Every horse of the sixty reached the opposite bank without mishap; scrambling out, shook himself violently, and joined his fellows, herded together by the first of the cavalrymen ferried across.
The baggage wagon and the Twin Sisters had been rafted over. Twilight was gathering when the last boatload of men was landed. Colonel Rusk accompanied it. He stepped ashore, and he and General Houston gripped each other’s hands. The camp guard left at the other side cheered.
“Thank God,” uttered the general. And, to the colonels commanding: “Form the ranks.”
Now across Buffalo Bayou, on the Harrisburg and Santa Anna side toiled the little army, at best pace. In the darkness they clattered over a bridge which crossed a branch bayou running north into Buffalo Bayou.
Vince’s Bayou, was this, by report along the column, and Vince’s Bridge of the road from Harrisburg: the road taken by the Mexican army. But presently the column left the main road and diverged to the left, following closer the timber down Buffalo Bayou.
“Great Cæsar!” murmured Jim, dimly seen as he rode at Ernest’s right hand. “If this keeps up all night we’ll reach the mouth at the San Jacinto, and Lynch’s. Can’t go any further then without more ferrying.”
By midnight the infantry were staggering and stumbling, and even the horses moved on leaden feet. But nobody complained. Seven hundred fighting Texans were hot on the hunt for 600 hateful invading Mexicans, and the two trails would meet somewhere close ahead.
At one o’clock by the stars (for the sky had cleared at last) the order to rest for two hours was given. The infantry dropped in their tracks, Ernest and Jim and the other horsemen simply tumbled from their saddles. And here concealed in the fragrant evergreens the little army panted and shivered and dozed.
“After this war’s over,” mused Jim, drowsily, huddling under his wet blanket beside Ernest, “I’m going to change my clothes. A fellow likes a clean shirt and dry socks _once_ in a while! Maybe to-morrow I’ll capture an officer and take his. Those Mexican officers dress fine.”
“Guess Sion and Leo are getting all the action they want, this time,” stammered Ernest, with teeth chattering. “But we’re lucky that none of us had to stay with that camp guard, back at the bayou crossing.”