business, Fred yelled a few more words.

"If you understand me, Mickey, whistle!"

The words were no more than fairly uttered when the desired response was
made, faintly, but, nevertheless, distinctly.

"That's good," concluded the delighted lad. "Now all I have to do is to
wait for him to get the chance, and he will come up the lasso, and then
we'll be done with the cave."

This, certainly, was all that he had to do, but, at the same time, this
amounted to a good deal.

"Now, if I let this rope down," added the lad, as he thought the matter
over, "one of those Apaches will try to climb up it, and I will have to
cut it, and that will leave it in his hands, and then what will become of
Mickey?"

He debated a long time as to the best plan of overcoming this serious
difficulty; but none presented itself, and he concluded that it was an
inevitable contingency, which he must prepare himself to defeat, at all
hazards.

Fred had been so absorbed with the business which had succeeded admirably
up to this hour, that he scarcely noted the passage of time. He was not a
little amazed when he came to look at the sun and to note, from its
position, that the afternoon was considerably advanced, and that night was
much nearer than he supposed. Nearly twenty-four hours had elapsed since
he had tasted food, and, although he felt somewhat faint, he was not