BY THE CREEK.
The general opinion among the whites was that nothing was to be gained
by pushing on toward Brownston, at the present time.
They were now within a few miles of the village, and were pretty well
satisfied that they would have to run a regular gantlet to pass the
Comanches. Such a proceeding was not to be thought of so long as it
could be avoided.
"It won't do to turn back, nor to go forward, nor to stay here,"
remarked the young man, after quite a lengthy discussion.
"Isn't there some place, further in the woods," asked Crockett, "where
the varmints ain't likely to look for us?"
They were silent a few minutes, and then Katrina suddenly spoke:
"Do you remember that cavern, Sebastian, where we once halted when we
went fishing in the canoe?"
"The very spot," exclaimed the Texan, "and we can't be far from it. We
will leave our horses here and go to it."
"But tell me," she added, in a low voice, intended for his ears only,
"what about Uncle Hans? Is he to be left to perish?"
He turned his face toward her and spoke in the tenderest manner:
"You know, Katrina, that there is nothing in the world that I would
refuse to do for you; and you will believe me, when I tell you that
nothing in the world can be done for him. We are powerless to aid him
in the least."
"But what do _you_ think of it?"
"I have a strong belief that he will turn up all right in spite of the
bad look it has now. It is painful to you, but it can not be helped."
"You will hear nothing more from me about it," she replied, "so long as
other matters command your thoughts."
It was deemed best to unfasten the horses and lead them still deeper
into the wood, so as to make certain of their being out of sight of
any Indians who might appear in the path or clearing. Then they were
fastened to the limbs of trees, so as to prevent their straying, and
then, under the leadership of the Texan, they pushed on for the retreat
to which reference has been made.
A half-mile or thereabouts brought them the creek beside which the path
led for some distance, and then a few hundred yards to the right and
the refuge was reached.
Crockett saw an irregular pile of rocks, jutting out over the creek,
but no sort of entrance was visible.
Katrina, however, sprung nimbly upon the first bowlder and walked
rapidly up and over the mass, followed by the others, until she had
gone about twenty feet, when she leaped down a distance about equal to
her own hight, and their destination was reached.
It did not prove to be much of a cavern, but the rocks jutted and
lapped over each other in such a way as to make a hollow extending
about a half-dozen feet back.
The advantages of this retreat were, first, that it was not likely to
be visited by the Comanches, and in case it was, the occupants were
capable of making a successful defense for some time. They could not be
injured by fire, and the means of approach prevented any mass swarming
into and overwhelming them.
Hunger and thirst were the only effectual agents that could be brought
against them, and, under the circumstances, there was not much
probability of these being employed.
Accordingly, so far as they were concerned themselves, the three felt
warranted in considering themselves perfectly safe.
Then it remained for them to await the withdrawal of the Comanches,
which it was possible would occur within twenty-four hours.
As the Texan had remarked, these Indians strike quick, sharp blows, and
then vanish in time to avoid the recoil. They own the swiftest mustangs
of the south, and are among the finest horsemen in the world.
Their bravery is unquestioned, and the hunters of Texas, at any time,
would rather fight a score of Mexicans than a half-dozen of these
Comanches.
The whites had scarcely reached their retreat, when they heard the
sounds of guns in the direction of the village, proving that fighting
was going on there.
The sound of guns was incessant, and now and then the well-known
Comanche yells could be distinguished, proving that serious fighting
was going on between them and the settlers, who ought to be safe,
however, on their own ground.
It was only an illustration of the reckless bravery of these red-men,
who were not afraid to be the attacking party, when the odds were
against them.
The rattling fire lasted for full an hour, and then the shots became
dropping and scattering and the fighting evidently assumed a more
desultory character.
As the three whites stood leaning against the wall of rocks behind
them, and looking across the moonlit creek into the gloomy woods
beyond, they became aware of a gradual lighting up of the sky overhead,
with a glare which they soon saw reflected upon the leaves before them.
"Another fire!" exclaimed Sebastian, in an undertone.
"Close by, too," added Crockett.
"What can it be?" asked Katrina.
"It is the building which we saw, and where we were certain there was
no danger at all from the Indians," replied the Texan.
"Indeed, our escape has been wonderful," added the astonished girl; "we
have been walking and wandering about in the woods, with the Indians on
every side of us, and yet not a hair of our heads has been harmed."
"We have been wonderfully protected," responded her lover, "and I only
hope the same care will be continued to us."
"But others have not been so fortunate."
"No," said Sebastian, with a sigh, "such a raid as this must always
accomplish something. Where there are so many exposed, some of them
must fall. More than one house will be rendered desolate by this
incursion of the Comanches."
It was on the tongue of Katrina, as the thought of her uncle entered
her mind, to say that one home had already been made so; but she
recalled the promise made to her lover and held her peace.
By this time the night was more than half gone, and the three began to
look for the appearance of day.
The opinion of the Texan was that there would be a good deal of
fighting on the morrow, as the Comanches would be likely to scatter in
small bands through the country, seeking out the exposed settlers, and
wreaking their revenge upon them, for the repulse they were sure to
receive at the hands of the villagers.
This day would prove the dangerous one for the fugitives hiding beside
the creek.
Through all the hurry and bustle of danger, Crockett had held fast
to the bear-skin, which he had stripped from the body of the monster
with whom he had such a hard combat upon entering the cabin of Hans
Bungslager.
He now spread this upon the rock, as far back as they could penetrate,
and invited Katrina to lie down and rest.
Her lover urged her to do the same, but she waited until his blanket
was laid upon it, and then she reclined, and owing to her great fatigue
almost immediately dropped asleep.
The two men advanced to the outer edge of rocks and sat down to consult
a few moments upon the situation, and to speak without restraint
regarding the disappearance of Hans Bungslager.
"I feel some hope regarding him," said the Texan, "but I can not call
up any _reason_ for such a hope."
"I believe he's gone under _sure_," replied Crockett; "they've managed
to git him away from us and then knifed him so quick that he hadn't any
time to make any noise about it."
"Poor Katrina! it will be a hard blow for her, for she dearly loved her
uncle, who as dearly loved her."
"It didn't look much like it, when he come away and forgot her."
"He told the truth when he said he forgot her; he is the most
absent-minded man I ever saw. He sometimes forgets where he is, and
until I asked him where she was, he had no idea that he had such a
thing in the broad world as a niece named Katrina Duncan."
"Perhaps he has wandered away in one of his absent spells."
"It may be, but I hardly believe it."
All this time, while the two were talking, each had been listening to
something on the opposite side of the stream.
Neither had made any reference to it, as he wanted to avoid any
mistake, but while holding converse, their eyes kept wandering across
the stream in quest of the cause of the disturbance.
The disturbance itself was in the shape of a slight rustling of the
bushes. At first, it seemed to be caused by the wind; but when it was
continued and repeated for several minutes, it was manifest that there
was some definite cause for it.
More than one glance had been cast across the creek, but nothing at all
was discerned for some time, that could explain what it meant.
Instinctively reading the thoughts of Crockett, the Texan said:
"I guess it's a wild animal."
"I think so; very likely a bear," was the characteristic reply.
"'Sh! look!"
At that juncture the dark form of the creature was discerned in the
bushes on the other side of the creek.
Crockett caught up his rifle, but the Texan interposed.
"Hold on a minute; do you think that is a bear?"
"I'm sartin of it."
"It looks like a bear," replied young Carsfield, the Texan, "but, _my
opinion is that it is a Comanche warrior_!"