks of the river were high and rocky, and
but few escaped to the opposite side.

The battle had been fought and won, but the end was not yet. On the
prairie, one of the Mexican commanders tried to make a stand, but the
Texans shot down the line almost as quickly as it was formed. Then the
Mexicans began to throw down their firearms, and the officers held up
their swords, handles to the front, as a token of surrende