Produced by Blackmask Online. HTML version by Al Haines. The Huge Hunter; OR, The Steam Man of the Prairies. by EDWARD S. ELLIS CHAPTER I. THE TERROR OF THE PRAIRIES. CHAPTER II. 'HANDLE ME GENTLY.' CHAPTER III. A GENIUS. CHAPTER IV. THE TRAPPER AND THE ARTISAN. CHAPTER V. ON THE YELLOWSTONE. CHAPTER VI. THE MINERS. CHAPTER VII. THE STEAM MAN ON HIS TRAVELS. CHAPTER VIII. INDIANS. CHAPTER IX. THE STEAM MAN AS A HUNTER. CHAPTER X. WOLF RAVINE. CHAPTER XI. THE STEAM MAN ON A BUFFALO HUNT. CHAPTER XII. THE GRIZZLY BEAR. CHAPTER XIII. AN APPALLING DANGER. CHAPTER XIV. THE HUGE HUNTER. CHAPTER XV. THE ATTACK IN THE RAVINE. CHAPTER XVI. THE REPULSE. CHAPTER XVII. HOMEWARD BOUND. CHAPTER XVIII. THE ENCAMPMENT. CHAPTER XIX. THE DOINGS OF A NIGHT. CHAPTER XX. THE CONCLUDING CATASTROPHE. CHAPTER I. THE TERROR OF THE PRAIRIES. 'HOWLY vargin! what is that?' exclaimed Mickey McSquizzle, with something like horrified amazement. 'By the Jumping Jehosiphat, naow if that don't, beat all natur'!' 'It's the divil, broke loose, wid full steam on!' There was good cause for these exclamations upon the part of the Yankee and Irishman, as they stood on the margin of Wolf Ravine, and gazed off over the prairie. Several miles to the north, something like a gigantic man could be seen approaching, apparently at a rapid gait for a few seconds, when it slackened its speed, until it scarcely moved. Occasionally it changed its course, so that it went nearly at right angles. At such times, its colossal proportions were brought out in full relief, looking like some Titan as it took its giant strides over the prairie. The distance was too great to scrutinize the phenomenon closely; but they could see that a black volume of smoke issued either from its mouth or the top of its head, while it was drawing behind it a sort of carriage, in which a single man was seated, who appeared to control the movements of the extraordinary being in front of him. No wonder that something like superstitious have filled the breasts of the two men who had ceased hunting for gold, for a few minutes, to view the singular apparition; for such a thing had scarcely been dreamed of at that day, by the most imaginative philosophers; much less had it ever entered the head of these two men on the western prairies. 'Begorrah, but it's the ould divil, hitched to his throttin 'waging, wid his ould wife howlding the reins!' exclaimed Mickey, who had scarcely removed his eyes from the singular object. '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?'