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."