hunder can they want?" growled Davy Crockett. "There can
be no talk or truce between us an' Santa Anna. If all that I've heard of
him is true I'd never believe a word he says."

Travis called two of his officers, Major Morris and Captain Martin, and
directed them to go out and see what the Mexicans wanted. Then, meeting
Ned's eye, he recalled something.

"Ah, you speak Spanish and Mexican Spanish perfectly," he said. "Will
you go along, too?"

"Gladly," said Ned.

"An', Ned," said Davy Crockett, in his whimsical tone, "if you don't
tell me every word they said when you come back I'll keep you on bread
an' water for a week. There are to be no secrets here from me."

"I promise, Mr. Crockett," said Ned.

The heavy oaken doors were thrown open and the three went out on foot
to meet the Mexican officers who were riding slowly forward. The
afternoon air was now soft and pleasant, and a light, soothing wind was
blowing from the south. The sky was a vast dome of brilliant blue and
gold. It was a picture that remained indelibly on Ned's mind like many
others that were to come. They were etched in so deeply that neither the
colors nor the order of their occurrence ever changed. An odor, a touch,
or anything suggestive would make them return to his mind, unfaded and
in proper sequence like the passing of moving pictures.

The Mexicans halted in the middle of the plain and the three Texans met
them. The Mexicans did not dismount. Urrea was slightly in advance of
the other two, who were older men in brilliant uniforms, generals at
least. Ned saw at once that they meant to be haughty and arrogant to the
last degree. They showed it in the first instance by not dismounting. It
was evident that Urrea would be the chief spokesman, and his manner
indicated that it was a part he liked. He, too, was in a fine uniform,
irreproachably neat, and his handsome olive face was flushed.

"And so," he said, in an undertone and in Spanish to Ned, "we are here
face to face again. You have chosen your own trap, the Alamo, and it is
not in human power for you to escape it now."

His taunt stung, but Ned merely replied:

"We shall see."

Then Urrea said aloud, speaking in English, and addressing himself to
the two officers:

"We have come by order of General Santa Anna, President of Mexico and
Commander-in-Chief of her officers, to make a demand of you."

"A conference must proceed on the assumption that the two parties to it
are on equa