“The saints presarve us! but the baste knows more than mony a mon, I’m afther thinkin’.”
“That he does,” replied Jack, “and he is far more faithful.”
The men, astonished, slunk back into the brush, their keen eyes watching every movement of the two as they passed; there was no mistaking those figures, or the rough clothes which they wore; it was Jack and Mike, and their powerful muscle was too well known throughout the camp, for any man, even the most brutal, to have the slightest wish to tackle either of them.
As Jack and his companion passed out of hearing, the men dropped to the ground, and for a moment the air resounded with their profanity, while they held a brief consultation.
“They’ve tricked us, and that feller’s hidin’ ’round here,” said the leader, “or else he went on ahead to the mines; he hadn’t no time to go back to the house, for we’d ’a met ’im. There’s somethin’ in the wind to-night,” he added with an oath, “and I’m goin’ to find out what ’tis. You fellers git after them two and keep ’em in sight; the boss is down there, and mebbe the other feller, too; if ye see ’im, send Jake to me, and I’ll come ’round there and we’ll lay for ’em. If he ain’t there, he’s here, hidin’ somewhere, and I’ll watch and settle his hash for ’im all right when he does show up.”
“We’d better git some more of the boys,” said Jake, “if we’re goin’ to tackle them fellers with Jack and Mike along; that ain’t no kind of a job I’m hankerin’ after.”
“You damned fool!” said the first speaker, “who’s said anything ’bout Jack and Mike? They’ll come back the way they’ve went, and them others will start up the canyon for the house, and if we three can’t hold ’em up, my name ain’t Pete Brody; now git!”
Jack and his partner had met Houston in the Yankee Boy mine. As they emerged from the shaft a little later, the piercing eyes of Jack and Houston caught a glimpse of two figures skulking among the rocks at a distance. Van Dorn was at a slight disadvantage, being somewhat near-sighted, and having been obliged to take off his glasses when donning Mike’s costume.
“I know them,” said Jack, “they are two of the three that were outside the cabin, and one of them is about the biggest coward that breathes; we could dispose of a regiment of such men, but I prefer to get along without trouble if we can.”
They started for the other mine, Houston taking the lead and Van Dorn following, while Jack brought up the rear.