troubled with hunger. He made up his mind to make no effort to obtain food
until he should succeed in bringing the Irishman from his prison--as he
hoped to do before the night should pass away. But he was thirsty, and,
believing that he could quench his thirst without going very far, and
without jeopardizing the safety of his friend, he started off on a little
hunt for water.

"That stream runs out of the cave not very far from here, and, if I can
find that, it will be just what I want."

Fixing in his mind the direction of the stream, he started off, taking an
almost opposite direction from that which led to the ridge, where he had
lain so long watching the movements of the Apaches. This led him directly
behind a mass of boulders and rocks, tossed irregularly together, and
surrounded by a peculiar growth of stunted vegetation, with rich,
succulent grass beyond.

Fred was hurrying along, with no thought of seeing anything unusual, when
he was startled by coming directly upon a half dozen mustangs, all bound
to the limbs or trunks of trees with strong lariats, while they were
lazily cropping the grass where they had been left undisturbed for several
hours. They were all fine-looking animals, every one of them--not one
having saddle or bridle, and nothing, indeed, excepting the long thong,
which, like the lasso, was made of bull's hide, and which prevented them
from straying beyond their appointed limits. There could be no doubt that
the animals belonged to the little party taking an airing in the cave, and
the eyes of the lad sparkled as they rested upon them.

"Oh! if Mickey were only here!" he exclaimed to himself; "we couldn't want
anything nicer. We would just pick out two of the best here, stampede the