“I’ll have to wait a while till the kink gets out of me legs, before I give ye the Donnybrook jig, but I make the engagement wid ye, and the thing is down for performance, do ye mind that?  And now, me laddy, we must thravel.  Are ye hungry?”

“Yes.”

“I have a bite saved that’ll do ye till the morrow.  When ye waltzed out the cave and left me to meself, I felt there was no knowing how long I’d have to stay behind, so I knocked off both eating and drinking, with the idea of getting used to going without anything.”

As they were able to talk more understandingly, the two explained their experiences since they had parted.  They could not fail to be interesting in both cases.  When they had finished, Mickey O’Rooney had about recovered from the terrible strain he had undergone in clambering out the cave, barring a little ache in his arms and legs.

“Now, me laddy, we must emigrate, as there ain’t anything to be gained by loafing round here, as the gals used to tell the chaps when they tried to cut me out.  The first thing to larn is whether the hoss that I lift some distance away is still there cropping the grass.  If he is, then we shall have small work in making our way back to New Boston; but if he has emigrated ahead of us thar, we must hunt for others.”

“There’s no need of going that far.”

“Why not?”

“Because the mustangs of the Apaches are right over yonder behind those rocks.”

“That’s good; let’s take a look at the same.”

They hurried over to the spot where the half dozen mustangs were tethered.  They were lying upon the ground, taking their sleep, having finished a bounteous meal.  The intelligent creatures showed their training by throwing up their heads the instant the two came in sight, and several gave utterance to whinneys, no doubt with the purpose of apprising their masters of the approach of strangers.  None of them rose to their feet, however, and Mickey and Fred moved about, inspecting them as best they could in the moonlight, with the purpose of selecting the best.

“They’re all a fine lot, as the neighbors used to say, after inspicting me father’s family, and it’s hard to make up your mind which is the best, but here is one that shtrikes me fancy.  Get up wid ye.”

The steed, spoken to in this peremptory manner, leaped to his feet, and stood in all his graceful and beautiful proportions, an equine gem, which could not fail to command admiration.

“I think he’ll suit,” said the Irishman, after a careful examination.  “I think he can run as well as any of ’em.  I’ll tell you what we’ll do, me laddy.  We’ll both mount this one, and ride till we reach the place where I lift mine, when we’ll have one apiece.”

“But if yours isn’t there?”

“Then we’ll kaap this one betwaan us, as the gals used to say, when they quarreled over me.”

“Hadn’t I better take one of the horses, and if we find yours, why, we can turn one of these loose, and we shall be all right, no matter how the things turn out?”