Why should we retreat ?" "But the Alamo fell at last," said Ned, "and this Refugio mission is not so defensible as the Alamo was." "You think, then, we should retreat ?" "I do.

I'm sure the place cannot be held against a large army." There was much discussion.

Ned saw that all the men of the new force were raw recruits from the States like King's.

Many of them were mere boys, drawn to Texas by the love of adventure.

They showed more curiosity than alarm, and it was evident to Ned that they felt able to defeat any number of Mexicans.
Ned, called upon again for his opinion, urged that they withdraw from the church and the town at once, but neither Ward nor King was willing to make a retreat in the night.