eagerly.

"Haven't seen any wreck," was the answer, from the captain of the
freighter. "Whose raft was it?"

"I don't know. The raft hit us in the darkness and a young man on our
yacht was knocked overboard. We lit some red fire and saw two people on
the raft, which seemed to be going to pieces."

This news interested the owner of the freight steamer greatly, since he
had a brother who was in the business of rafting lumber, and he asked
Tom to give him the particulars of the affair.

"We can't give you any particulars. We were taken completely by
surprise, and it was too dark to see much," said Tom. Nevertheless he
and Sam told what they could, to which the freight captain listened
with close attention.

"I'll keep my eye open for the raft," said the latter. "And if I see
anything of your brother I'll certainly take him on board."

"Where are you bound?"

"I am going to stop at Cleveland first. Then I go straight through to
Buffalo."

A few words more passed, and then the captain of the freight steamer
gave the signal to go ahead.

The stopping of her engines had caused the steamer to drift quite close