Against their cannon, mortars and cohorns
Our guns, light as they are, cannot avail,
Nor will our walls for any length of time
Withstand their onslaught. What is thy command?
Travis.
Nought more we can perfect in our arrangements,
And if we could, our men are too fatigued
By day-alarms and nightly toil of watching.
Their efforts must be spared, till comes the end!
God's will be done! As eve has broken in,
Relieve the guards and scouts and let the men
Whom duty not withholds, convene beneath
The chapel's strong and well-protected walls.
A holy service, brief but soul-inspiring,
Would not be out of place in our condition;
So, Evans, make this wish of mine be known
To Chaplain Smith: if ever by his speech
He swayed his listeners' hearts to do it now.
But, Crockett, thou, take my command awhile;
Not having rested since the enemy came
Before the fort, I feel the want of sleep.
Scene XIII.
Colonel Travis alone.
Sleep? Can I sleep? Oh, bitter irony!
When scarce I breathe beneath the heavy burden
