If the wind happened to be blowing toward the inside of the cave, the smoke, of course, would come in on them all, but Jim would not be cooking then.
Nor did their operations cease until they had supplied "The Alcove" plentifully with food, chiefly jerked deer meat, although there was no way in which they could store water, and for that they had to take their chances.

But their success, the product of skill and everlasting caution, was really remarkable.

Three times they were trapped within a few miles of "The Alcove," but the pursuers invariably went astray on the hard, rocky ground, and the pursued would also take the precaution to swim down the creek before climbing up to "The Alcove." Nobody could follow a trail in the face of such difficulties.
It was Henry and Shif'less Sol who were followed the second time, but they easily shook off their pursuers as the twilight was coming, half waded, half swam down the creek, and climbed up to "The Alcove," where the others were waiting for them with cooked food and clear cold water.
When they had eaten and were refreshed, Shif'less Sol sat at the mouth of "The Alcove," where a pleasant breeze entered, despite the foliage that hid the entrance.

The shiftless one was in an especially happy mood.
"It's a pow'ful comf'table feelin'," he said, "to set up in a nice safe place like this, an' feel that the woods is full o' ragin' heathen, seekin' to devour you, and wonderin' whar you've gone to.

Thar's a heap in knowin' how to pick your home.