“How do you make that out, Mickey?”

The Irishman stooped down and picked up one of the pieces of wood, which was waiting to be thrown upon the camp fire.  Holding it out, he showed that the end was charred.

“That isn’t the only stick that’s built after the same shtyle, showing that this isn’t the first camp-fire that was got up in these parts.  There’s been gintlemen here before to-day, and they must have had some way of coming and going that we haven’t diskivered as yet.”

There seemed nothing unlikely in this supposition of Mickey’s, who picked up his rifle from where he had left it lying on the ground, and stared inquiringly around in the gloom.

“I wonder whether there be any wild animals prowling around?”

“I don’t think that could be; for there couldn’t many of them fall through that hole that let us in, and if they did, they would soon die.”

“That minds me that you hinted something about feeling the cravings of hunger, and I signified to you that I had something for ye about my clothes; and so I have, if it isn’t lost.”

As he spoke, he drew from beneath his waistcoat a package, carefully wrapped about with an ordinary newspaper.  Gently drawing the covering aside, he displayed a half-dozen pieces of deer-meat, cooked to a turn.

“Will ye take some?” he asked, handing one to Fred, who could scarcely conceal his craving eagerness, as he began masticating it.

“How comes it that you have that by you?”

“I ginerally goes prepared for the most desprit emargencies, as me mither used to remark when she stowed the whisky-bottle away wid the lunch she was takin’ with her.  It was about the middle of yisterday afternoon that I fetched down a deer that was browsing on the bank of a small stream that I raiched, and, as a matter of coorse, I made my dinner on him.  I tried to lay in enough stock to last me for a week—­that is, under my waistband—­but I hadn’t the room; so I sliced up several pieces, rather overcooked ’em, so as to make ’em handy to carry, and then wrapped ’em up in the paper.”

“It’s a common-sense arrangement,” added Mickey.  “I had the time and the chance to do it, and it was likely to happen that, when I wanted the next meal, I wouldn’t have the same opportunity, remembering which I did as I said, and the result is, I’ve brought your dinner to you.”

CHAPTER XXVII A SUBTERRANEAN CAMP-FIRE

There is no sauce like hunger, and after Fred Munson’s experience of partial starvation, and nausea from the wild berries which he had eaten, the venison was as luscious as could be.  It seemed to him that he had never tasted of anything he could compare to it.

“Fred, me laddy, tell me all that has happened to you since we met—­not that, aither, but since Lone Wolf snapped you up on his mustang, and ran away wid you.  I wasn’t about the city when the Apaches made their call, being off on a hunt, as you will remember, so I didn’t see all the sport, but I heard the same from Misther Simpson.”