The Ring Tailed Panther greeted him with great warmth, shaking
his hand and saying:
"John! John! We're awful glad you've come 'cause there's to be a lot of
roarin' an' tearin' an' clawin' to be done."
The man smiled and replied in his quiet tones:
"We know it and that's why we've come. Now, I suggest that while we
leave ten men at each ford, we hold a meeting in the village. Everything
we have is at stake and as one Texan is as good as another we ought to
talk it over."
"Who is he?" asked Ned of Obed.
"That's John Moore. He's been a great Indian fighter and one of the
defenders of the frontier. I think it likely that he'll be our leader in
whatever we undertake. He's certainly the man for the place."
"Oyez! Oyez!" roared the Ring Tailed Panther with mouth wide open. "Come
all ye upon the common, an' hear the case of Texas against Mexico which
is now about to be debated. The gentlemen representin' the other side
are on the west shore of the river about a mile from here, an' after
decidin' upon our argyment an' the manner of it we'll communicate it to
'em later whether they like our decision or not."
They poured upon the common in a tumultuous throng, the women and
children forming a continuous fringe about them.
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