'I declare that was a narrow escape!' exclaimed the boy as he gazed down the cavernous darkness, looking doubly frightful in the gloom of the night. 'Skulp me if that wouldn't have been almost as bad as staying among the red-skins,' replied the trapper. 'How are we goin' to get him out of this?' 'We've got to shove him back ourselves.' 'Can't we reverse him?' 'No; he isn't gotten up on that principle.' By great labor they managed to make him retrograde a few steps, so that he could be made to shy enough to leave the dangerous vicinity, and once more started upon the broad firm prairie. 'Do you suppose these Indians are following us?' inquired the boy. 'No fear of it.' 'Then we may as well stay here.' The fires were drawn again, everything made right, and the two disposed themselves again for spending the night in slumber. No disturbance occurred, and both slept Roundly until broad daylight. The trapper's first proceeding upon awakening was to scan the prairie in every direction in quest of danger. He was not a little amused to see a dozen or so mounted Indians about a third of a mile to the west. They had reined up on the plain, and were evidently scanning the strange object, with a great deal of wonder, mixed with some fear. 'Do you think they will attack us?' inquired the boy, who could not suppress his trepidation at the sight of the warlike savages, on their gayly-caparisoned horses, drawn up in such startling array. 'Ef thar war any danger of that, we could stop 'em by 'tacking 'em. 'Jest fire up and start toward 'em, and see how quick they will scatter.' The advice was acted upon on the instant, although it was with no little misgiving on the part of the engineer. All the time that the 'firingup' process was under way the savages sat as motionless as statues upon their horses. Had they understood the real nature of the 'animal,' it cannot be supposed that they would rave hesitated for a moment to charge down upon it and demolish it entirely. But it was a terra incognita, clothed with a terror such as no array of: enemies could wear, and they preferred to keep at a goodly distance from it. 'Now, suppose they do not run?' remarked Johnny, rather doubtingly, as he hesitated whether to start ahead or not. 'What if they don't? Can't we run another way? But yer needn't fear. Jist try it on.' Steam was let on as rapidly as possible, and the momentum gathering quickly, it was soon speeding over the prairie at a tremendous rate, straight toward the savages. The latter remained motionless a few moments, before they realized that it was coining after them, and then, wheeling about, they ran as though all the legions of darkness were after them. 'Shall I keep it up?' shouted Johnny in the ear of the hunter. 'Yas; give 'em such a skear that they won't be able to git over it ag'in in all thar lives.'