and left us talking over prairie life and the wild habits of
the chase, till day began to shine through the windows.

"The 'Christobal' sails to-morrow," said he, "for Galveston; but even
she, smart sailer that she is, will scarce arrive in time to catch these
fellows. Here we are at the fifth of the month: the eighth was to be the
start; then that, supposing you to reach Galveston by the seventh, gives
you no time to get your kit ready, look after arms, and buy a nag. What
say you, then, if we make a party of our own,--charter one of these
small craft?--a hundred dollars or so will do it. We can then take our
time to pick up good cattle, look out for a couple of mules for our
baggage, and a spare mustang or so, if a horse should knock up."

I concurred at once; the plan was fascination itself. Adventure,
liberty, novelty, enterprise, and a dash of danger to heighten all!
Falkoner talked of dollars as if they macadamized the road to St. Louis;
and I, glowing with punch and pride together, spoke of the expense as a
mere trifle. To this hour, I cannot say whether I had really mystified
myself into the notion that I possessed ample means, or was merely
indulging the passing pleasure of a delightful vision. So was it,
however; I smiled at the cheapness of everything, could scarcely fancy
such a thing as a Mexican pony for eighty dollars, and laughed--actually
laughed--at the price of the rifle, when all my worldly substance, at
the moment, would not have purchased copper caps for it.

"Don't go too expensively to work, Cregan," cried he, "and, above
all, bring no European servant. A Mexican fellow--or, better still, a
half-breed--is the thing for the prairies. You have to forget your Old
World habits, and rough it."

"So I can," said I, laughing good-humoredly; "I 'm in a capital mind for
a bit of sharp work too. Just before I left the 90th, we made a forced
march from St. John's through the forest country, and I feel up to
anything."

"You'll not like the cattle at first, I'm afraid," said he. "They have
that racking action the Yankees are fond of. There is a capital mare
at Galveston, if we could get her. These fellows will snap her up, most
likely."

"Butcher's mare," said I, hazarding a guess.

"Ah, you 've been looking after her already," said he, surprised.
"Well, to tell you the truth, that was one of my objects in coming here
to-night. I heard that some of these skipper fellows had got the winning
ticket: I