e spent several weeks in thought, before he made the
first effort toward constructing his greatest success of all. He then
enlarged his workshop, and so arranged it, that he would not be in
danger of being seen by any curious eyes. He wanted no disturbance
while engaged upon this scheme.

From a neighboring foundry, whose proprietor took great interest in
the boy, he secured all that he needed. He was allowed full liberty to
make what castings he chose, and to construct whatever he wished. And
so he began his work.

The great point was to obtain the peculiar motion of a man walking.
This secured, the man himself could be easily made, and dressed up in
any style required. Finally the boy believed that he had hit upon the
true scheme.

So he plied harder than ever, scarcely pausing to take his meals.
Finally he got the machine together, fired up, and with feelings
somewhat akin to those, of Sir Isaac Newton, when demonstrating the
truth or falsity of some of his greatest discoveries, he watched the
result.

Soon the legs begin moving up and down, but never a step did they
advance! The power was there, sufficient to run a saw-mill, every
thing seemed to work, but the thing wouldn't go!

The boy was not ready to despair. He seated himself on the bench
beside the machine, and keeping up a moderate supply of steam,
throwing in bits of wood, and letting in water, when necessary, he
carefully watched the movement for several hours.

Occasionally, Johnny walked slowly back and forth, and with his eyes
upon the 'stately stepping,' endeavored to discover the precise nature
of that which was lacking in his machine.

At length it came to him. He saw from the first that it was not merely
required that the steam man should lift up its feet and put them down
again, but there must be a powerful forward impulse at the same
moment. This was the single remaining difficulty to be overcome. It
required two weeks before Johnny Brainerd succeeded. But it all came
clear and unmistakable at last, and in this simple manner:

(Ah! but we cannot be so unjust to the plodding genius as to divulge
his secret. Our readers must be content to await the time when the
young man sees fit to reveal it himself.)

When the rough figure was fairly in working order, the inventor
removed everything from around it, so that it stood alone in the
center of his shop. Then he carefully let on steam.

Before he could shut it off, the steam man walked clean