Occasionally it changed its course, so that it went nearly at right
angles. At such times, its colossal proportions were brought out in
full relief, looking like some Titan as it took its giant strides over
the prairie.

The distance was too great to scrutinize the phenomenon closely; but
they could see that a black volume of smoke issued either from its
mouth or the top of its head, while it was drawing behind it a sort of
carriage, in which a single man was seated, who appeared to control
the movements of the extraordinary being in front of him.

No wonder that something like superstitious have filled the breasts of
the two men who had ceased hunting for gold, for a few minutes, to
view the singular apparition; for such a thing had scarcely been
dreamed of at that day, by the most imaginative philosophers; much
less had it ever entered the head of these two men on the western
prairies.

'Begorrah, but it's the ould divil, hitched to his throttin 'waging,
wid his ould wife howlding the reins!' exclaimed Mickey, who had
scarcely removed his eyes from the singular object.

'That there critter in the wagon is a man,' said Hopkins, looking as
intently in the same direction. 'It seems to me,' he added, a moment
later, 'that there's somebody else a-sit-ting alongside of him, either
a dog or a boy. Wal, naow, ain't that queer?'

'Begorrah! begorrah! do ye hear that? What shall we do?'