“Senor?” Jamie replied from the saddle.
“It took a tremendous amount of courage for you to ride right up to our lines. I thank you for your commanding officer’s kind gesture.”
He was still standing in the shadows and Jamie was not at all sure just whom he was speaking to.
“Would you please dismount and have supper and conversation with me? I give you my personal word that you will not be harmed in any way.”
Jamie swung down from the saddle and a Mexican soldier took the reins. “I’ll have some conversation and coffee with you, sir. And be honored. But I eat only what my comrades inside the walls eat.”
The man chuckled. “I applaud your loyalty, young man. It is rare. Come. We’ll sit in comfort and talk.”
Jamie walked toward the man and was startled to find himself looking General Santa Anna straight in the eyes.
* * *
“They will all die,” Tall Bull was told by the scout just returned from the south. He squatted down by the fire and warmed his hands, accepting the hunk of meat from the spit over the fire.
Tall Bull waited, a warm buffalo robe wrapped around him.
“The whites are barricaded in what appears to be an old place of worship. There are so many soldiers all around them it would be impossible to count them; it would be like trying to count the ants in a hill.”
“Did you see Man Who Is Not Afraid?”
“It would be impossible to get that close.”
“You were gone so long we were worried that you might have been killed.”
“I had to hide my horse and walk most of the way. The soldier patrols are everywhere.”
“You truly feel that the defenders of this worship place are doomed?”
“As surely as we are sitting close to this fire and the night is dark.”
Tall Bull took a stick and drew in the dirt. “The defenders are here. Man Who Is Not Afraid left his home over here.” He jabbed at the earth. We know there is but one trail that the whites travel, a road. It leads to this place called Gonzales. We shall leave in the morning to find a halfway point between the fort and the town. I think a nice place along this river...”
“The Guadalupe,” the scout said.
“The what?”
“Guadalupe River.”
“Stupid name. No matter. If Man Who Is Not Afraid does manage to escape death at the fort, or church, or whatever it is, he must travel this trail. We shall be waiting. I have spoken. Now I will rest.”
* * *
“Why?” Santa Anna asked Jamie, after an aide brought them both steaming cups of strong coffee.
“Sir?”
“Why do you choose to die in that old mission?”
“I don’t choose to die, sir. But if I must die, I can think of no better reason than for freedom.”
“Freedom?” Santa Anna was startled. “From what?”
“From Mexico, General.”
Santa Anna’s aides stiffened, knowing what a volatile temper he had. But the general only chuckled. “You must know that you will not succeed.”
“We might not, sir. But this is only the beginning. Where we fall, where each man falls, ten or twenty or a hundred will take their place. Killing us will only throw grease onto an already raging fire.”
Santa Anna smiled. “Then what would you have me do, young man?”
Jamie paused, then chose his words carefully. “I think, sir, that the destinies of both you and your army, and those men in the mission... and to a larger degree, Texas, have been sealed. I think events are already locked in place and no matter what we say this night, they cannot be changed.”
Santa Anna nodded his head slowly. “I think you are wise beyond your years, young man. What is your name?”
“Jamie MacCallister, sir.”
“Senor MacCallister, you know I cannot offer you or your companions mercy.”
“We understand that, sir. I would ask, speaking for myself, that you do not harm the women and the children in the mission. Or the slaves.”
“I was not aware of any women or children in the fort!”
“Yes, sir. About twenty or so.”
Santa Anna turned to an aide. “Note that. Advise the men that when the final assault comes, no harm is to come to women, children, or slaves.”
“Si, General.”
“Gracias, sir,” Jamie said.
“Por nada.” Santa Anna stood up from the camp chair and Jamie rose with him. The general smiled and saluted Jamie. Jamie returned the salute.
“Buenas noches, Jamie MacCallister.”
“Good night, sir.”
Santa Anna walked off into the darkness.
His horse was brought to him, and Jamie stepped into the saddle. He looked down at the faces of the Mexican soldiers who surrounded him. They were not unfriendly faces, just curious. “Good night, gentlemen.”
He walked his horse away, back to the Alamo, amid a chorus of buenas noches and vaya con Dios. Travis and Crockett met him at the gate.
“We thought they’d taken you captive, lad,” Crockett said.
“Are you all right?” Travis asked.
“Yes, sir. Fine. I had coffee and some conversation with General Santa Anna, that’s all.”
Crockett and Travis were speechless for a moment. And for both men, that sensation was quite a novel experience.
“You did what?” Travis finally found his voice.
Jamie told them of his encounter with the general.
“Incredible,” Travis said.
“Well, I’ll just be hornswoggled,” Crockett said.
“Rider comin’ with a white flag,” a lookout hollered.
“Find out what he wants!” Travis called.
After a moment, the sentry said, “He wants to speak with you, Colonel Travis, and Davy and Jamie. Says Jamie speaks good Spanish and can translate if the courier loses his English.”
The trio of men walked out the south gate and stood in front of the mounted courier.
“General Santa Anna says that he is calling for a cease-fire until noon tomorrow. He is giving you time to reconsider your position and to surrender. My general also wants you all to know that he is aware of the band of men coming from the town of Gonzales to help you. He has ordered cavalry to cut them off.”
Travis, Crockett, and Jamie exchanged glances. That sure was news to them. Good news. They all wondered how many men were coming to their aid.
“You are alone here,” the courier said. “And no help is coming. Your dying will accomplish nothing. My general is not a cruel man. He will accept your unconditional surrender. You have until noon tomorrow. After that time, surrender will not be possible and you will all be killed.”
Travis replied, “Tell General Santa Anna we thank him for the respite, but he knows we cannot surrender.”
“I am sorry, Colonel,” the courier said, real emotion in his voice.
“So am I,” Travis spoke softly.
The courier, a young officer, looked into the eyes of the three men. “When you hear the degüello, pray to God. For it will soon be over for you all.” He saluted, turned his horse, and rode back to his lines.
“What’s the degüello?” Crockett asked.
“It’s a song,” Jamie said. “Means fire and death. It also means no prisoners will be taken.”
“Total annihilation,” Travis added.
“Well, we’ll see about that,” Crockett said. “I wonder how many men is comin’ from Gonzales?”
“Certainly not enough,” Travis said. “But any number will greatly improve the morale of the men. And they’ll be bringing provisions, too.”
“We hope,” Crockett added.
“I’ll go tell Jim the good news,” Jamie said, and walked back into the mission.