.'

'What does ye maan by that?' demanded the Irishman, instantly flaring
up; 'does ye maan to insinooate that she isn't the most charming
craater in the whole counthry?'

'You'll allow me to except my own Seraphenia?'

'Niver a once.'

'Then I'll do it whether you like it or not Your gal can't begin with
mine, and never could.'

'That I don't allow any man to say.'

And the Irishman immediately began divesting himself of his coat,
preparatory to settling the difference in the characteristic Irish
manner. Nothing loth, the Yankee put himself in attitude, determined
to stand up for the rights of his fair one, no matter by whom
assailed.

Matters having progressed so far, there undoubtedly would have been a
set-to between them, had not the trapper interfered. He and the boy
were engaged in preparing the steam man and wagon for starting, when
the excited words drew their attention, and seeing that a fight was
imminent, Baldy advanced to where they stood and said:

'Not another word, or skulpme ef I don't hammer both of you till
thar's nothin left o' you.'

This was unequivocal language, and neither of the combatants
misunderstood it. All belligerent manifestations ceased at once, and
they turned to in assisting in the preparations for moving.

When all four were seated in the wagon, with their necessary baggage
about them, it was found that there was comparatively little room for
the wood. When they had stored all that they could well carry, it was
found that there was hardly enough to last them twelve hours, so that
there was considerable risk run from this single fact.

The steam man, however, stepped off with as much ease as when drawing
the wagon with a single occupant. The boy let on enough of steam to
keep up a rattling pace, and to give the assurance that they were
progressing home ward in the fastest manner possible.

Toward the middle of the afternoon a storm suddenly came up and the
rain poured in torrents.

As the best they could do, they took refuge in a grove, where, by
stretching the canvas over themselves and the steam man, they managed
to keep free from the wet.

The steam man was not intended to travel during stormy weather, and so
they allowed him to rest.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE ENCAMPMENT.

THE STORM proved the severest which the steam man had encountered
since leaving St. Louis, and it put an effectual veto on his travels
during its continuance, and for a short