“Not a cent, stranger;” and so I left my rough hospitable friends, and, gaining the railroad, lay down to rest until the fiery sun had got lower in the west.  The remainder of the road was thronged with gangs of men at work along it, bridging, blasting, building, and levelling—­strong able-bodied fellows fit for any thing.  Each gang was under the superintendence of a railroad “boss,” and all seemed to be working well.  But then two dollars a head per diem will make men work well even under such a sun.

CHAPTER FIVE.

Lake Superior—­The Dalles of the St. Louis—­The North Pacific Railroad—­Fond-du-Lac-Duluth—­Superior City—­The Great Lake—­A Plan to dry up Niagara—­Stage Driving—­Tom’s Shanty again—­St. Paul and its Neighbourhood.

Almost in the centre of the Dalles I passed the spot where the Northern Pacific Railroad had on that day turned its first sod, commencing its long course across the continent.  This North Pacific Railroad is destined to play a great part in the future history of the United States; it is the second great link which is to bind together the Atlantic and Pacific States (before twenty years there will be many others).  From Puget Sound on the Pacific to Duluth on Lake Superior is about 2200 miles, and across this distance the North Pacific Railroad is to run.  The immense plains of Dakota, the grassy uplands of Montana and Washington, and the centre of the State of Minnesota will behold ere long this iron road of the North Pacific Company piercing their lonely wilds.  “Red Cloud” and “Black Eagle” and “Standing Buffalo” may gather their braves beyond the Coteau to battle against this steam-horse which scares their bison from his favourite breeding grounds on the scant pastures of the great Missouri plateau; but all their efforts will be in vain, the dollar will beat them out.  Poor Red Cloud! in spite of thy towering form and mighty strength, the dollar is mightier still, and the fiat has gone forth before which thou and thy braves must pass away from the land!  Very tired and covered deep with the dust of railroad cuttings, I reached the collection of scattered houses which bears the name of Fond-du Lac.  Upon inquiring at the first house which I came to as to the whereabouts of the hotel, I was informed by a sour-visaged old female, that if I wanted to drink and get drunk, I must go farther on; but that if I wished to behave in a quiet and respectable manner, and could live %without liquor, I could stay in her house, which was at once post office, Temperance Hotel, and very respectable.  Being weary and footsore, I. did not feel disposed to seek farther, for the place looked clean, the river was close at hand, and the whole aspect of the scene was suggestive of rest.  In the evening hours myriads of mosquitoes and flying things of minutest size came forth from the wooded hills and did their best towards making life a misery; so bad were they that I welcomed a passing navvy who dropped in as a real godsend.