boy had never yet given the man such an opportunity to stretch his
legs as he was now about to do, he watched its motions with
considerable anxiety.

Everything was secured in the most careful manner, a goodly quantity
of fuel piled on, the boiler filled with water, and they patiently
waited the generation of a sufficient head of steam.

'Is it all good prairie land in that direction?' inquired the boy,
pointing to the West.

'Thar's all yer kin want.'

'Then we'll start. Look out!'

Despite the warning thus kindly given, the steam man started with a
sudden jerk, that 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