Davey heard him, and he heard Long Conal drawl lazily in reply:
"The man that dances with Deirdre will have to reck'n with me to-night."
"Well, I'm not wanting to reck'n with you, Conal," Mick replied, laughing, and withdrew to find another partner.
Davey's eyes sparkled.
He walked up to where Deirdre stood in the doorway with the drover.
"Will you dance with me, Deirdre?" he said.
"Why!" she exclaimed blithely, much as he had heard her exclaim to a dozen others, "It's Davey Cameron grown up! I'd never 've known you, Davey, but for the scar on your neck where the calf kicked you. Do you remember the day we were taking him up to Steve's in the spring-cart?"
"Davey and I used to have great times at the school," she explained with a glance for Conal.
"This is Conal, you know, Long Conal, Davey—Fighting Conal—they call him, don't they?" she went on with a little mischievous inflection in her voice.
"Yes, I know," said Davey. "Will you dance with me, Deirdre?"