o's, too. Mebbe mommy she won't whale me fo'
gettin' dem all soaked like this," he muttered to himself
disconsolately.

"Don't you worry about that," chuckled Thad, who had overheard the
childish complaint. "Your mother, whoever she may be, will be so
thankful that she hasn't lost her boy she'll forgive you anything. And
you're a brave little chap in the bargain, because you did put up a
nervy fight for your life, that's certain."

They succeeded in drying his clothes, and then, as a large car was seen
coming along the road with only a single man in the same, Hugh ran over
to hail the driver and beg him to take them all into town.

Luck favored them again. The man in the big car turned out to be Major
McGrew's chauffeur, whom Hugh knew to speak to, as he was a baseball
enthusiast of the first water. When he heard what had happened, he
told Hugh to fetch the boy along; and also the two other kids; he'd
have them home in a jiffy, for it was less than a mile to town.

The colored people, as so often happens, lived in a certain section of
Scranton, being very clannish in their habits. Hugh did not doubt but
that he could easily learn just where the boy lived. He looked at him
several times trying to remember where he could have seen the little
fellow before, because there seemed to be something familiar about his
face; but somehow he failed to connect him with any family he knew.

When presently they entered the district where the colored folks had
their homes, their coming created quite a flutter. To have a fine big
car fetching a trio of colored children home was an event of importance.

Boys and girls, and a sprinkling of older persons as well, hurried to
ascertain what it could mean. Doubtless they were quick to sense the
fact that something out of the common run must have occurred to cause
such a happening.

Hugh recognized an old man he knew as a preacher, and addressing
himself to this person he hastened to explain.

"These children were up at the old mill-pond, and the boy had made a
raft on which he was having the time of his life, when the thing
separated, and left him clinging to one plank where the water was quite
deep. We chanced to hear the girls' screams and got to the spot in
time to push out in an old boat and get hold of him just as he was
sinking. He's a plucky little chap, I want to tell you. Only for the
way he held on to that plank, he must have drowned before we could
reach him.