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Page 33
He grasped her hand tighter, but made no reply.
"I say, why did not you tell me first?"
"And if I had told you, what then?"
"Why, I should not have let you do it, you savage. If you had only
asked me, I might be willing to marry you next week. But as it is, I
am not going to be left a widow, I can tell you."
"Inez, I don't believe you care whether I am killed of not. I do not
understand you at all."
The girl's eyes filled, and her lip quivered with emotion. "Ma�uel do
you think me a brute? There is nobody to love Inez but her father and
you. I am not cold-hearted."
"You speak truth, Inez; and my uncle will not live very long, for he
has seen many years. When he is gone, there will be nobody to take
care of you but me; so the sooner we are married the better."
"Not so. You must come and see us as often as you can till the war is
over; but I will marry no one now."
"Will you promise it shall be as soon as the war is over?"
Inez coquettishly tossed her beautiful head, and advancing to the
fire, gaily exclaimed--"While we talked the tortillas burned. Come,
eat some supper. I know they are as good as those you get at the
Alamo."
Ma�uel seated himself on a buffalo-robe, and while partaking of the
evening meal, Inez chatted away on indifferent subjects, asking,
during the conversation, what news had been received from the Texan
army.
"We got news to-day that they are marching down to Gonzales, but I am
thinking they will find hot work."
"How many men may we number, Ma�uel, and think you the chances are for
us?"
"By the blessed Virgin, if we were not ten to five Ma�uel Nevarro
would not eat his tortilla in peace. The Captain says we will scatter
them like pecans in a high wind."
"What bone is there to fight for at Gonzales?"
"Cannon, Inez, cannon. Don't you know we sent a thousand men to bring
it here, and the white rascal sent five hundred to keep it there. By
the Virgin, we will see who gets it!"
"Holy Mother protect us! Ma�uel, take care of yourself, man, and rush
not into danger. It will profit you little that we have many men, if
some strong arm tells your length on the sward."
"Never fear, Inez--never fear. We must not stop till every American
turns his back on the Alamo, and his face to the East."
"But you will not harm those that live here in peace with all men?"
"The Padre told our General, yesterday, that we must fight till all
submitted, or the last American child was driven to the far bank of
the Sabine."
Inez laid her hand on his arm, and looking him full in the face,
asked, in a low tone--"Ma�uel, would you help to drive Mary from her
home among us? She who nursed me in sickness, and bound the white
bread to your bleeding arm, and made the tea for my dying mother, when
none other came to help? Ma�uel! Ma�uel! she is alone in the world,
with only her cousin. Spare Mary in her little home; she hurts none,
but makes many to die in peace."
Ma�uel's face softened somewhat, but he replied in the same determined
tone--"The Padre says she is an accursed heretic, and he will not
rest till she is far away. But I tell you now, Inez, she will not be
harmed; for he said he would see that she was protected, and would
himself take her to a place of safety. He said she had been kind to
our people, and none should molest her or her cousin; but leave all to
him."
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