t the bottom of the river. He had
also brought his favorite setter Nanita and her litter of three young
puppies, which he had proposed to establish at his new winter home.

During the stop of the packet at Cairo he had taken Nanita ashore for a
run. On their way back to the boat he discovered that she was not
following him, and anxiously retracing his steps a short distance,
found her in company with a white bulldog, to whom she was evidently
communicating some matter of great interest.

Mr. Manton saw that the strange dog was a valuable one, and when it
showed an inclination to follow them, tried to persuade it to return to
its home, which he supposed was somewhere in the town. As the dog
disappeared, he thought he had succeeded, and was afterwards surprised
to find it on the boat, in company with Nanita and her little ones.
Believing, of course, that the bull-dog's owner was also on board, he
gave the matter but little thought, and soon after called Nanita aft to
be fed.

While he was attending to her wants, the cry of "fire" was raised. The
flames burst out somewhere near the centre of the boat, in the vicinity
of the engine-room, and had already gained such headway as to interpose
an effectual barrier between him and the forward deck. He supposed
that the boat would at once be headed for the nearest bank, but found
to his dismay that almost with the first outbreak of flame the
steering-gear had been rendered useless. At the same time the
engineers had been driven from their post of duty, and thus the
splendid packet, freighted with death and destruction, continued to
rush headlong down the river, without guidance or check.

Amid the terrible scenes that ensued, Mr. Manton, followed by his
faithful dog, was barely able to reach his own stateroom, secure his
money and some important papers, wrench the door from its hinges, throw
it and Nanita overboard, and then leap for his own life into the dark
waters.

At this point the grateful man again tried to express his sense of
obligation to his rescuers, but was interrupted by Billy Brackett, who
could not bear to be thanked for performing so obvious and simple an
act of duty. To change the subject the young engineer told of Bim's
act of real heroism in saving one and attempting to save the other
members of the little family, which he evidently considered had been
left in his charge.

To this story Mr. Manton listened with the deepest interest; and when
it w