"Oh, I wouldn't accept any more of your money. It makes me ashamed to
take this, when I'm a grown man, and you're but a lad. I tell you,
when I fell in the water I didn't much care whether I came up again or
not."

"That's a wrong way to feel."

"I know it, and I'm going to get over it. I'm going to make a new
start, thanks to you. I'll not forget you. Maybe you'll see me when
you least expect it."

With this the tramp turned away, crossed the little bridge, this time
in safety, and hurried off across the fields, as he saw several of the
boys coming down toward the brook.

"That's a queer tramp," thought Bert. "I wonder if I ever shall see
him again?"

He was destined to, and under strange circumstances.

"Hello, Bert!" cried Cole, who was one of the group of boys. "What are
you doing here? The fire's all out."

"I know it. I was gathering up the buckets. Guess we'd better get the
engine back home--that's another thing we hadn't thought of. Where are
we going to keep it?"

"My barn's a good place," replied Cole. "That will give me a chance to
fix some of the pump valves. They didn't work just right to-night.
Why--hello! You're all wet!" he added, as he came close to his chum,