Free Davy Crockett by Robert E. Hollmann Page A

Anna. I bet he is at home hiding under his bed.”
    The spirits of the men had been lifted by Davy’s shot. They told other men who had not seen it how Davy had shot the plume off Santa Anna’s hat and how the general had ridden away. Everyone laughed when they heard the story.
    Travis put up his spyglass. “Well, Davy. I think Santa Anna won’t be leading any more parades.”
    Davy shook his head. “I hope I didn’t just make him mad.”
    Travis walked toward his room. Davy turned back to watching the enemy troops.
    “That was quite a shot,” Dylan said.
    Braden nodded his head. “Yes. Santa Anna sure left in a hurry. That was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.”
    Addie rubbed her hands as she held them toward the fire. “I sure wish the wind would stop blowing. The cold weather is bad enough, but this wind makes it a lot worse. Maybe if it gets cold enough, the enemy army will go home.”
    “Do you think Davy made Santa Anna mad?” Dylan asked.
    Just then a man standing on the wall called down to Travis. “Colonel, the enemy is attacking.”
    The children watched as the men ran to their places on the wall. Soon they were firing at the attacking enemy.
    Addie turned to Dylan. “I guess he made him really mad.”

Chapter Twenty-Three
    Addie, Dylan, and Braden hurried after Davy as he raced to the wall where the men were firing at the advancing enemy army. Davy sprinted up the ladder and stood next to a cannon. The children stood next to him and watched the fighting. Smoke from the rifles and cannon burned their eyes. The smell of the powder filled their nostrils. Men were yelling as they fired. The cannon roared so loudly that the children put their hands over their ears. As the enemy got closer, they could hear them yelling. The bullets from their guns zipped overhead, sounding like angry bees.
    Davy moved from man to man. He slapped them on the back and cheered as they fired. The enemy began to slow down. Some of them tried to find a place to hide. Others threw down their muskets and ran to the rear. Finally a bugle sounded and the enemy began to retreat back to their positions. The men in the Alamo cheered as the enemy retreated.
    Travis waved his hat in the air. “You have made them run, boys. Hurrah,” he cheered. He walked over to Davy. “It was a small attack, but the men did well. I think Santa Anna wanted to get an idea how strong our defenses were. I don’t think he will try and attack us like that again.”
    Davy wiped his face with his sleeve. “I think he will try to soften us up. Look, he is already moving up more cannon. He is going to try to knock some holes in our walls.”
    Travis watched the enemy begin to dig some new trenches. “I think he will just keep moving closer. When he thinks he has enough men, he will attack again. I don’t think his whole army is here yet. I hope we get some reinforcements before the rest of his army gets here.”
    Davy looked beyond the enemy lines. “Do you really think that more men will come?”
    Travis shrugged his shoulders. “I hope so.”
    The children followed Davy and Travis as they walked around the walls. The men were in good spirits. They thought that the walls were too strong and that the enemy could not get into the Alamo. The cold wind forced most men to duck down behind the walls. They talked quietly about the battle. They nodded and waved as Davy and Travis walked by.
    Soon they were standing in front of the wooden fence. Davy’s men watched for some sign of an enemy attack. Travis and Davy looked out over the fence.
    “Those buildings in front of us are a problem,” Travis said. “The enemy can get into them and shoot at us under cover. He can also build up his forces and we can’t see them.”
    Davy stared at the wooden buildings. “You are right. I think the thing to do is to burn them down.”
    “I agree,” Travis said. “After dark, take some men and go burn the buildings down.”
    “All right. I will pick out a