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" Greaser meat an’ me none, I want to jine Captain Walker
a _ BRAVEST OF
He was one of the first to enter the fort, and while
others hoisted the American flag in place of the Mexican,
he climbed to the top of a captured gun, hat in hand.
“Boys, three cheers with all the wind you’ve got left, for
the star-spangled band-box, Yankee Doodle, Hail Colum-
bit, Goddess of Liberty, Gineral Taylor, Gineral Worth,
Captains Walker and Hays, President of-the great and
glorious United States, and everybody else you can think
of. Hip—hip!”
And then there went up a cheer which made American
hearts leap for joy, and Mexican faces grow pale.
“Goldarn my great aunt’s cat’s kittens, but we can
lick the beeswax right out of this yer town.” /
Another lusty cheer, which Baxter led by swinging his
cap and: getting red.in the face.
“Go and have your wounds dressed,” said Walker.
“Waal, cap’n, is there any more fightin’ ter du?” asked
Baxter, leaping down from the gun.
“Not just yet. We must wait for orders.” oS
“Waal, all right. But you see, this ere puncter jist
works my grit wp, an’ if there’s goin’ ter be any more slam-
banging, I want the gore to flow.” ;
“Go and visit the surgeon,” said Walker, turning away.
“Tl du it, cap’n,” said he, and away he went.
As quickly as could be, a messenger was sent to General
Worth, giving an account of what had been done, and ask-
ing for further instructions.
Cheer upon cheer went up from the army on the Saltillo} .
road, when the news of the day’s vistory reached them, and
among the hundreds who envied the victorious companies,
and would gladly have been with them, none took it so
much to heart as Hank Dalton.
“Gineral, I can’t stand it any longer,” said he.
“Stand what, lieutenant?” asked Worth, in surprise.
“T can’t stand it to have the boys a-gittin’ all this
right away.” :
“Very well, if you are well enough, you shall do so.
How are your wounds?”
“Oh, I don’t mind ’em; but if I’ve got to stay here an’
let my pards get all this fun an’ glory, itll bust ’em open
agin,” said the brave fellow.
“Very well. You slfall join Walker, and also be the
bearer of these dispatches to him.”
“Gineral, that tickles me like a weddin’.”
“Go in company with this messenger, and go at once,| the veterans, and those who. had
lieutenant.”
“ Away I go,” and away he did go, bearing the dispatches
df General Worth. oo,
More enthusiasm could not have been raised among the
troops had they been reinforced by a thousand men, than
did Hank Dalton’s appearance make when he came into the
fort on Independence Hill, and after congratulations were
over, Lieutenant Roland, of the Artillery, openéd with his
howitzers upon the Bishop’s Palace with terrible effect.
“The ball’s opencd,” said Hank, “an’ I want some of the
“All right, Hank, Tl let you have some,” said Walker,
“Put yourself at the head of the Rangers and march upon
the Bishop’s Palace.”
tles, stood for a moment utterly dazed by the roar of
cannon, the reign of deadly bullets, and the slaughter which
marked every square yard of pavement.
thing but victory. Both columns advanced an
came closely engaged with the enemy,
forward into the heart of the city.
galloped here and there as emergency re
answering charges of grape and ball
gravy, I du, by thunder.” : musketry, the shouts of officers, the
all made up a picture that is seldom seen on ¢
well as his followers and supe
THE BRAVE.
“You will find good support in Captain Winton, who
marches in advance. We must draw the enemy out, give
him the bayonet, and rush our men in at the gate, either
with, or ahead of them on their retreat.”
“AN right, cap. Just watch me.” .
“T will.” ; :
. The stratagem which Walker had resolved upon worked
like a charm. A heavy Mexican force poured out of the
palace, and forming in front of the large gate, came down
in one dense, determined mass upon the American infantry.
But all unmoved, the latter received them with a murder-
ous fire, and then the Texan Rangers poured in their rifle
fire, which meant a soldier for every discharge,
by the shouting Americans, who charged them with their
bayonets, and entered the gate of the palace in company
with them, and in such. numbers that utter consternation
seized the Mexican commander, and the American flag was
floating from the staff-on the tower before he was fully
aware of the disaster which had overtaken him. So sudden
was it, and without losing scarcely a man, the Bishop’s
Palace was won. .
“Cock-a-doodle-do!” cried Baxter,’ mounting .a large
pyramid of cannon balls that lay in the court-yard, and the
point in the great siege of Monterey had been won.
- CHAPTER XVI.
A CORDON OF FIRE,
The Bishop’s Palace was captured
I » and another strong-
hold gained from the enemy. .
The next morning operations were resumed both by Gen-
eral Taylor and Gencral Worth.
bravest of the brave, was given a large share of the work to
do, and placing himself at the head of his faithtu
reinforced by three regiments of volunteers, “an
the work which he led them in
the war.
How well I remember that terrible day. _
The street fighting soon became ‘sim
1 Rangers,
d some of
to was the most: brilliant of
ply appalling, and
shared other severe bat--
But the Americans never flinched or dreamed of any-
d soon“be-
and steadily pushed
The rumble of the artillery over the stony streets, as it
quired, to pour its
» volley after volley of
groans of the wounded,
arth,
Captain Walker was doing his part of the work quite as
“That yer suits me all ter smash.”
forced open, walls were battered down, entrances made |
riors could wish, Doors were:
:
Se eee IE
The Mexicans broke and fled, and were closely followed «
answering shout told the listening general. that another :
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Captain Walker, whom Worth had pronounced the -
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