ay sell him, if anybody wants him.'

'No fear of that; I'll take him off your hands, and give you a good
price for him.'

'What good will' he do you?'

'Why, you can make more money with him than Barnum ever did with his
Woolly Home.'

'How so?' inquired the boy, with great simplicity.

'Take him through the country and show him to the people. I tell yer
they'd run after such things. Get out yer pictures of him, and the
folks would break thar necks to see him. I tell yer, thar's a fortune
thar!'

The trapper spoke emphatically like one who knows.

As it was growing dusk, they deemed it best to look for some
camping-place. There was considerable danger in running at night, as
there was no moon, and they might run into some gully or ravine and
dislocate or wrench some portion of their machinery, which might
result in an irreparable catastrophe.

Before it was fairly dark they headed toward a small clump of trees,
where everything looked favorable.

'You see we must find a place where there is plenty water and fuel,
for we need both,' remarked the boy.

'Thar's plenty of wood, as yer see with yer eyes,' replied Baldy, 'and
when trees look as keen as that, thar's purty sure sign thar's water
not fur off.'

'That's all we want,' was the observation of the engineer as he headed
toward the point indicated.

Things were growing quite indistinct, when the steam man gave its last
puff, and came to rest in the margin of the grove. The fires were
instantly drawn, and every-thing was put in as good shape as possible,
by the boy, while the trapper made a tour of examination through the
grove. He came back with the report that everything was as they
wished.

'Thar's a big stream of water runnin' right through the middle, and
yer can see the wood fur yourself.'

'Any signs of Indians?' asked the boy, in a low voice, as if fearful
of being overheard. 'Dunno; it's too dark to tell.'

'If it's dangerous here, we had better go on.'

'Yer ain't much used to this part the world. You may keep powerful
easy till mornin'.'

As they could not feel certain whether in danger or not, it was the
part of prudence to believe that some peril threatened them.
Accordingly they ate their evening meal in silence, and curled up in
the bottom of their wagon, first taking the precaution to fill their
tank with water, and placing a portion of wood and kindlings in the
bowels of the steam man, so that in case of danger, they would be abl