But regrets were now unavailing, and he lost no time in useless lamentations, setting to work at once. It was tedious labor, carrying up the water in a small vessel, and emptying it in the tank, but he persevered, and at the end of a couple of hours the task was completed.
'I can make the wood stand me another day,' he added, as he stood looking at the greatly diminished pile, 'although, if I knew where to get it, I would load up now, and then I should be prepared.'
He suddenly paused, for scarcely a dozen yards away, coming up the margin of the river, straight toward him, he descried the figure of a man fully six feet and a half high.
Young Brainerd's first impulse was to spring into the wagon and start away at full speed; but a second glance showed him that it was not an Indian, but a white man, in the garb of a hunter.
'Hullo, boss, thar, what yer doin'?'
He was at a loss what reply to make, and therefore made none. The next moment the giant hunter was beside him.
'B'ars and bufflers! younker, what ye got thar?' he demanded, eyeing the steam man with an expression of the most amazed wonder. 'I say, what do yer call that thing?'
'That,' laughed Johnny, who could not avoid a feeling of strong apprehension at the singular appearance of the strange hunter, 'is a sort of peregrinating locomotive.'
'Paggyratin' locomotive, what's that?' he asked, in a gruff voice, and with an expression of great disgust at the unfamiliar words employed.
'You have seen a locomotive, haven't you?'