For the Liberty of Texas | Page 4

building a cabin and a cattle shelter, had done much to
make Mr. Radbury forget his grief over the loss of his wife and
property, and the rough outdoor life had made Daniel Radbury "as
tough as a pine-knot," as he was wont to say himself. It had likewise
done much for little Ralph, who had been a thin and delicate lad of five
when leaving the old home in the magnolia grove in far-off Georgia.
Even yet Ralph was not as strong as Dan, but he was fast becoming so,
much to his parent's satisfaction.
Amos Radbury's venture had prospered from the start. The land was
rich and his crops were consequently heavy, and no disease reached his
cattle, which speedily grew to the number of several hundred heads. In
addition to his beeves he had nearly a hundred hogs, and during the last
year had taken to raising horses and mustangs, for the market at Bexar,
as San Antonio was commonly called.
The raising of mustangs had been a source of much satisfaction to the
boys, who speedily learned to ride so well that even the liveliest of the
animals failed to shake one or the other off, although, of course, neither

could do a thing when the beast got down and began to roll over.
"It's immense, to ride like the wind!" Dan would cry. "There is no
better sport in the world! I don't wonder the Indians enjoy it so much."
"Yes, the Indians enjoy it, and they'll enjoy getting our mustangs, too,
if we give them the chance," had been Mr. Radbury's reply. But so far
only one mustang had been taken, and that by a Comanche half-breed
named Hank Stiger. Stiger had been accused of the crime by Mr.
Radbury, but had pleaded his innocence, and the pioneer had dropped
the matter rather than have more trouble, since it was known that the
half-breed and the Comanches in the neighbourhood were closely
related in all their underhanded work. In those days it was no
uncommon thing to hang a horse thief, but had this happened to Hank
Stiger, it is likely that the Comanches under Bison Head, who had their
hunting-grounds in the Cross Timbers, so-called, of the upper Colorado
River, would have gone on the war-path immediately following.
CHAPTER II.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE DEER.
The cabin was a strongly built affair of rough logs, fifteen feet deep by
thirty feet long. It was divided into two apartments on the ground floor,
the first used as a general living-room and the second as a bedchamber.
From the bedchamber a rude ladder ran to a loft, used as extra
sleeping-quarters when the Radburys had company, and also as a
storeroom. There were two windows in the sleeping-room below, and a
window and a door in the general living-room. Each of the windows
were shuttered with slabs of oak, secured, inside, by square bars of ash.
All of the furniture excepting one bed, a table, and two chairs was
home-made, and consequently rather primitive in style, and built more
for use than for ornamentation.
At one side of the living-room was a wide, open fireplace, and here,
above the mantel-shelf, hung the old Mexican escopeta, or cavalry
musket, which Dan intended to take along on his expedition to the spot
where Ralph had brought down the deer. Taking the gun down, the

youth saw to it that the weapon was loaded and ready for use, and
rejoined his brother.
In those days every Texan trusted his neighbour implicitly, and nobody
thought of locking up his home even though he expected to be gone
several days, unless it was thought that unfriendly Indians were about.
The Radburys had gone away frequently, leaving everything open, and
had never suffered, excepting as previously mentioned. Once, on
returning, they had found that some other settlers from fifty miles away
had stopped there over night, but this was explained in a note stuck to
the eating-table, the "neighbour" offering to "square up" on demand.
When the two parties met, Mr. Radbury told the other that the only way
he could settle up was by calling again,--which was the usual Texan
method of rounding out such hospitality.
"I've a good mind to lock up," remarked Dan, as he reached the
dooryard. "I don't like this idea of Indians spying about."
"Oh, come on," interrupted Ralph. "We won't be gone long, and no
Indian could do much in such a short time."
The elder brother shook his head doubtfully. "I don't know," he mused,
but when Ralph took hold of his arm, he suffered himself to be led
away; and soon they were hurrying for the river. There was quite a
clearing to cross, and as they gained the timber Dan paused to look