“There she comes, alanna! An’ I’m mindin’ the face o’ Mike, me friend, when I trots the pair of ye out an’ he sees ye, first off. Here’s me shovel—that’s right; an’ me pick, that I’ll maybe need an’ maybe no. Ye see, it’s up an’ down the road I goes an’ it’s botherin’ to know where’s handiest to be leavin’ me tools. Howiver—step out lively now, whilst I shuts to the door.”
“Who is ‘she’? And I must not go, nor must Carlos!” declared Carlota, with decision.
“Sharrucks! Out with ye, ye purty, silly girleen! Stay here, is it, alone? To be scalped by the murderin’ Injuns? An’ is Dennis me name? Out with ye. Be a duck of a colleen an’ bother no more. It’s the car, I tell yez, an’ she’s all but come to the door. I’m thinkin’ it may be the worse for us all if we hinder her, for ’tis a single track an’ big Number Nine’s about due. If we’re to meet up with a bed this blessed night, it’s be ready we must when Mike slows her up.”
Carlota shrieked and darted back toward the shanty, for at that moment there came into sight a low, rapidly moving thing which seemed to threaten them with instant destruction. But Dennis slipped his strong arm around her, saying:
“Sure, little misthress, ’tis nought but a hand-car will take us to supper an’ bed. Fear nought, fear nought.”
“Is it far to this ‘Tuttle’ place?” asked Carlos, now more excited than alarmed.
“A matter of a dozen mile, belike. Hi! Here she be! Hello, Mike!”
“Hello, Dennis! Who’s them?”
“Injuns! Didn’t ye hear them Apaches was makin’ fresh trouble the now?”
“Quit foolin’, man! If ’twas redskins ye’d got, ’tisn’t Dennis Fogarty’d stand there, grinnin’ that gait. On with ye and your company, wherever they come from. I’m long behind an’ Number Nine overdue,” returned the other, not easily duped.