HEROES OF THE LONE STAR STATE.

913

ever, determined to push on toward the old fort on the San Saba River, thirty miles away. The Mexican having discharged his duty left them. Though making all possible haste along the rocky roads, the white men were unable to reach the fort that night. They were compelled to encamp in a small clump of live oak trees, surrounded by an open rocky country.

Special safeguards were taken for the night, but the hours passed without alarm. In the morning preparations were made for an early start toward the old fort, which was only six miles away. Camp had been broken, and the men were in the act of leaving the cover, when they were dismayed to discover the Indians not two hundred yards away. In front of them was a savage on foot, hunting the trail. The wdiites instantly dismounted, made fast their horses, and prepared for such defense as they could make. There were, on the one hand, eleven white men; on the other, over one hundred and sixty Indians.

The odds were so fearful that the elder Bowie and a man named Buchanan determined to go out and attempt to parley. When within forty yards of the spot where the Indians had halted, Bowie called to them, to which the response was several shots, one of which broke Buchanan's leg. Bowie discharged his gun and pistol, seized Buchanan, threw him on his shoulder, and started to the live oaks under a heavy fire. Buchanan was wounded in two additional places, but Bowie was unhurt. Seeing that their shots had failed to take effect on Bowie, eight Indians, with drawn tomahawks, started after him. Burdened as he was with the weight of Buchanan, Bowie was quickly overtaken, but, just as the Indians were about to lay hold on him, the men from the cover fired, killing four savages and driving off the others.

At this moment, when the white men's rifles were nearly all empty, a large part of the Indians, who had circled around to another side of the clump of live oaks, opened a heavy fire. Their chief alone was on horseback, advancing at their head