required fee and went on board.

"It's some like goin' across to Jersey," he thought.

There was the usual variety of passengers--men, women, and children.
Tom sat down beside a young man well dressed, but a little strange in
his manners. It was evident that he had been drinking too much, and was
under the influence of liquor at present. He was perfectly quiet,
however, till they were in the middle of the stream, when, all at once,
he climbed the railing and threw himself into the turbid waters of the
river.

[Illustration: Tom, being an expert swimmer, jumped in after the man
without hesitation.--Page 96.]

The passengers seemed paralyzed by the suddenness of the action. Our
hero was the first to recover, and, being an expert swimmer, jumped in
after him without hesitation.

CHAPTER XIV.

A FASHIONABLE BOARDING-HOUSE.

When Tom's head emerged from the yellow and turbid waters, he caught
sight of the young man, and struck out for him. Grasping him by the
arm, he succeeded, with considerable difficulty, in holding him up till
a small boat near by picked both up.

"Whew!" sputtered Tom, spitting out some of the water which he had
involuntarily taken into his mouth.

The young man rescued looked about him stupidly.

"What made you jump into the river?" asked the boatman.

"I was drunk," said the young man, frankly, upon whom the shock of the
falling into the water had produced a favorable effect.

"It's lucky this boy was near and jumped after you, or you might have
been drowned before I got to you."

The young man turned and looked earnestly at Tom.

"So you jumped after me?" he said.

"I feel as if I did," answered Tom. "I'm as wet as a drowned rat."

"You're a brave boy."

"Thank you," said Tom, modestly. "But I can swim so well that it didn't
take much courage."

"I can't swim a stroke."

"Then you'd better not jump into the water again."

"I don't mean to," said the young man, smiling. "Where did you learn to
swim?"

"In the East river."

"Where's that?"

"New York."

"Look here, gentlemen, where do you want to be carried?" asked the
boatman.

"Back to Cincinnati. I'll pay you for your trouble," said the young
man.

"I was goin' on an explorin' expedition to Kentucky," said our hero.

"You are too wet; you must take another day."

"It ain't any wetter on one side of the river than the other."

"Do you live in Kentucky?"

"No."

"In Cincinnati?"

"Yes; I've lived the