VII. THE STEAM MAN ON HIS TRAVELS.
YOUNG BRAINERD had a that the of the steam man would be by some outsider, when a large would around his house, and his friends would on a of the powers of the mechanism.
But there was no one in the his mother, and there was no of her it. So the boy with his until there was nothing more left for him to do, to and watch its workings.
Finally, when he to wonder at the of the trapper, who had visited him some before, he his as as if he had from the ground, with the inquiry:
'Have you got that old thing ready?'
'Yes: he has been for a week, and waiting.'
'Wal, start her out then, I'm in a hurry.'
'You will have to wait awhile, for we can't under a day.'
It was the hunter's that the boy was going to start the man right off up street, and then toward the West; but he a different plan.
It was to box up the man and take it to Independence by steamboat. At that place they would take it out upon the prairie, set it up and start it off, without any of from the which at such places, as they away from them.
When the plan was to Baldy, he it, and the labor was at once. The of the steam man being up, they were able to it in a box, which gave it the of an piano under transportation. This, with difficulty, was to the wharf, where, with much upon the part of the men, it was on the steamboat, by the and the necessary tools.
The boy then his mother good-by, and she, he would be gone but a time, said to him, with little of the she would otherwise have felt, and a hours later the party were up the 'Mad Missouri.'
Nothing of notice on the passage, and they Independence in safety. They a landing above the town, on the western side, where they had little of disturbance.
Here the and skill of the boy was manifest, for, despite the size of the steam man, it was so put together that they were able to it upon the wagon, and the two, without any other assistance, were able to it out upon the prairie.
'You see, it may entirely,' Brainerd, 'and then we can it on the and it along.'
'That must be a powerful to such a big in if, as that.'
'So it is; it will five times the weight without being in the least.'
It was early in the when they It out upon the in this manner, and it together. It had a and look when it was of all its bandages, and them in all its majesty.
It had been so and put away, that it was in the least. The not avoid laughing when the boy as up its as another Gulliver, and a minute of every of the machinery.
While thus employed, Baldy took the of the wagon, and to a farm-house, which he in the distance, where he it with and the with water. By the time he returned, Johnny had in readiness, and they 'firing up.'
In this they a to the modern steam fire engines, a of steam with quickness. As the boy had yet the man such an opportunity to his as he was now about to do, he its with anxiety.
Everything was in the most manner, a quantity of fuel on, the with water, and they waited the of a of steam.
'Is it all good land in that direction?' the boy, pointing to the West.
'Thar's all want.'
'Then we'll start. Look out!'
Despite the thus given, the steam man started with a jerk, that of them came near being out of the wagon.
The was level and hard, so that was favorable, and the over the ground at a so fast that the were frightened, and the boy it to a more trot.
This speed soon monotonous, and as it ran so evenly, Baldy said:
'Let her go, younker, and us what she can do.'
The the was a pull, and away they went, like a over the prairies, the at a rate, while the speed the wind thus almost to the from their heads, and a in the sent the up with a that to them both.
It splendidly. The black from the top of the hat, and the so that there was a heard. The came to the ground, and were but a from it, and their long and movement that the steam man was going at a which might well anything that had yet the prairies.
As there was no little in at this speed, and as Brainerd had not yet to it, he the again, so that it to an easy motion, equal to the of an ordinary horse.
Fully ten minutes were passed in this manner, when steam was off, the came to such a that were and somewhat.
'Skulp me! but don't stop so like,' said the hunter. 'It's a little me to up so quick!'
'I'll soon learn to manage it,' Johnny. 'I see it won't do to off all at once.'
Descending from his perch, he every of the engine. Several parts were heated, and the fuel was low. The water in the boiler, however, was just right, the having been able to that from his seat in the wagon.
Throwing in a of wood, they to their and started again. There was an of steam, and the boy such a with the of his man, that he it with all the skill of an engineer.
The speed was slackened, then increased. It stopped and then started again with all the and that it have done if human, while it a of power and of wonders, if necessary.
As yet they had nothing of any travelers. They were to come across some, that they might them what they were of doing.
'There must be some over the plains,' Johnny, when they had passed some thirty or miles.
'Plenty of 'em; but we've got out of the of 'em. If you'll turn off to the left, we'll of 'em dark.'
The boy did as directed, and the was up for hours. When it was they helped themselves to a of the food which they with them, without their progress in the least. True, while the boy was eating, he one on the who was going at such strides; but that his progress in an manner, and needed no attention.
When the was mostly gone, Baldy that they had gone the part of a hundred miles.
The boy it at first; but, when he that they had paused for seven hours, and had gone a of the at a very high rate, he saw that his friend was not out of the way.
It yet hours of dusk, when the exclaimed:
'Yonder is an train, now make for 'em!'
