Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

1 6 a roaring inferno \vas soon embracing the entire valley-bed east of the Senora Estevan's cabin—without, however, endangering that cabin. It was an infeino in wliose lurid toils a band of would-be assassins and marauders were trapped, and from the safe ground west of the morass Sam Houston obtained an impression of their struggling forms—one of them dis- tinguishable as that of a white man. He heard, too, the tortured outcry that rose from the throats of those ensnared wretches, and. with their screams ringing in his ears, could have found it in his heart to pity them— if he had not let his mind dwell on the fate that they would have meted out to himself and the occupants of the Estevan cabin had they stormed that habitation. Turning his back on the blaze, he slowly retraced his steps to the dwelling, and by the time he had regained it the shrieks of Brad- bum and his C'omanches had subsided into a quietude that signified they had breathed their last. But the fire still raged—and was indeed destined to rage into the small hours of the morning. Re-entering the cabin, Sam received the con- gratulations of the men gathered there. But as Bowie was declaring fervently that they were all indebted to him for their lives the one-time Governor of Tennessee cut him short. "Don't thank me, Mr. Bowie," he said. "Thank those oil springs. They've put an end to our Indian troubles for to-night at least." He paused, then spoke to Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett earnestly. "Gentlemen." he requested, "with your per- mission I'd like to have the benefit of your company when you push on to Washington on- the-Brazos. And after what I've seen and heard to-night I've an idea I'm going to give your Steve Austin a little argument about his peaceful plan for runnin' Texas." Davy Crockett answered him. looking at him in a pensive manner as he did so. "Ride along with us an' welcome, Mr. Houston," he said. "But when you're arguin' with Austin, rem.ember one thing. He's give the best years of his life to Texas. So far, you've give a score or two o' bullets and a horn or so o' powder." THE ROAD BACK THE scene was the dusty main street of Washington-on-the-Brazos, and a large crowd mainly composed of Americans was gathered outside a fair-sized residence which was as pretentious as any that town could boast. The residence in question was the home of Steve Austin, accepted spokesman of the twenty thousand U.S. immigrants who had settled in Texas in the cour.se of a generation; and the ciowd mustered in front of the dwell- ing included Sam Houston, Lannie Upchurch, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, recent arrivals in the township. The throng of citizens whom Sam and Laimie and their two new acquaintances had joined were calling on Steve Austin to show himself, and in response to their insistent demands the front door of the Austin abode was presently opened, a tall, dark-haired, youngish man appearing on the porch. That man was not Steve Austin, however, who was far more advanced in years than this individual who had stepped into view of the crowd. The personage who had issued from the house was, in fact, Austin's secretary and right-hand man—William Travis by name. "Wait," Travis now appealed, raising his voice above the chanting of the mob as they continued to call for his employer. "I'm very sorry, everybody, but Mr. Austin can't talk to you now. As you know, he's been in poor health for some time past, and his trip to Mexico City has not improved his condition. He's had a long, hard journey and he's a very, very sick man." The crowd became silent for a spell. Then Davy Ciockett sang out in a questioning tone: "What concessions did Austin get out of Santa Anna, Travis?" he interrogated. "Tell us that." "Yeah, how about it, Travis?" This from Jim Bowie. "Do we "Texans get to run our December SOtli, 1939. BOY'S CINEMA own aflairs, like we've wanted to? Is this territory gonna be a separate State?" William Travis compressed his lips. "Mr. Austin has authorised me to tell you all," he replied, " that the status of Texas as a province of Mexico remains unchanged." There was a growl of disappointment from the assemblage, and then all at once Sam Houston made himself heard, his resonant voice compelling attention. "We'll fight!" he announced. ."It's the only way, men. If Mexico won't turn Texas loose, the thing to do is to bust her loose!" Lannie Upchurch bayed approval of that sentiment, and started a tumultuous chorus of applause which was taken up on all sides, the clamour being at its height when a pallid, haggard-featured man with a rug about his shoulders stumbled out throiigh the doorway whence Travis had emerged a minute or so previously. He was Steve Austin, and normally he would have been accorded a respectful murmur of greeting. But just then the eyes of the crowd in front of his home were concentrated on Sam Houston. "Fellow Texans." Sam shouted, again making himself heard. "How long are you goima stand for the way this territory is bein' run ? How long are you gonna let Indians and white renegades burn your houses and kill your people, Avhile the Mexican Government sit back and do nothing about it? How long are you gonna stand for ruinous taxes and the notorious greed of Mexican officers." He raised a clenched fist in a forceful gesture and scanned his listeners with a fiery glance. "I tell you," he declared, "if you want to deliver this great land from the tyranny of Mexico you must have a revolution. Between here and the coastline of the Pacific lies two thousand miles of virgin territory, territory that should and can belong to you, territory that can be opened up by you if you gain your independence. "Friends." he added sonorously, "we could fot boundary lines for a rich and fertile kingdom larger