'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?'
At that instant, a shriek like that of some agonized giant came home
to them across the plains, and both looked around, as if about to flee
in terror; but the curiosity of the Yankee restrained him. His
practical eye saw that whatever it might be, it was a human
contrivance, and there could be nothing supernatural about it.
'Look!'
Just after giving its ear-splitting screech, it turned straight toward
the two men, and with the black smoke rapidly puffing from the top of
its head, came tearing along at a tremendous rate.
Mickey manifested some nervousness, but he was restrained by the
coolness of Ethan, who kept his position with his eye fixed keenly
upon it.
Coming at such a railroad speed, it was not long in passing the
intervening space. It was yet several hundred yards distant, when
Ethan Hopkins gave Mickey a ringing slap upon the shoulder.
'Jerusalem! who do ye s'pose naow, that man is sitting in the carriage
and holding the reins?'
'Worrah, worrah! why do you ax me, whin I'm so frightened entirely
that I don't know who I am myself?'
'Its Baldy.
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