“This is what I call comfortable,” he remarked, “as me friend Patsey McFadden observed when the row began at the fair and the whacks came from every quarter.  I enjoy it; it’s refining, it’s soothing; it makes a man glad that he’s alive.”

“What do you think of it?” asked the scout, turning to Fred, who was reclining upon the heavy Apache blanket, with the appearance of one who was upon the verge of sleep.

“I feel very grateful to you,” said he, rousing up, “and I am more contented than I have been in a long time; but I’m afraid all the time that Lone Wolf or some of his braves might find where we are.”

Sut smiled in a pitying way, as he replied: 

“Don’t ye s’pose I’m old ’nough to fix all that?  Haven’t I larned ’nough of the ’Paches and thar devilments to keep ’em back?  Wall, I rather guess I have.”

As the night remained so warm that no comfort at all was derived from the fire, it was agreed that it should be left to burn out gradually.  It had been kindled originally by Sut for the purpose of cooking his meat, and he had renewed it that his friends might see exactly where they were, and, at the same time, look into each other’s faces.

“Let me ax ye,” said Mickey, puffing away at his pipe, “whether, whin we start for home, we’re going to take the pass, which seems as full of the spalpeens as me head is of grand ideas?”

“I can’t be sartin of that,” replied Sut, thoughtfully.  “We can strike the prairie by going off here in another course; but it will take a long time, and the road is harder to travel.  I like the pass a good deal the best, and unless the varmints seem too thick, we’ll take it.”

“If we could get a good, fair start in the pass, we could kape ahead of ’em all the way till we struck the open prairie, when it would be illigant to sail away and watch them falling behind, like a snail trying to catch a hare.”

The scout pointed to the lad, and, turning his head, Mickey saw that he was sound asleep.  The poor fellow was so wearied and worn that he could not resist the approach “tired nature’s sweet restorer,” which carried him off so speedily into the land of dreams.

“I’m glad to obsarve it,” said the Irishman, “for the poor chap needs it.  He’s too young to be in this sort of business, but he couldn’t prevint the soorcumstances, and we must help him out of the scrape as best we can.”

“I’m with yer,” responded the scout.  “He’s one of the most likely youngsters I’ve ever met, and I’ll risk a good deal to fetch him along.  I’m in hopes that we’re purty well out of the woods, though we may have some trouble afore we get cl’ar of Lone Wolf and the rest.”

“As soon as we get the critters to ride, I s’pose we kin be off.”