d
help blow up the old rascal.

Soon after this he shook hands all around and wished them _bon voyage_
in their trip to Lindsleyville. He winked his eyes knowingly, playing
the hypocrite handsomely. Oscar and Bottineau left in different
directions, the Germans had gone home drunk, and only "Whisky Jim"
joined the half-breeds in their trip. They took possession of an
immigrant team that was in Gager's stable, and just after sunset
started on their patriotic errand. They were going to celebrate the
Fourth by blowing up the tyrant.

Meantime Edwards had taken long strides, but his moccasin-clad feet
were not carrying him in the direction of Pelican Lake. Half the time
walking as only "the long trapper" could walk, half the time in a
swinging trot, he made the best possible speed toward Lindsleyville. He
had the start of the half-breeds, but how much he could not tell; and
there was no time to be lost. At the summit of every knoll he looked
back to see if they were coming, crouching in the grass lest they
should discover him.

Lindsley received him as suspiciously as ever, and positively refused
to believe his story. But by using his telescope Edwards soon convinced
him that the party were just leaving Gager's. The dusk of the evening
was coming on, and Lindsley's fright was great as he realized his
daughter's peril.

"I will fight them to the death," he said, getting down his revolver,
with an air that would have done honor to Don Quixote.

"If you fight them and whip them, they will waylay you and kill you.
But there are ten of them, and if you fight them you will be killed,
and this lady will be without a protector. If you run away, the house
will be destroyed, and you will be killed whenever you are found. But
what have you here--a magic lantern?"

The old gentleman had, before Edwards's arrival, taken down the
instrument to introduce some improvement which he had just invented.
When Edwards stumbled over it and called it a magic lantern he looked
at him scornfully.

"A magic lantern!" he cried. "No, sir; that is a dissolving view,
oxy-calcium, panto-sciostereoscopticon."

"With this we must save you and your daughter from the half-breeds,"
said the trapper, a little impatient at this ill-timed manifestation of
pedantry. "Get ready for action immediately."

"I have no oxygen gas."

"Make it at once," said Edwards. He picked up some papers marked
"chlor. potass." and "black oxide."

"Here is your material