"It"s back ye must be kapin"."
"Why?"
"Shure, there"s a house."
"I see it."
Young Glory"s face brightened instantly.
"By jingo, this may be our salvation!" he cried.
"It"s puzzled I am!"
"I"m not. Stay where you are, Dan. That is to say, get amongst these trees till you hear from me."
"But where are ye goin"?"
"Going to call on some friends of mine who live in that house."
Before Dan could say a word, Young Glory was gone, and the Irishman, mindful of his safety, hid himself amid the bushes, still keeping a watch on the house to which his comrade was going.
Young Glory walked boldly up to the hut, for it was no more, and hammered sharply on the door.
He had no cause for fear. He was dressed in the native costume, and spoke the language perfectly.
It was some few minutes before any one answered his summons, and then the door was opened by as villainous-looking a man as Young Glory thought he had ever set eyes on.
The man was apparently about forty years old, not tall, but broad-shouldered and strong.
"Good-day, comrade," said Young Glory, gayly.
The man growled forth a reply.
"Come, come, that"s not very civil. A drink and a rest is what I should expect you to invite me to have."
"Go on expecting," answered the man, savagely, showing his teeth as he spoke. "It"s all you"ll get out of me, senor."
"You"re not polite. Caramba! it"s living alone has made you like this."
"If I want to live alone," answered the man, adopting a threatening att.i.tude as he spoke, "is it anybody"s business but mine?"
"Certainly not," said Young Glory, aloud.
Then to himself he said: "Now, I know there"s no one else in the house.
Good, that decides me."
"Well, comrade," said Young Glory, smilingly, "people tell me that I"ve a way with me there"s no resisting."
"It has no effect on me."
"Are you sure?"
Quick as a flash, just as the words came from his lips, Young Glory drew his six-shooter from his belt, and held it at the man"s head.
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Young Glory, "you change color. You see I was right.
Don"t you think so?"
"What"s your game?" asked the man, sullenly. "I"ve done you no harm, never seen you in my life before, so you can"t want to kill me. And as for robbing me, well, try it. If you get enough to buy yourself a drink I"ll be surprised."
"Get into the house," said Young Glory. "Back with you. Hi! Hi!"
The last two cries were meant for Dan, who heard them, and was in time to see Young Glory entering the hut. Dan noticed that his comrade had signed to him, and he immediately ran towards the place.
In a moment he was in the hut.
"A friend of mine, Dan Daly," said Young Glory.
"The top of the mornin" to ye, senor," cried Dan, taking off his cap, gravely. "It"s meself"s plased to meet you."
"You"re an American?"
"Yes."
"Curse you!"
"Our friend"s not polite, Dan," said Young Glory. "I"ve found that out already. But, to business."
"Business!"
"Yes, Dan. We"ve much to do. Take this man, gag him, and tie him up securely."
Dan rushed at the fellow without another word.
"Quiet! or I"ll shoot you," said Young Glory, seeing the man about to resist.
The sight of the pistol effectually settled the matter, and Dan did his work so expeditiously that the man was lying at the rear of the hut hidden under a heap of rubbish in a very few minutes.
"Now, you must skip, Dan."
"Me?"
"I said so."
"But you?"
"Oh! I stay here," answered Young Glory, carelessly. "You see, the men in pursuit of you will come up very soon, and I must be here to receive them."
"Begorra, it"s murther!"