r
enemies that the remaining ones were glad to withdraw.

But when the trapper stole out on a visit to his horses he found that
every one had been completely riddled by balls. The treacherous dogs
had taken every means of revenge at hand.

'Skin me fur a skunk, but we've stood this long as we ought to!'
exclaimed Baldy Bicknell, when he returned. 'You take care of
yourselves till I come back again!'

With which speech he slung his rifle over his shoulder and started for
St. Louis.

CHAPTER VII. THE STEAM MAN ON HIS TRAVELS.

YOUNG BRAINERD had a mortal fear that the existence of the steam man
would be discovered by some outsider, when a large crowd would
probably collect around his house, and his friends would insist on a
display of the powers of the extraordinary mechanism.

But there was no one in the secret except his mother, and there was no
danger of her revealing it. So the boy experimented with his invention
until there was nothing more left for him to do, except to sit and
watch its workings.

Finally, when he began to wonder at the prolonged delay of the
trapper, who had visited him some weeks before, he made his appearance
as suddenly as if he had risen from the ground, with the inquiry:

'Have you got that thundering old thing ready?'

'Yes: he has been ready for a week, and waiting.'

'Wal, start her out then, fur I'm in a hurry.'

'You will have to wait awhile, for we can't get ready under half a
day.'

It was the hunter's supposition that the boy was going to start the
man right off up street, and then toward the West; but he speedily
revealed a far different plan.

It was to box up the man and take it to Independence by steamboat. At
that place they would take it out upon the prairie, set it up and
start it off, without any fear of disturbance from the crowds which
usually collect at such places, as they could speedily run away from
them.

When the plan was explained to Baldy, he fully indorsed it, and the
labor was begun at once. The legs of the steam man being doubled up,
they were able to get it in a box, which gave it the appearance of an
immense piano under transportation. This, with considerable
difficulty, was transported to the wharf, where, with much grumbling
upon the part of the men, it was placed on board the steamboat,
quickly followed by the wagon and the few necessary tools.

The boy then bade his mother good-by, and she, suspecting he would be
gone bu