About ten o'clock
The report of the rifles recalled Roche to his senses , and joining once more the three remaining Indians , he rushed madly upon the hunters , and , closing with one of them , he ripped him up with his knife , while the Comanches had each of them successfully thrown their lassoes , and now galloped across the plain , dragging after them three mangled bodies . Roche recovered his saddle and holsters , and taking with him the corpse of the noble-minded Indian , he gave to his companions the signal for retreat , as the remaining hunters were flying at full speed towards their camp , and , succeeded in giving the alarm . An hour after , they returned to us , and , upon their report , it was resolved that we should attack the Texians that very night . About ten o'clock we started , divided into three bands of seventy men each , which made our number about equal to that of the Texians ; Roche , who was disabled , with fifteen Indians and the five Americans remaining in the camp . Two of the bands went down the river to cross it without noise , while the third , commanded by Gabriel and me , travelled up the stream for two miles , where we safely effected our passage . We had left the horses ready , in case of accident , under the keeping of five men for every band . The plan was to surprise the Texians , and attack them at once in front and in rear ; we succeeded beyond all expectations , the Texians , as usual , being all more or less intoxicated .