The boy was nowhere in sight at first, then he saw him at a spring
which bubbled out of the mountain not far from the corral. It was the
water from this spring which brought forth the tender grass upon
which the mules were feeding.

Jack looked up with a shout when he saw Ned, and came running up to
the camp, carrying in one hand a pail in which three large-sized
chickens lay, nicely boiled, carved and washed.

"What do you think of that?" he demanded, pushing the pail up under
Ned's nose. "I guess we're some hustlers for sustenance!"

"Where did you get the hens?" asked Ned. "They sure look good to me."

"You couldn't guess in a thousand years!" Jack replied. "So I'm going
to tell you, right off the handle! Judd Bradley, the blonde fellow
who brought the boy in, came up with them, with the compliments of
Mrs. Brady, about an hour ago. He brought the boy up with him, too.
What do you know about that?"

"Is it the prince, or is it Mike III.?" asked Ned, with a smile.

"If you leave it to me," Jack answered quite positively, "it is the
prince!"

"How does he look and act this morning?"

"Like a kid raised under restraint, now free and full of the de--Old
Nick!"