7. Showdown at the Alamo

7 Showdown at the Alamo As Eduardo followed the speed limit toward San Antonio and the Alamo, Stanley and his friends counted down the minutes until they were due to meet Mrs. Lambchop. There was grim silence as the alarm on Arthur's watch went off: It was noon. They were late. Stanley hoped his mother wouldn't be too angry.

"Didn't something bad happen at the Alamo?" said Arthur. "Because I feel like we're about to be grounded forever." Eduardo cleared his throat. "It was eighteen thirty-six. Texas had been ruled by France and then by Spain. Then it was a colony of Mexico. There was a terrible dictator, and the Texans decided to fight for their independence. More than one thousand five hundred Mexican soldiers, against just a few hundred Texans, tried to take the Alamo. It was a long and terrible fight. The Texans lost—but they vowed to win after that. 'Remember the Alamo!' they said. Soon after, they

beat the Mexican army and won their independence. That's why they call Texas the Lone Star State—because the spirit of independence here has always been so strong." They arrived at last. The chapel of the Alamo had a roof that curved up in the center like a rising sun. The building looked like it had been standing for centuries and would stand for many more. The boys climbed out of the car. In the distance, across the empty parking lot, Stanley's mother was waiting. Her feet were apart and her hands were on her hips. A dark frown hung on her face. "Whatever happens," Arthur said, gulping, "we stick together."

Stanley and the other boys linked arms. The sun was high and sharp. A buzzard circled overhead. Mrs. Lambchop took a slow step toward them. "I gave you three rules!" she called in a cold, stony voice. The gang of boys stepped forward. "And one of them was to show up on time," she continued and took another step forward. "It was my fault!" Stanley, Arthur, Carlos, and Eduardo all said. "I don't care whose fault it was," Mrs. Lambchop said. "A rule is a rule! Have you been using proper grammar?"

The boys hesitated. A lone tumbleweed rolled through. "Mostly," answered Arthur. Mrs. Lambchop squinted and shook her head slowly. Then a truck pulled into the parking lot and screeched to a halt. "That's the truck that was chasing us!" said Carlos. The truck's doors swung open. In the glaring sun, Stanley could just make out the giant silhouette of a towering man in a cowboy hat. His boots ground the dusty asphalt. Uh-oh, thought Stanley. "We meet at last!" the giant cowboy said. "They're mine!" called Mrs. Lambchop, moving closer to the boys. Suddenly Stanley heard another voice as someone stepped from the passenger side of the truck. "Gol-durned fools!" It was a girl. She tugged her leather vest and straightened her cowboy hat. She glared at Stanley and his friends.

Stanley's mouth fell open. "Calamity Jasper! What are you doing here?" "CHASING YOU!" she bellowed, charging toward them. "Ever since you sent me a postcard saying you'd be in Texas, I said, 'I just have to go