XVIII. THE ENCAMPMENT.

THE STORM proved the which the steam man had since St. Louis, and it put an on his its continuance, and for a time afterward.

The was so soft and that they were to by until the sun had it somewhat, when they once more their journey.

As they now had thousands of in their possession, and as all of were on the western plains, it may be said that none of the company easy.

Baldy Bicknell, the trapper, from his and knowledge of the West, was the and authority on all their travels. He watch the night, what sleep he through the day. The latter, however, was very precarious, as at of every or cloud of smoke, they him, so as to be sure and no error.

As the steam man would in all an attention that might prove to the gold in their possession, the it to avoid the regular routes. Accordingly they well to the northward, it being their purpose to the Missouri, where they would be sure of some steamer. Reaching such a place they would and take the steam man, packing it up in such a manner that no one its identity, and for St. Louis.

While this them of the from their own race, it the of an attack upon the Indians, who out of sight.

Their watchfulness, however, was constant, and it was to this fact, more than any other, that they attack at night for the part of their return journey.

Their position in the was so cramped, that the party wearied, and out, and walked for miles alongside the steam giant. Water was abundant, but times they were put to great to obtain wood. On three occasions they were to for a day in order to obtain the necessary supply.

Once the steam man came to a in the open prairie, and up. A upon the part of the inventor, the that a had in the tank, and every had out..

This the work of all, as water was the part of a mile, and nearly an entire day steam be to him to travel to the river, to it himself, while the as convoys.

Late one afternoon, they a in the prairie. It was so and that they with great and at a slow of speed. While in this manner, they they had entered a small narrow valley, the of which was as level as a ground floor. The until less than a hundred them, while they rose to the of some eight or ten feet, and the and firm, making it such easy traveling for the steam man, that the company the valley, at a slow pace, each, however, some as to the of the course.

'It in the right direction,' said Brainerd, 'and if it only on as it began, it will prove a very thing for us.'

'Hyar's as it ain't goin' to keep on in that style,' Baldy; 'howsumever, you can go ahead longer.'

'Naow, that's what I call queer,' Ethan Hopkins, who was his by walking alongside the steamer.

'And it's that thinks the same,' added Mickey, away at his black pipe. 'I don't it, as me father when they fault with him for another man's head.'

'Ef we into trouble, all we've got ta do is to out,' Baldy, as a of for his advance.

'This doesn't know how to go backward,' said Johnny, 'but if it prove necessary, we can manage to turn him round.'

'All right, go ahead.'

At the same moment, the Yankee into the wagon, and the steam man started ahead at a speed which was as fast as was prudent.

However, this means of progress was to an standstill, by the and of the valley. It ended as though it were an canal, the so to the level of the prairie, that there was no any further, turning, in was there any possible way of themselves from the difficulty, by the steam man around, and by the same path that they had entered by.

'Well, here we are' the boy, as they came to a standstill, 'and what is to be done?'

'Get out of it,' was the reply of Hopkins, who yards further, until he came up on the again, so as to make sure of the exact of the ground.

'Did try to make the thing go up hill?' asked the trapper.

Young Brainerd his head. 'Impossible! he would over on us, the minute it was attempted. When I was at work at making him, what do you think was the thing for me to do?'

'Make him go, I s'pose.'

'That was difficult, but it was work to him, that is, so when he up one he wouldn't over on the same side. I got it after a while, so that he ran as and as an engine, but I didn't upon any plan by which he or a hill.'

'Can't you make him do it?'

'Not until he is over again. I would be to attempt to walk him up a inclination, and know it would be sure to start him up such a bank at that.'

'Then we must work him round, I s'pose.'

'There is nothing else that can be done.'

'Let's at it, then.'

This proved as difficult a job as they imagined. The steam man was so that it was to him, but he was around as much as possible; and, by the time he had walked across the he had round.

He was then and a distance, when, with the 'leverage' thus gained, the was completed, and the steam man with his turned, to speed the moment that the word might be given.

By this time, however, the day was gone, and was settling over the prairie. Quite a was blowing, and, as the position of the party was against this annoyance, Hopkins that they should where they were until morning.

'We couldn't a place,' said Johnny Brainerd, who was taken with the idea.

'It's a good place and it's a one,' the trapper, who had not yet up his mind upon the point.

They what he meant by calling it a place.

'Ef a of the should we're hyar, don't you see what a they'd have us in?'

'It would be something like the same box in which we them in Wolf Ravine,' said Brainerd.

'Jist the same, perzactly.'

'Not the same, either,' said Hopkins; 'we've got a of out than they had. We can jump into the and travel, while they can't; there's the difference.'

'S'pose they ahead of us, how ar' we goin' to away from them then?

'Run over them.'

'Don't know the has he engine so it'll over' the skunks, ef it doesn't up hill.'

'It can be to do that, I think,' laughed Brainerd.

'Afore we hyar, I'll take a look to make sure that thar's some for us.'

The the bank, and, while his were in their for encamping, he the whole and space, so as the was of doing it. Finding nothing suspicious, he to his that they would where they were until morning.