g burden on the grass.

"My Helen! Is she safe?" asked the lady, anxiously.

"I think so," answered our hero. "But I guess she swallowed some river
water."

"Oh, how thankful I am that you went after her."

"It was the only thing to do. I saw she couldn't swim."

The little girl was still gasping for breath. The mother threw herself
on the grass and did what she could for her. Soon the little girl gave
a cry:

"Mamma!"

"Yes, darling, I am here!"

"Oh, dear! I am all wet!"

"Be thankful that your life has been spared."

"That boy brought me out of the water."

"Yes, dear--and he was brave to do it," answered the mother and beamed
on Randy to such an extent that he had to blush.

By this time the two men had also come ashore. The steam was still
blowing off on the tug but the danger appeared to be over. Later the
engineer announced that a valve and a connection had broken, and the
craft would have to remain where she was until towed off.

"I am glad to see you are all safe," said the man who ran the tug.
"There wasn't very much danger on board."

"It looked bad enough," said one of the men who had leaped overboard.
"I didn't want to get scalded."

"And neither did I," added the other.

It appeared that neither of the men knew the lady excepting by name.
She was, however, fairly well known to the tug captain, and had gone up
the river on the craft to please her little girl.

"I am sorry for this, Mrs. Shalley," said the tug owner. "I must say, I
don't know what to do."

"I must get dry clothing on Helen pretty soon."

"The tug is wet from end to end from the escaped steam."

"If I was down at Riverport I could go to the hotel," went on Mrs.
Shalley.

"We can take you down in our rowboat," said Jack. "It won't take very
long."

"Can I trust myself in the boat?"

"Certainly, if you'll only sit still."

The matter was talked over, and it was decided that the lady and her
little girl should be taken down to Riverport by Randy and Jack. The
party was soon on the way.

"My name is Mrs. Andrew Shalley," said the lady. "My husband is a
steamboat owner. May I ask your names?"

"Mine is Jack Bartlett. I live in Riverport, but I am going to move to
Albany."

"And my name is Randy Thompson," added our hero. "I live over there--in
the little cottage by that clump of trees."

"I am pleased to know you," said the lady. "It was more than kind of
both of you to come to the assistance of myself and my