On the afternoon of arrival at Espada, Leo gleefully sought out Ernest and Jim.
“Well, I’m off again,” he informed. “What are you fellows going to do? Sit here?”
“Scouting, of course. Captain Bill Travis and eighty more of us.”
“I’d like to know!” protested Jim. “You’ve had one scrimmage.”
“Sure, and I want another,” airily replied Leo. “The general ordered Captain Travis to pick eighty mounted men for scouting duty, and good old Bill told me he reckoned I’d do for one. I’ve been with him before, see? Down on the coast, when we drove Tenorio out of Anahuac, last spring.”
“Aw, shucks, Leo,” deplored Ernest. “Why can’t you get us in on that?”
“With your little pea-shooters?” retorted Leo. “No, boys, I’m afraid not. [‘Boys,’ he said!] Every man in our bunch is armed with double-barrels, or else yagers, and pistols. Those are the general’s orders. Adios. Tell you all about it later.”
“When do you start, Leo?” asked Ernest, enviously.
“I don’t know. Any time the captain says so,” replied Leo, hastening importantly away.
“Scatter-guns and blunder-busses!” scoffed Jim, after him. “You-all’ll be a hefty crowd, if you meet up with those Mexican regulars.” But he added, to Ernest: “That Bill Travis is a fighter, though. I’d certainly admire to be going along.”
It indeed seemed slow work, sitting around, waiting; and that night they missed the spunky Leo, for the Captain Travis troop of scouts had ridden out, reconnoitering.
However, in the morning another event occurred. Jim, as usual, brought the word, excitedly hailing Ernest.
“Hurry up!” he cried. “Get your hawss and shooting-irons if you want to go.”
“Where? All right. I’m coming,” rejoiced Ernest.
“Up-river, on a scout with Jim Bowie and Captain Fannin. But they won’t wait long.” And with Ernest, Jim hustled breathlessly for the ponies.
“Met Henry Karnes, and he told me they’d been ordered out to go with about a hundred men and find a new camping-place up-river. So I went straight to Colonel Bowie and asked him to take us, and he said he would if Captain Dickinson had no objection, and the captain said ‘All right,’ so I guess it is.”
“I should rather think it was!” rejoiced Ernest. “Leo’ll find he hasn’t any edge on us, won’t he!”
“He sure will,” agreed Jim, as they saddled up like lightning. “Huh! I’d as soon be under Bowie and Fannin as under Travis. That Jim Bowie doesn’t take back-water from anybody!”