ght.
The trapper's first proceeding upon awakening was to scan the prairie
in every direction in quest of danger.

He was not a little amused to see a dozen or so mounted Indians about
a third of a mile to the west. They had reined up on the plain, and
were evidently scanning the strange object, with a great deal of
wonder, mixed with some fear.

'Do you think they will attack us?' inquired the boy, who could not
suppress his trepidation at the sight of the warlike savages, on their
gayly-caparisoned horses, drawn up in such startling array.

'Ef thar war any danger of that, we could stop 'em by 'tacking 'em.

'Jest fire up and start toward 'em, and see how quick they will
scatter.' The advice was acted upon on the instant, although it was
with no little misgiving on the part of the engineer.

All the time that the 'firingup' process was under way the savages sat
as motionless as statues upon their horses. Had they understood the
real nature of the 'animal,' it cannot be supposed that they would
rave hesitated for a moment to charge down upon it and demolish it
entirely.

But it was a terra incognita, clothed with a terror such as no array
of: enemies could wear, and they preferred to keep at a goodly
distance from it.

'Now, suppose they do not run?' remarked Johnny, rather doubtingly, as
he hesitated whether to start ahead or not.

'What if they don't? Can't we run another way? But yer needn't fear.
Jist try it on.'

Steam was let on as rapidly as possible, and the momentum gathering
quickly, it was soon speeding over the prairie at a tremendous rate,
straight toward the savages.

The latter remained motionless a few moments, before they realized
that it was coining after them, and then, wheeling about, they ran as
though all the legions of darkness were after them.

'Shall I keep it up?' shouted Johnny in the ear of the hunter.

'Yas; give 'em such a skear that they won't be able to git over it
ag'in in all thar lives.'

There is some fun in chasing a foe, when you know that he is really
afraid of you, and will keep running without any thought of turning at
bay, and the dwarf put the steam man to the very highest notch of
speed that was safe, even at the slight risk of throwing both the
occupants out.

The prairie was harder and nearer level than any over which they had
passed since starting, so that nothing was in the way of preventing
the richest kind of sport.

'Are we gaining?' inquired Johnn