XX. THE CONCLUDING CATASTROPHE.

BALDY BICKNELL, the trapper, was the to the of himself and party.

When the Indians had their work it only an hour of daylight. Having done all that was necessary, the took their the wall, upon the ground, where they were to the whites, but where every motion of theirs be and checkmated.

When the opened his he did not a limb, a way into which he had got his long on the frontiers. He moved his from to side, so as to see anything that was to be seen.

The object that met his was the boy Brainerd, asleep. Apprehensive then that something had occurred, he his in different directions, as well as it be done in the moonlight.

When he of the across the valley, he his eyes, and looked at it again and again, able to his senses. He was sure it was not there a hours before, and he not what it mean; but it was a verity, and his told him that it be the work of no one the Indians, who had him at last.

His was that of toward the boy who had permitted this to take place while he was asleep, but his mind upon the more of meeting the peril, which, all doubt, was of the most character.

As yet he had not his body, and looking toward the prison wall, he a of the phantom-like figures, as they occasionally about, the best possible position, the should awake.

This plain to the practical mind of Baldy Bicknell. He that the red-skins had a plan to the steam man. More than to themselves, and that, so as he judge, they had succeeded completely.

It was the in which he had been caught, and his mind, as it was in at such crises, see no way of meeting the danger.

He the Indians had at command, while neither he his had a single one. The steam man would be unable to pass that wall, as it was not to be that he had been the art of leaping.

Whatever plan of was upon, it was that the would have to be abandoned; and this necessitated, as an consequence, that the would have to upon their legs. The Missouri river was at no great distance, and if left they make it without difficulty, but there was a of anything sooner than that they would be allowed to in peace, after the steam man behind.

The trapper, as had been his custom, had noted the of the prairie, they had the act of in the or hollow. He the at some distance, and was satisfied that the had left their there, while they had the to wait the moment.

By the time these had taken shape in his brain it was to light, and with a and he rose to his and the fire. He was well aware that although he and his were a for the of their enemies, yet they would not fire. Their plan of action did not that, though it would have settled in their without delay.

'I I have been asleep!' Brainerd, as he his eyes.

'Yes. You're a to make a of, ain't you?' the trapper, in disgust.

'I nothing has happened.' answered Johnny, that he all the that be upon him.

'Not much, exceptin' while snoozin' the have come and got us all in a box.'

The boy was he was until he saw the of his face.

'Surely, Baldy, it is not as as that?'

'Do you see that ar?' the trapper, pointing toward the wall, which the not help observing.

'How comes that to be there?'

'The red-skins put it thar. Can steam man walk over that?'

'Certainly not; but we can remove them.'

'Do want to try it, younker?'

'I'm to help.'

'Do know that ar' somethin' less a hundred red-skins them, waitin' to try that thing?'

'Good heavens! can it be possible?'

'Ef you don't b'l'eve it, go out and look for yerself, that's all.'

The boy, for the time, the in which he had his friends by his own remissness, and his self-accusation was so great, that, for a moments, he the that he was to the of his life.

By this time Ethan and Mickey awoke, and were soon to their predicament. As a of course, they were all to the author of this; but when they saw how he his own shortcoming, all three a natural for him.

'There's no use of talkin' how we came to hyar,' was the of the trapper; 'it's 'nongh to know that we are hyar, with a of gettin' out ag'in.'

'It's to make a in the mouth, as me friend Jonah when he the of the whale,' said Mickey.

'How is it they don't shoot us?' asked Hopkins; 'we can't out of their way, and they've got us in range.'

'What's the use of doin' that? Ef they kill us, that'll be the end on't; but ef they put on us, they've got us sure, and can have a good time toastin' us while they and around.'

All at the picture by the hunter.

'Jerusalem! don't I wish I was to in Connecticut!'

'And it's myself that would be to be in the at Ballyduff me own Bridget Moghlaghigbogh, listenin' while she vows, after making her supper upon and inions.'

'I think I'd be hyar,' was the of the upon the wish of the Irishman.

'Why can't touch up the staammau, and make him them shtones?' asked Mickey, toward the boy, whom, it was noted, appeared to be in again.

Not until he was times did he look up. Then he his head, to that the thing was impossible.

'Any might know than that.' the Yankee, 'for if he jump over, where would be the wagon?'

'That 'ud foller, av coorse.'

'No; there's no way of the steam man out of here. He is a gone case, sure, and it looks as though we were ditto. Jerusalem! I wish all the gold was in Wolf Ravine, and we a thousand miles from this place.'

'Wishing'll do no good; there's only one I see, and that ain't no at all.'

All, the boy, looked up to the explanation.

'Some from is some timbers, and in the have left their animals. Ef we start on a for the timbers, ahead of the Ingins, and put, thar'll be some chance. Yer can see what is that.'

It looked as as the of the Light Brigade.

Young Brainerd now spoke.

'It was I who got you into trouble, and it is I, that, with the of Heaven, am going to you out of it.'

The three now looked at him.

'Is there no of the Indians upon us?' he asked of the hunter.

'Not unless we try to away.'

'All right; it is time to begin.'

The boy's was to a fire in the of the steam man. When it was blazing, he to in wood, until a was produced such as it had before. Still he in wood, and the water low in the boiler, until there was a most pressure of steam, making its at a dozen orifices.

When all the was in that it contain, and of the iron be red-hot, he this, and trying the steam.

'How much can he hold?' Hopkins.

'One hundred and fifty pounds.'

'How much is on now?'

'One hundred and forty-eight, and rising.'

'Good heavens! it will up!' was the exclamation, as the three back, at the danger.

'Not for a minutes; have you the gold secured, and the guns, so as to be to run?'

They were to at any moment; the gold was always about their and it but a moment to up the weapons.

'When it up, run!' was the of the boy.

The steam man was directly toward the wall, and a full of steam let on. It started away with a bound, a speed of miles an hour.

The next moment it the with a crash, on over its face, the behind, and at the of ground upon the opposite directly among the Indians, it its boiler!

The of the was terrible. It was like the of an bomb-shell, the steam man being into thousands of fragments, that death and in every direction. Falling in the very center of the Indians, it but make a terrible of life, while those who unharmed, were themselves with consternation.

This was the very thing upon which Brainerd had counted, and for which he his calculations. When he saw it toward the in such a manner, he the consequence, and gave the word to his friends to take to their legs.

All three up the bank, and the surface of the prairie, Baldy Bicknell took the lead, exclaiming:

'Now the yonder!'

As they the grove, one or two of the number back, but saw nothing of the Indians. They had not yet from their terror.

Not a moment was to be lost. The of the no time in the very best Indian horses, and a moment later all four out from the at a full gallop, and toward the Missouri.

The result of the steam man's was learned. How many killed and only be conjectured; but the number was so great that our friends saw nothing more of them.

They had among their number those who had well with the steam man, else they would not have the plan which they did for him.

Being well mounted, the party the entire to Independence on horseback. From this point they took passage to St. Louis, where the gold was divided, and the party separated, and since then have nothing of each other.

Mickey McSquizzle returned to Ballyduff Kings County, Ireland, where, we heard, he and his Bridget, are in the full of the three thousand he with him.

Ethan Hopkins settled with the girl of his choice in Connecticut, where, at last accounts, he was doing as well as be expected.

Baldy Bicknell, although a man, still to his habits, and the of his time on the prairies.

With the large amount of money from his western trip, Johnny Brainerd is himself at one of the best in the country. When he shall have his course, it is his to another steam man, of more than the first.

So let our readers and the public be on the lookout.