He thoroughly reconnoitered every part of the ravine in the immediate
vicinity of the cave, but could discover nothing of the Indians, and
he concluded that they were some distance away.

Having assured himself of this, the trapper cautiously ascended the
side of the ravine, until he reached the open prairie, when he lost no
time in leaving the dangerous place behind him.

He had no intention, however, of deserting his friends, but had simply
gone in quest of the steam man. He comprehended the difficulty under
which they all labored, so long as they were annoyed in this manner by
the constant attacks of the savages, and he had an idea that the
invention of the dwarfed Johnny Brainerd could be turned to a good
account in driving the miscreants away so thoroughly that they would
remain away for a long enough time for them to accomplish something in
the way of gathering the wealth lying all about them.

He recalled the direction which he had seen the puffing giant take,
and he bent his steps accordingly, with only a faint hope of meeting
him without searching the entire night for him. Baldy was shrewd
enough to reason that as the boy would wish some water for his engine,
he would remain in the immediate vicinity of the river until at least
that want could be supplied.

Acting on this supposition, he made his way to the river bank, and
followed so closely to the water that its moonlit surface was
constantly visible to him.

The night was still, and, as he moved silently along, he often paused
and listened, hoping to hear the familiar rattle of the wheels, as the