CHAPTER XIII.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 doyouthink 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 anyreasonfor such a hope."
"I believe he's gone undersure," 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!"