t both of them came near being thrown out of the
wagon.

The prairie was quite level and hard, so that everything was
favorable, and the wagon went bounding over the ground at a rate so
fast that both the occupants were considerably frightened, and the boy
quickly brought it down to a more moderate trot.

This speed soon became monotonous, and as it ran so evenly, Baldy
said:

'Let her go, younker, and show us what she can do.'

The rod controlling the valve was given a slight pull, and away they
went, coursing like a locomotive over the prairies, the wheels
spinning round at a tremendous rate, while the extraordinary speed
caused the wind thus created almost to lift the caps from their heads,
and a slight swell in the prairie sent the wagon up with a bound that
threatened to unseat them both.

It worked splendidly. The black smoke puffed rapidly from the top of
the hat, and the machinery worked so smoothly that there was scarcely
a click heard. The huge spiked feet came lightly to the ground, and
were lifted but a short distance from it, and their long sweep and
rapid movement showed unmistakably that the steam man was going at a
pace which might well defy anything that had yet swept the prairies.

As there was no little risk in running at this speed, and as young
Brainerd had not yet become accustomed to controlling it, he slackened
the rate again, so that it sank to an easy gliding motion, equal to
the rapid trot of an ordinary horse.

Fully ten minutes were passed in this manner, when steam was entirely
shut off, whereupon the giant came to such a sudden halt that both
were thrown violently forward and bruised somewhat.

'Skulp me! but don't stop quite so sudden like,' said the hunter.
'It's a little unhandy fur me to hold up so quick!'

'I'll soon learn to manage it,' replied Johnny. 'I see it won't do to
shut off all at once.'

Descending from his perch, he examined every portion of the engine.
Several parts were found heated, and the fuel was getting low. The
water in the boiler, however, was just right, the engineer having been
able to control that from his seat in the wagon.

Throwing in a lot of wood, they remounted to their perch and started
forward again. There was an abundance of steam, and the boy readily
acquired such a familiarity with the working of his man, that he
controlled it with all the skill of an experienced engineer.

The speed was slackened, then increased. It stopped and then s