“What kept you so long?” asked Black Tom, as he and old Stebbins advanced and took charge of their respective horses.
“The ould boy got in them!” he replied, puffing from his severe exertions. “When I cotched one, the ithers give me the slip and got away, and then when I cotched them, the ither jumped over me head, kicked me over, and so the spalpeens kept at it, till I was nearly dead.”
“But you succeeded at last,” laughed Hammond.
“Succaded I did,” replied Teddy, as he wiped off his perspiring forehead; “begorra, it was the greatest succiss of me life, as me uncle remarked whin he was thransported to Botany Bay. Arter I cotched ’em, I jumped on the back of mine, and wint to shtrappin’ the shtraps around me wrists, whin, afore I could finish, Black Tom’s horse r’ared back and pulled me off one side, and as soon as I got on, old Stebbins’ animal yanked me off t’other, and so it wint. Begorra! ef they didn’t stand and grin at me—hilloa!”
For the first time Teddy observed the presence of a lady. He paused abruptly, and looked quite embarrassed.
Hammond introduced him to Lamora, and the Irishman bowed with the natural gallantry of his race, and expressed his pleasure at meeting her, while she seemed quite pleased at the eccentricity of the Irishman.
There were but few preliminaries. The golden ore was carefully distributed among the three horses of the trappers, so that none was compelled to carry overweight, and in a few minutes all were mounted and ready to proceed.
It was arranged that Black Tom and old Stebbins should take the lead, while Hammond and Lamora, side by side, should ride next, and Teddy should bring up the rear. This was soon understood, and the company started.
It will be remembered that they were down in a deep, dry cañon, with high, precipitous cliffs and rocks upon either hand.
This cañon was followed up until it diverged from the other, when the hunters kept on, with the purpose of reaching the open, elevated prairie, at the point where the cañon properly began. This would bring them out near the base of the Black Hills, and after making their way for a short distance over a rugged country, they would then reach the rolling plain, with a free, open road toward the United States.