López for a short distance, and then "broke over the mountains" and were soon out of sight.[122]

The Anglo-Texans, assisted by a few Carrizo warriors,[123]  were now left to their fate, betrayed by one party and abandoned by the other, with a large proportion of the already short supply of munitions having been carried away by the absconding groups. Hastily surveying the situation, Jordan "ordered his men, 'about face -- to the left wheel,' and with a quick step marched them [along the bed of an arroyo to] . . . an old hacienda [known as El Oja del Agua], beyond the range of the enemy's ordnance."[124]  Still undaunted, the Texans quickly prepared to defend themselves. But as the enemy were tardy in coming, Jordan became impatient from the inactivity. Finally, he decided to do what he could to bring on a fight, saying "dam them we can whip [them], as few as we are, and I will meet them half way."[125]  So saying, he left his horses and a small guard at the corral of the hacienda and moved forward about half a mile. On perceiving this movement, the enemy sought to cut the Texans off from their horses by secretly falling into a deep ravine which Jordan's men had just crossed and which lay between them and their horses. Captain Newcomb, who had been left with a few men to guard the crossing of the ravine, discovered the design of the Centralist command, and gave the alarm in sufficient time for the Texans to fly back along the ravine to their horses. In avoiding interception by the enemy cavalry in the ravine, the Texans passed within 150 yards of the Centralist infantry. In their retreat, they