It seemed a hard fate to him that he should again be trapped thus in an old mission.

Nor did he have here the strength and support of the great borderers like Bowie and Crockett.

He missed them most of all now.
The day passed slowly and with an occasional exchange of shots that did little harm.

Toward the twilight one of the sentinels on the wall uttered a great and joyous shout.
"The reinforcements!" he cried.

"See, our friends are coming!" Ned climbed upon the wall and saw a force of more than a hundred men, obviously Texans, approaching.