A STRANGE DELIVERANCE.
There was contagion in the manner of Katrina, and her lover wondered
very much what she could mean. She replied by leading him to the window
and pointing toward the edge of the woods, opposite to the side upon
which the Comanches had retreated.
"I see nothing," he said, "except the cellar, where your uncle has been
in the habit of keeping his potatoes and cabbage."
"That's just what I want you to see; for there is our means of
escape--at least I _hope_ so."
Sebastian looked at the girl in amazement.
"I don't understand you; if you have any thing to tell me, Katrina,
don't speak in riddles."
"What I have to ask is this; if there was any way by which we could
reach that mound, do you think we could get off unobserved from there?"
The young man scanned the hillock of earth very closely for a few
moments.
"It might be done," he replied, a moment later. "I notice a lot of
bushes just back of it, which seem to reach almost to the woods."
"They do so entirely; they are currant bushes, planted by me several
years ago. They reach entirely to the forest."
"Under their shadow, one might manage to steal to the woods. At any
rate, I think I could do it; but why talk of such a thing?" he asked,
somewhat impatiently, "when from here to the potato cellar, the ground
is as hard and level as a door, and they could see a cat stealing
along."
"Between the house and the cellar there is an _underground
communication_, which uncle Hans made last summer. Why he did it I can
not tell, but I have been through it several times."
Sebastian sprung to his feet in delight.
"Is it possible? Why didn't you tell me of it before? We will try it at
once; we will make it a success."
"Suppose the Comanches come before we get away, will they not be likely
to find out where we have gone?"
"Possibly they might. Suppose you go first, and I will keep watch until
you are ready for me."
Another difficulty presented itself at this point, although it did not
amount to a great deal. The door which opened above-ground into the
cellar, was on the side toward the house, and opening outward, would be
pretty certain to attract the notice of the vigilant Indians.
"How thick are the walls?" asked Sebastian.
"They are lined with boards."
"They can be easily displaced, I have no doubt, and, as we shall have
to make a new opening, I will go into the cellar with you."
"Let us do so then without any delay."
The Texan concluded to make a survey from each window before going, and
he did so, scrutinizing every part of the clearing and wood with all
the care possible.
It seemed to the Texan that perhaps the Comanches while waiting had
gained the idea that the defenders of the house were off their guard
and asleep; so, to prevent any action from any such presumption, he
fired his gun toward the wood, and then reloading his piece turned to
Katrina.
"I don't think they will disturb the house for some time; let us go at
once."
Down-stairs they went, and then into the cellar beneath the lower
floor. Here, of course, every thing was of pitchy darkness, and
Sebastian was led by the hand by Katrina, who was familiar with every
step of the way.
The passage leading from the main cellar to that where the potatoes
and cabbage (their bulk generally being too great to admit them beneath
the house) was about thirty feet in extent, and its excavation must
have caused Hans Bungslager a great deal of labor.
As they walked through the cool passage, both were compelled to stoop
quite low to prevent striking their heads; but the passage required but
a few minutes, when they came within the large cavern-like opening used
for storage-room, but which at this season was almost empty.
"Well, here we are!" said the young man. "There's the door, for I can
see the moonlight shining through it, and right opposite is where we
must dig ourselves out."
"Will it not be safe to use the door? I am afraid it will delay us too
much."
"It is running too much risk; I think we can shortly dig our way out."
Groping around with his hands, he speedily got hold of the planking,
and only a little exertion was necessary to draw it loose. Then nothing
but a mass of soft earth was between them and the outside.
The Texan used the plank as a shovel, and driving it into the earth,
speedily loosened so much that an alarming yawn occurred--much larger
than was anticipated and such that both were afraid it would attract
the attention of their enemies.
They paused and listened, but, hearing nothing, Sebastian cautiously
peered out. Every thing was quiet, and he could not see any evidence
that suspicious eyes were turned upon them. Then telling Katrina to
wait until he reached the wood, he as carefully drew himself out, and
lay flat upon the ground.
