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.