Less experienced men than the Texans might have thought that the Comanches had gone away after the failure of their attempt at surprise, but these veterans knew better.

Bowie and all of them were trying to divine their point of attack and how to meet it.

For the present, they could do nothing but watch the doorways, and guard themselves against a sudden rush of their dangerous foe.
"Panther," said Obed White, "it seems to me that you're getting all the ripping and tearing and chawing that you want on this trip." "It ain't what you might call monotonous," said the Ring Tailed Panther.
"I agree to that much." It had been fully an hour now since Ned had rung the great bell, and they had heard no noises save the usual ones of that night, the wind and the rain.

He surmised at last that the Comanches had taken advantage of the war between the Texans and Mexicans to make a raid on the San Antonio Valley, expecting to gallop in, do their terrible work, and then be away.

Doubtless it had not occurred to them that they would meet such a group as that led by Bowie and the Ring Tailed Panther.
"Ned," said Bowie, "creep across the floor there to that rope and ring the bell again.