than all Mexico—even larger than the United States!" A roar of cheering went up, but was stilled as Steve Austin walked down from the porch of his homo with Travis' aid and made his presence known to the concourse of people before his residence. "And who are you, sir?" he demanded, confronting Sam. "Houston is my name. Sam Houston—late of Tennessee." Steve Austin looked at him sternly. His eyes, dulled by ill-health a moment ago, seemed to smoulder now with anger. "My name's Austin," he said, "and Texas is my home. And I stand for no man preacliing revolution here." "Mr. Austin," Sam answered quietly, "the wagons of Texas stand at a fork in the road. Wagons southward mean slavery—wagons westward freedom." " Have you forgotten that this is a province of Mexico?" Steve Austin retorted. "And have you forgotten that we Americans who are settled here have sworn our loyalty to Mexico's flag and constitution?" Sam Houston waved aside th.it argument with a scornful flomish of his hand. " Santa Anna and his Government," he said, "have forfeited your loyalty by their neglect and abuse of honest Texans—whether those Texans are of American origin or Mexican birth." "Indeed," Austin commented scathingly. "Well, it may interest you to know that President Santa Anna has promised the people of Texas a speciar'arganisation suited to our special needs." Sam frowned. "If that's the case, Mr. Austin, what have you to say about the rumour that's going around—a nuuour lliat I've heard repeated again and again on my way south—a rumour to the effect that Santa Anna has ordered the people of Texas to be disarmed ? Does that sound like he's ready to keep any bargain he may have made with you?" "If theie is such a rumour, it's a lie, sir," Steve Austin rejoined with emphasis. " And listen to me, Houston. Texas wants freedom, but not your brand. Wo want freedom to Every Tuesday build homes and plant crops and raise families without being stirred up by free-booting fire- brands seeking their own self glory." Sam flushed under the sting that was con- tained in the last phrase, but ere he could offer any reply Austin went on speaking. "I've heard- that revolution speech a hundred times since my father brought the first American colonists to Texas tnore than twenty years ago. And, Houston, we've buried a lot of men who made that speech here. They died of hard Texas bullets." He motioned along the street to the trail ■that wound north-east from Washington-on- thc-Brazos. " There's the road out of town and out of Texas, Houston," he said curtly, "and I solemnly warn you to take it before moi ning." The crowd of citizens who had formerly ap- proved Sam's warlike harangue weie melting shamefacedly, and it was all too clear to Tennessee's adventuring ex-governor that Steve Austin's influence over them was too strong for him to combat. AVith Lannie Upchurch at his heels he turned away moodily as Austin went back into his home, and, turning, suddenly found himself face to face with Margaret Lea. "Margaret!" he exclaimed, his countenance lighting up with pleasure. "I didn't expect to find you here yet." " We got here some days ago," she told him. "And. Sam, though you talked to me a great deal about your plans, and found me a willing listener, I've come to look at things from a diflterent angle in the short time I've been here. Sam, the people of this territory have a leader in Mr. Austin, and if you were thinking of the future of Texas instead of your own personal ambitions you'd join liim. You'd oflfer to put your talents as a statesman at his service instead of playing the soldier of fortune " Sam Ho\iston interrupted her. "Join Steve Austin? Never. Margaret I He's dead wrong, and time will prove it. Santa Anna's promises are worthless. Santa Anna's record as dictator of Mexico is a story of broken pledges, of ruthlessness and un- scrupulousness. No, Margaret, Austin's wrong, and he'll live to regret that he ever put his trust in that self-same Santa Anna." They were prophetic words, and the tenor of thcrn was destined to be soon fulfilled. For on their way north-east from Washington-on- ithe-Brazos, Sam and Lannie heard that the rumour concerning the intention to disarm the Texans had become a reality. They heard of the massacre of five thousand men, women, and children at a settlement far to the south—a massacre perpetiated by a column of Mexican troops because the male population of that settlement had refused to surrender their arms, and thus expose them- selves alike to the tyranny of martial law and the terroiism of Redskins and renegades who would hem them in when the military departed. They heard later of blood baths in other settlements where that same ultimatiun was resisted. They heard, too, of the horror ex- pressed by Steve Austin at those dastardly acts. And, later still, they heard of Austin's de- cision to jettison his policy of peaceful negotia- tion and raise the standard of revolt—a decision forced on him by the knowledge that Santa Anna had gone back on his word and was out to crush the spirit of the Texans who had dared to criticise his regime. Apprised of these momentous events, Sam Houston pushed north-eastward at a pace which tried the endurance of his horse, not to mention the stamina of Lannie Upchurch's mount and of Lannie himself. Sam's objective was Dodsonville, Louisiana, on the frontier of Texas; and once rstahli.shed there he devoted himself to a campaign whose threefold purpose was to collect money, ai'ms, and men. He would create the nucleus of an army, he toW himself. He would lead that army back into Texas and throw himself wholeheartedly into ihe fight for the liberation of Mexico's northerly province. And, in due conise, he would realise his dream of framing that vast domain into a free and independent State— under his mastership. His campaign was an unqualified success.