"Doonder! dish limb has cotch my nose under de shin, and I can't gets my neck loose. Back!" he commanded to his horse, that, moving back a step or two, enabled him to free himself from the snare into which he had run his head.
"Can I help you any?" asked the hunter, who was not certain whether he was still in trouble or not.
"Yaw; you can help me as never vas."
"How?" asked Crockett, springing from his mustang, and hurrying back beside him.
"You goes pack to de capin, and up-stairs in my room, under te bed, yer finds some bear-grease; if you rubs dat on my chin here I feels goot."
"I'll see you hanged first," growled the hunter, as he hurried back to his horse. "If you ain't the greatest Dutchman in Texas, or the United States, then I'll go back to Tennessee and run for Congress ag'in."
Had there been no one beside himself and the Hollander concerned, Crockett would not have attempted to keep him company; but the beautiful Katrina, and the gallant young Texan had already won a warm place in the heart of the grizzled adventurer, and he was willing to incur any personal risk for them. As it was, he saw that, under Providence, all depended upon his watchfulness, and he therefore determined to assume the part of master, so long as he was compelled to keep company with Hans.
Nothing of Indians yet.
Crockett had scarcely thought this, when he heard the reports of three guns in rapid succession, but a short distance to the right of them in the wood, and not a little startled, he reined up and listened, Hans from necessity being compelled to do the same.
They waited five or ten minutes, when, hearing nothing more, the journey was resumed, Colonel Crockett feeling a conviction that some sort of trouble was at hand.