y who he
was, whence he came, and whither going.

"Who I am is no business of yourn," replied the man: "nor where I come
from neither. You'll soon see where I'm goin'. I'm goin' agin' the
enemy."

"Then you must come and join us," cried Wharton.

This the stranger testily refused to do. He'd fight on his own hook,
he said.

Wharton told him he must not do that.

He should like to see who'd hinder him, he said, and walked on. The
next moment he shot the first artilleryman. After that they let him
take his own way.

Neither Wharton, nor any of his men, knew what had become of him; but
at last I met with a bear-hunter, who gave me the following
information.

"Calkilatin'," said he, "that the wild prairieman's rifle was a
capital good one, as good a one as ever killed a bear, he tho't it a
pity that it should fall into bad hands, so went to secure it himself,
although the frontispiece of its dead owner warn't very invitin'. But
when he stooped to take the gun, he got such a shove as knocked him
backwards, and on getting up, he saw the prairieman openin' his jacket
and examinin' a wound on his breast, which was neither deep nor
dangerous, although it had taken away the man's senses for a while.
The ball had struck the breast bone, and was quite near the skin, so
that the wounded man pushed it out with his fingers; and then
supporting himself on his rifle, got up from the ground, and without
either a thankye, or a d---nye, walked to where his mustang was tied
up, got on its back, and rode slowly away in a northerly direction."

This was all the information I could obtain on the subject, and
shortly afterwards the main body of our army came up, and I had other
matters to occupy my attention. General Austin expressed his gratitude
and approbation to our brave fellows, after a truly republican and
democratic fashion. He shook hands with all the rough bear and buffalo
hunters, and drank with them. Fanning and myself he promoted, on the
spot, to the rank of colonel.

We were giving the general a detailed account of the morning's events,
when a Mexican priest appeared with a flag of truce and several
waggons, and craved permission to take away the dead. This was of
course granted, and we had some talk with the padre, who, however, was
too wily a customer to allow himself to be pumped. What little we did
get out of him, determined us to advance the same afternoon against
San Antonio. We thought there was some chance, th