BALDY BICKNELL, the trapper, was the first to discover the peril of
himself and party.
When the Indians had completed their work it lacked only an hour of
daylight. Having done all that was necessary, the savages took their
stations behind the wall, lying flat upon the ground, where they were
invisible to the whites, but where every motion of theirs could be
watched and checkmated.
When the trapper opened his eyes he did not stir a limb, a way into
which he had got during his long experience on the frontiers. He
merely moved his head from side to side, so as to see anything that
was to be seen.
The first object that met his eye was the boy Brainerd, sound asleep.
Apprehensive then that something had occurred, he turned his startled
gaze in different directions, scanning everything as well as it could
be done in the pale moonlight.
When he caught sight of the wall stretched across the valley, he
rubbed his eyes, and looked at it again and again, scarcely able to
credit his senses. He was sure it was not there a few hours before,
and he could not comprehend what it could mean; but it was a verity,
and his experience told him that it could be the work of no one except
the Indians, who had outwitted him at last.
His first feeling was that of indignation toward the boy who had
permitted this to take place while he was asleep, but his mind quickly
turned upon the more important matter of meeting the peril, which,
beyond all doubt, was of the most serious character.
As yet he had not stirred his body, and looking toward the prison
wall, he caught a glimpse of the phantom-like figures, as they
occasionally flitted about, securing the best possible position,
before the whites should awake.
This glimpse made everything plain to the practical mind of Baldy
Bicknell. He comprehended that the red-skins had laid a plan to entrap
the steam man. More than to entrap themselves, and that, so far as he
could judge, they had succeeded completely.
It was the tightest fix in which he had ever been caught, and his
mind, fertile as it was in expedients at such crises, could see no way
of meeting the danger.
He knew the Indians had horses somewhere at command, while neither he
nor his comrades had a single one. The steam man would be unable to
pass that formidable wall, as it was not to be supposed that he had
been taught the art of leaping.
Whatever plan of escape was determined upon, it was evident that the
steamer would have to be abandoned; and this necessitated, as an
inevitable consequence, that the whites would have to depend upon
their legs. The Missouri river was at no great distance, and if left
undisturbed they could make it without difficulty, but there was a
prospect of anything sooner than that they would be allowed to depart
in peace, after leaving the steam man behind.
The trapper, as had been his invariable custom, had carefully noted
the contour of the surrounding prairie, before they had committed the
important act of encamping in the gorge or hollow. He remembered the
grove at some distance, and was satisfied that the barbarians had left
their horses there, while they had gathered behind the wall to wait
the critical moment.
By the time these thoughts had fairly taken shape in his brain it was
beginning to grow light, and with a premonitary yawn and kick he rose
to his feet and began stirring the fire. He was well aware that
although he and his companions were a fair target for the rifles of
their enemies, yet they would not fire. Their plan of action did not
comprehend that, though it would have settled everything in their
favor without delay.
'I declare I have been asleep!' exclaimed Brainerd, as he began
rubbing his eyes.
'Yes. You're a purty feller to make a sentinel of, ain't you?' replied
the trapper, in disgust.
'I hope nothing has happened.' answered Johnny, feeling that he
deserved all the blame that could be laid upon him.
'Not much, exceptin' while yer war snoozin' the reds have come down
and got us all in a nice box.'
The boy was certain he was jesting until he saw the expression of his
face.
'Surely, Baldy, it is not as bad as that?'
'Do you see that ar?' demanded the trapper, pointing toward the wall,
which the youngster could not help observing.
'How comes that to be there?'
'The red-skins put it thar. Can yer steam man walk over that?'
'Certainly not; but we can remove them.'
'Do yer want to try it, younker?'
'I'm willing to help.'
'Do yer know that ar' somethin' less nor a hundred red-skins ahind
them, jist waitin' fur yer 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 first time, comprehends the peril in which he had
brought his friends by his own remissness, and his self-accusation was
so great, that, for a few moments, he forgot the fact that he was
exposed to the greatest danger of his life.
By this time Ethan and Mickey awoke, and were soon made to understand
their predicament. As a matter of course, they were all disposed to
blame the author of this; but when they saw how deeply he felt his own
shortcoming, all three felt a natural sympathy for him.
'There's no use of talkin' how we came to get hyar,' was the
philosophical remark of the trapper; 'it's 'nongh to know that we are
hyar, with a mighty slim chance of ever gettin' out ag'in.'
'It's enough to make a chap feel down in the mouth, as me friend Jonah
observed when he went down the throat of the whale,' said Mickey.
'How is it they don't shoot us?' asked Hopkins; 'we can't git out of
their way, and they've got us in fair range.'
'What's the use of doin' that? Ef they kill us, that'll be the end
on't; but ef they put thar claws on us, they've got us sure, and can
have a good time toastin' us while they yelp and dance around.'
All shuddered at the fearful picture drawn by the hunter.
'Jerusalem! don't I wish I was to hum in Connecticut!'
