"

"Sure I will. What is it?"

"I want to send a message and some papers to a firm uptown. It's
about some freight they're expecting, and the office is keeping open
late on account of it. Now hurry home and come back, and I'll have the
message ready for you."

Nat was soon back at the pier, with a lunch for Mr. Miller. Then, with
the note and papers which the freight agent had ready for him, he
started off uptown.

As he was on his way back from the errand, he walked slowly along the
water front. He decided he would call at the pier and see if he could
help Mr. Miller, so that his benefactor might get through earlier.

Nat reached a wharf some distance away from the one where he had been
employed during the day. It seemed to be deserted, though there was a
large vessel tied up on one side of it, and two barges on the other.

"I'd like to be a pilot on that big steamer," thought Nat as he
contemplated the craft in the glare of an electric light. "That would
be a fine job. Well, maybe I'll be on one like her some day."

He was about to walk on, when suddenly the stillness of the night was
broken by a cry. It was a shout, and it seemed to come from near the
big freight barges.

"Help! help!" cried the voice. "I'm drowning! I'm in the water and I
can't get out! Help! help!"

CHAPTER III

NAT'S BRAVE RESCUE

"Somebody must have fallen overboard from one of the barges," thought
Nat, for he could now easily determine that the cry came from the side
of the dock where the two big freight carriers were tied. "Why doesn't
some one there help him?"

But though he thus wondered, he did not hesitate over what to do. He
ran out on the pier, and seeing a gangplank leading to one barge, he
sprinted up it. The cries continued.

"I'm coming!" the boy shouted. "I'll help you! Where are you?"

"Down between the two barges! I can't get out!" cried a man's voice.
"Hurry! help!"

The voice ended in a gurgle.

"He's gone down under water!" exclaimed Nat. "Man overboard!" he
loudly cried, thinking some one on the dock or aboard the vessels
might hear him and come to help aid in rescuing the imperiled one. But
there came no answer. The pier seemed to be deserted.

Nat reached the deck of the first barge and rushed across it to the
farthermost rail. He tried to peer down into the black space between
the two freight boats, but he could see nothing.

"Where are you?" he called again.

"Here! Right here!" was the ans