'Abeout what time may we look for you, neow!' asked Ethan, as he was
on the point of starting.
'Sometime this afternoon.'
'Come in before dark, as me mither used to observe to meself, when I
wint out shparkin',' added Mickey.
The boy promised to heed their warnings, and began firing up again.
The tank was completely filled with water, and the wagon filled nearly
full of wood, so that the two were capable of running the contrivance
for the entire day, provided there was no cessation, and that he was
on the 'go' continually.
Before starting, it was thoroughly oiled through and through, and put
in the best possible condition, and then waving them all a pleasant
farewell, he steamed gayly toward the mountains.
The ground was admirable, and the steam man traveled better than ever.
Like a locomotive, he seemed to have acquired a certain smoothness and
steadiness of motion, from the exercise he had already had, and the
sharp eye of the boy detected it at once. He saw that he had been very
fortunate indeed in constructing his wonderful invention, as it was
impossible for any human skill to give it any better movement than it
now possessed.
The first three or four miles were passed at a rattling gait, and the
boy was sitting on the front of his wagon, dreamily watching the play
of the huge engine, when it suddenly paused, and with such abruptness
that he was thrown forward from his seat, with violence, falling
directly between the legs of the monster, which seemed to stand
perfectly motionless, like the intelligent elephant that is fearful of
stirring a limb, lest he might crush his master lying beneath him.
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