'And it's myself that would be plaised to be sitting in the parlor at
Ballyduff wid me own Bridget Moghlaghigbogh, listenin' while she
breathed swate vows, after making her supper upon praties and inions.'
'I think I'd ruther be hyar,' was the commentary of the trapper upon
the expressed wish of the Irishman.
'Why can't yees touch up the staammau, and make him hop owver them
shtones?' asked Mickey, turning toward the boy, whom, it was noted,
appeared to be in deep reverie again.
Not until he was addressed several times did he look up. Then he
merely shook his head, to signify that the thing was impossible.
'Any fool might know better than that.' remarked the Yankee, 'for if
he could jump over, where would be the wagon?'
'That 'ud foller, av coorse.'
'No; there's no way of getting 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 back in Wolf Ravine, and we war a thousand miles from
this place.'
'Wishing'll do no good; there's only one chance I see, and that ain't
no chance at all.'
All, including the boy, eagerly looked up to hear the explanation.
'Some distance from hyar is some timbers, and in thar the reds have
left their animals. Ef we start on a run for the timbers, git thar
ahead of the Ingins, mount thar hosses and put, thar'll be some
chance. Yer can see what chance thar is fur that.'
It looked as hopeless as the charge of the Light Brigade.
Young Brainerd now spoke.
'It was I who got you into trouble, and it is I, that, with the
blessing of Heaven, am going to get you out of it.'
The three now looked eagerly at him.
'Is there no danger of the Indians firing upon us?' he asked of the
hunter.
'Not unless we try to run away.'
'All right; it is time to begin.'
The boy's first proceeding was to kindle a fire in the boiler of the
steam man. When it was fairly blazing, he continued to heap in wood,
until a fervent heat was produced such as it had never experienced
before. Still he threw in wood, and kept the water low in the boiler,
until there was a most prodigious pressure of steam, making its escape
at half a dozen orifices.
When all the wood was thrown in that it could contain, and portions of
the iron sheeting could be seen becoming red-hot, he ceased this, and
began trying the steam.
'How much can he hold?' inquired Hopkins.
'One hundred and fifty pounds.'
'How much is on now?'
'One hundred and forty-eight, and rising.'
'Good heavens! it will blow up!' was the exclamation, as the three
shrunk back, appalled at the danger.
'Not for a few minutes; have you the gold secured, and the guns, so as
to be ready to run?'
They were ready to run at any moment; the gold was always secured
about their persons and it required but a moment to snatch up the
weapons.
'When it blows up, run!' was the admonition of the boy.
The steam man was turned directly toward the wall, and a full head of
steam let on. It started away with a bound, instantly reaching a speed
of forty miles an hour.
The next moment it struck the bowlders with a terrific crash, shot on
over its face, leaving the splintered wagon behind, and at the instant
of touching ground upon the opposite side directly among the
thunderstruck Indians, it exploded its boiler!
The shock of the explosion was terrible. It was like the bursting of
an immense bomb-shell, the steam man being blown into thousands of
fragments, that scattered death and destruction in every direction.
Falling in the very center of the crouching Indians, it could but make
a terrible destruction of life, while those who escaped unharmed, were
beside themselves with consternation.
This was the very thing upon which young Brainerd had counted, and for
which he made his calculations. When he saw it leap toward the wall in
such a furious manner, he knew the inevitable consequence, and gave
the word to his friends to take to their legs.
All three dashed up the bank, and reaching the surface of the prairie,
Baldy Bicknell took the lead, exclaiming:
'Now fur the wood yonder!'
As they reached the grove, one or two of the number glanced back, but
saw nothing of the pursuing Indians. They had not yet recovered from
their terror.
Not a moment was to be lost. The experienced eye of the trapper lost
no time in selecting the very best Indian horses, and a moment later
all four rode out from the grove at a full gallop, and headed toward
the Missouri.
The precise result of the steam man's explosion was never learned. How
many wore killed and wounded could only be conjectured; but the number
certainly was so great that our friends saw nothing more of them.
They evidently had among their number those who had become pretty well
acquainted with the steam man, else they would not have laid the plan
which they did for capturing him.
Being well mounted, the party made the entire journey 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
seen nothing of each other.
Mickey McSquizzle returned to Ballyduff Kings County, Ireland, where,
we heard, he and his gentle Bridget, are in the full enjoyment of the
three thousand pounds he carried with him.
Ethan Hopkins settled down with the girl of his choice in Connecticut,
where, at last accounts, he was doing as well as could be expected.
Baldy Bicknell, although quite a wealthy man, still clings to his
wandering habits, and spends the greater portion of his time on the
prairies.
With the large amount of money realized from his western trip, Johnny
Brainerd is educating himself at one of the best schools in the
country. When he shall have completed his course, it is his intention
to construct another steam man, capable of more wonderful performances
than the first.
So let our readers and the public generally be on the lookout.
THE END.