Fortunately he was directly beside the vigorous currant bushes, which
interposed an effectual screen against the observation of those upon
the other side, while its heavy shadow gave him enough obscurity to
prevent his being seen by any foes from the other direction unless
their attention was especially directed to the spot. Both were dressed
in dark clothes, and their hearts beat high with hope.
Sebastian had replaced his Bowie down his back, and holding his rifle
in his left hand, he began the perilous journey.
He had almost fifty feet to travel, and he did it with the skill of a
veteran scout of the plains--creeping along foot by foot, pausing and
listening and looking on every side of him. As he neared the somber
and welcome shadow of the wood, he was strongly tempted to hasten his
progress, and had he been alone he might have done so.
But the last yard of the dangerous trip was made with the same
deliberation and care as the others. He breathed more freely when he
passed the clearing, but his anxiety still remained, as Katrina was yet
to follow.
She had kept her eyes fixed upon his form, so long as she was able to
see him. At times his progress was so slow or was checked that she
feared he had been discovered; but, when about in despair, she could
see that he was moving again. By and by her strained eyes failed to
identify him in the gloom, as he gradually receded, and she could only
conjecture when he got to the wood. She listened for some signal, but
hearing none, concluded every thing favorable, and then she began her
task.
As may be supposed, Sebastian stood in the edge of the wood watching
her movements with an intensity of interest which can scarcely be
understood. He could see her as she emerged from the cabin, when the
same shadow that enveloped him, hid her from view, until she had
advanced quite a distance along the path.
"If any Comanche wants to commit suicide, let him interfere with her,"
muttered the Texan, as he stood with rifle in hand, watching her
progress.
But fortune favored them. The red-skins were indeed keeping a watch,
but it was a watch upon the house, in which, of course, they supposed
the whites were still at bay.
Katrina accomplished the whole distance in safety, and, at length,
entered the wood, rose to her feet and stood beside her lover.
"Thank Heaven!" he exclaimed, as he clasped her in his arms. "I was in
an agony of fear until this moment."
"We are not safe yet," she whispered, looking affrightedly round in the
darkness, "they must be somewhere near us."
"Come on," said the young man, taking her hand, "I think we can avoid
them."
Instead of making directly for the path, he led her by a circuitous
route, and struck it at a point a couple of hundred yards distant.
From this place they moved stealthily forward, and soon found that it
was free from their foes. They advanced with great care, and not until
they had gone fully a half-mile did they converse with any thing like
freedom.
"I think we are safe from _them_," said the young man, somewhat
exultingly, referring to the red-skins whom they had left behind them.
"How long will they wait there?"
"Perhaps they will stay a day or two in the hope of starving us out, or
they may make an assault in force and discover the trick that has been
played upon them."
"And then what will they do?"
"Set fire to the cabin and leave."
"I suppose so," replied Katrina with a sigh. "It is sad, but I am
thankful that we are not included in the ruin."
"How was it you kept out of their way so well, before we met?" asked
the Texan, with some curiosity.
"I was searching for the cow, and I was not long in finding her dead,
killed by a bullet. Then of course I knew the Comanches were close at
hand, and I hurried to the house to warn uncle Hans of his danger, but
found he had already gone. As he had a heavy load on the horse, and
could move only very slowly, I knew I could overtake him, whenever I
wished to do so. So I remained to see what the Indians were going to do.
"I felt able to keep out of the way, and was doing so, when I thought
I saw you. I managed to approach near enough to be sure, and I made
myself known, and you know the rest."
"Yes," replied the lover, squeezing her hand in his. "I know the rest
indeed. We have been spared by Providence, and have made a remarkable
escape from the beleaguered cabin. The Comanches are still abroad, and
there must be many of them between us and Brownston; your uncle Hans is
not the sharpest woodman in the world, but I trust that when we all get
together, as I hope we shall speedily do, a way will be opened for all
of us to reach a place of safety."