WHEN Ethan Hopkins had surveyed the steam man fully, he drew a long
sigh and exclaimed:
'Wal, naow, that's too had!'
'What's that?' inquired Bicknell, who had been not a little amused at
his open-mouthed amazement.
'Do you know I've been thinking of that thing for ten years, ever
since I went through Colt's pistol factory in Hartford, when I was a
youngster?'
'Did you ever think of any plan!'
'I never got it quite right, but I intended to do it after we got
through digging for gold. The thing was just taking shape in my head.
See here, naow, ain't you going to give a fellow a ride?'
'Jis' what I wanted; shall I run it for you?'
'No, I see how it works; them 'ere thingumbobs and gimcracks do it
all.'
'Johnny, hyar, will tell yer 'bout it.'
The little humpback sprung nimbly down, and ran around the man,
explaining as well as he could in a few moments the manner of
controlling its movements. The Yankee felt some sensitiveness in being
instructed by such a tiny specimen, and springing into the wagon,
exclaimed:
'Git eout! tryin' to teach yer uncle! I knowed how the thing would
work before you were born!'
Perching himself on the top of the wood which was heaped up in the
wagon, the enthusiastic New Englander carefully looked over the
prairie to see that the way was clear, and was about to 'let on
steam,' when he turned toward the Irishman.
'Come, Mickey, git up here.'
'Arrah now, but I never learnt to ride the divil when I was home in
the ould country,' replied the Irishman, backing away.
But both Ethan and Baldy united in their persuasions, and finally
Mickey consented, although with great trepidation. He timidly climbed
upon the wagon and took his seat beside the Yankee, looking very much
as a man may be supposed to look who mounts the hearse to attend his
own funeral.
'When yer wants to start, jist pull that 'ere gimcrack!' said Baldy,
pointing to the crook in the rod upon which his hand rested.
'Git eout, naow! do you think you're goin' to teach me that has
teached school fur five year in Connecticut?'
There were some peculiarities about the steam man which made him a
rather unwieldy contrivance. He had a way of starting with a jerk,
unless great skill was used in letting on steam; and his stoppage was
equally sudden, from the same cause.
When the Irishman and Yankee had fairly ensconced themselves on their
perch, the latter looked carefully round to make sure that no one was
in the way, and then he tuned the valve, which let on a full head of
steam.
For a second the monster did not stir. The steam had not fairly taken
'hold' yet; then he raised one immense spiked foot and held it
suspended in air.
'That's a great contrivance, ain't it?' exclaimed Ethan,
contemptuously.
'Can't do nothin' more than lift his foot. Wait till you see more!
he's goin' to dance and skip like a lamb, or outrun any locomotive you
ever sot eyes on!'
'Bad luck to the loikes of yees, why d' yees go on?' exclaimed the
irate Irishman, as he leaned forward and addressed the obdurate
machine. 'Are yees tryin' to fool us, bad luck to yees?'
At this instant, the feet of the steam man began rising and falling
with lightning like rapidity, the wagon being jerked forward with such
sudden swiftness, that both Ethan and Mickey turned back summersets,
rolling heels over head off the vehicle to the ground, while the
monster went puffing over the prairie, and at a terrific rate. Baldy
was about to start in pursuit of it, when Johnny, the deformed boy,
restrained him.
'It won't run far; the steam is nearly out.'
'Be jibbers! but me head is caved in!' exclaimed the Irishman, rising
to his feet, rubbing his head, and looking at his hand to see whether
there was blood upon it.
'Jerusalem! I thought she had upset or busted her b'iler!' said the
Yankee, looking around him with a bewildered air.
The two spectators were laughing furiously, and they could scarcely
stand the trick which had been played upon them.
'Let your old machine go to blazes!' muttered Ethan. 'If it acts that
way, I don't want nothin' to do with it.'
In the mean time the steamer had gone rattling over the prairie, until
about a quarter of a mile distant, when it rapidly slackened, and as
quickly halted.
'What's the matter wid it now?' asked Mickey; 'has it got the cramps
and gi'n out?'
'The steam is used up!' replied the dwarf, as he hurried after it; 'we
can soon start it again!'
All four made all haste toward the stationary figure; but the light
frame and superior activity of little Johnny brought him to it
considerably in advance of the others. Emptying a lot of wood from the
wagon, he was busily engaged in throwing it into his stomach when the
other two came up. His eyes sparkled, as he said:
'Jump up there, and I'll give you all a ride!'
The three clambered up and took their seats with great care, Mickey
and Ethan especially clinging as if their life depended on it.
Johnny threw in the fuel until the black smoke poured in a stream from
the hat. Before leaving it, he opened two smaller doors, at the knees,
which allowed the superfluous cinders and ashes to fall out. The water
in the boiler was then examined, and found all right. Johnny mounted
in his place, and took charge.
'Now we are ready! hold fast!'
'Begorrah, if I goes I takes the wagon wid me,' replied Mickey, as he
closed his teeth and hung on like death.
The engineer managed the monster with rare skill, letting on a full
head of steam, and just as it made a move shutting it off, and letting
it on almost immediately, and then shutting off and admitting it
again, until it began moving at a moderate pace, which, however,
rapidly increased until it was going fully thirty miles an hour.
Nothing could be more pleasant than this ride of a mile over the
prairie. The plain was quite level, and despite the extraordinary
speed attained, the wagon glided almost as smoothly as if running upon
a railroad. Although the air was still, the velocity created a stiff
breeze about the ears of the four seated on the top of the wood.
The hight of the steam man's head carried the smoke and cinders clear
of those behind, while the wonderful machinery within, worked with a
marvelous exactness, such as was a source of continued amazement to
all except the little fellow who had himself constructed the
extraordinary mechanism. The click of the joints as they obeyed their
motive power was scarcely audible, and, when once started, there was
no unevenness at all in its progress.
When the party had ridden about a half-mile, Johnny described a large
circle, and finally came back to the starting, checking the progress
with the same skill that he had started it. He immediately sprung
down, examined the fire, and several points of the man, when finding
everything right, he opened his knee-caps and let cinders and ashes
drop out.
'How kin yeou dew that?' inquired Ethan Hopkins, peering over his
shoulder.
'What's to hinder?'
'How kin he work his legs, if they're holler that way and let the fire
down 'em?'
'They ain't hollow. Don't you see they are very large, and there is
plenty of room for the leg-rods, besides leaving a place for the draft
and ashes?'
'Wal, I swan, if that ain't rather queer. And you made it all out of
your head naow?' asked the Yankee, looking at the diminutive inventor
before him.
'No, I had to use a good deal of iron,' was the reply of the
youngster, with a quizzical smile.
'You mean you got up the thing yourself?' 'Yes, sir,' was the quiet
but proud reply of the boy.
'Jingo and Jerusalem! but your daddy must be fond of you!' exclaimed
the enthusiastic New Englander, scanning him admiringly from head to
foot.
'I haven't any father.'
'Your mother then.'
'I don't know about that.'
'Say, you, can't yer tell a feller 'bout it?'
'Not now; I haven't time.'
As the steam horse was to rest for the present, he was 'put up.' The
engineer opened several cavities in his legs and breast, and different
parts of his body, and examined the machinery, carefully oiling the
various portions, and when he had completed, he drew a large oil skin
from the wagon, which, being spread out, covered both it and the steam
man himself.