The Huge Hunter; Or, the Steam Man of the Prairies
Copyright© 2024 by Edward S. Ellis
Chapter 2: ‘Handle Me Gently’
WHEN Ethan Hopkins had surveyed the steam man fully, he drew a long sigh and exclaimed:
‘Wal, naow, that’s too had!’
‘What’s that?’ inquired Bicknell, who had been not a little amused at his open-mouthed amazement.
‘Do you know I’ve been thinking of that thing for ten years, ever since I went through Colt’s pistol factory in Hartford, when I was a youngster?’
‘Did you ever think of any plan!’
‘I never got it quite right, but I intended to do it after we got through digging for gold. The thing was just taking shape in my head. See here, naow, ain’t you going to give a fellow a ride?’
‘Jis’ what I wanted; shall I run it for you?’
‘No, I see how it works; them ‘ere thingumbobs and gimcracks do it all.’
‘Johnny, hyar, will tell yer ‘bout it.’
The little humpback sprung nimbly down, and ran around the man, explaining as well as he could in a few moments the manner of controlling its movements. The Yankee felt some sensitiveness in being instructed by such a tiny specimen, and springing into the wagon, exclaimed:
‘Git eout! tryin’ to teach yer uncle! I knowed how the thing would work before you were born!’
Perching himself on the top of the wood which was heaped up in the wagon, the enthusiastic New Englander carefully looked over the prairie to see that the way was clear, and was about to ‘let on steam,’ when he turned toward the Irishman.
‘Come, Mickey, git up here.’
‘Arrah now, but I never learnt to ride the divil when I was home in the ould country,’ replied the Irishman, backing away.
But both Ethan and Baldy united in their persuasions, and finally Mickey consented, although with great trepidation. He timidly climbed upon the wagon and took his seat beside the Yankee, looking very much as a man may be supposed to look who mounts the hearse to attend his own funeral.
‘When yer wants to start, jist pull that ‘ere gimcrack!’ said Baldy, pointing to the crook in the rod upon which his hand rested.
‘Git eout, naow! do you think you’re goin’ to teach me that has teached school fur five year in Connecticut?’
There were some peculiarities about the steam man which made him a rather unwieldy contrivance. He had a way of starting with a jerk, unless great skill was used in letting on steam; and his stoppage was equally sudden, from the same cause.
When the Irishman and Yankee had fairly ensconced themselves on their perch, the latter looked carefully round to make sure that no one was in the way, and then he tuned the valve, which let on a full head of steam.
For a second the monster did not stir. The steam had not fairly taken ‘hold’ yet; then he raised one immense spiked foot and held it suspended in air.
‘That’s a great contrivance, ain’t it?’ exclaimed Ethan, contemptuously.
‘Can’t do nothin’ more than lift his foot. Wait till you see more! he’s goin’ to dance and skip like a lamb, or outrun any locomotive you ever sot eyes on!’
‘Bad luck to the loikes of yees, why d’ yees go on?’ exclaimed the irate Irishman, as he leaned forward and addressed the obdurate machine. ‘Are yees tryin’ to fool us, bad luck to yees?’
At this instant, the feet of the steam man began rising and falling with lightning like rapidity, the wagon being jerked forward with such sudden swiftness, that both Ethan and Mickey turned back summersets, rolling heels over head off the vehicle to the ground, while the monster went puffing over the prairie, and at a terrific rate. Baldy was about to start in pursuit of it, when Johnny, the deformed boy, restrained him.
‘It won’t run far; the steam is nearly out.’
‘Be jibbers! but me head is caved in!’ exclaimed the Irishman, rising to his feet, rubbing his head, and looking at his hand to see whether there was blood upon it.
‘Jerusalem! I thought she had upset or busted her b’iler!’ said the Yankee, looking around him with a bewildered air.
The two spectators were laughing furiously, and they could scarcely stand the trick which had been played upon them.
‘Let your old machine go to blazes!’ muttered Ethan. ‘If it acts that way, I don’t want nothin’ to do with it.’
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