ouple of years previous to this time.

His particular business, as Fred saw it, was not to poke into other
people's private affairs, but to get the clothes of Sam dry as soon as
possible. Then he would feel that he and Bristles had finished their
duty.

So he continued to keep the fire burning, and have Sam turned around
every little while. At first the child steamed at a tremendous rate, but
as by degrees the moisture was absorbed by the heat, he began to feel
much more comfortable.

"I guess I'll go now, mister," Sammy remarked, finally, as though anxious
to get away from these kind friends before they took to asking him any
awkward questions.

"Just hold up a little while longer, and then you'll be all right, Sam,"
he was told by Fred, and like a great many other fellows, the boy fell
into a habit of observing the wishes of this leader among the scholars at
Riverport High.

"Whatever you say, mister, goes," he observed, with humility. "You've
sure done me a great service, and I ain't going to forget it, either. I
don't reckon it'll happen that I c'n pay you back, but if the chance ever
does hit me, I'm agoin' to do it, sure thing."

"Are you feeling as good as ever again, Sammy?" asked his sister, who was
rather a pretty girl, Bristles thought, as he looked her over, from the
wretched little hat she wore on her bonny brown hair, the odd cheap pin
at her throat, the faded dress, to the coarse shoes that gaped badly at
the toes.

"I certainly am," he responded, caressing the hand she had laid on the
sleeve of his ragged jacket. Somehow it struck Fred right then and there
that mutual suffering must have drawn these two frail looking beings
closer together than the average brother and sister.

"Well, then you can make off home if you feel fit," Fred told them, "and
let me tell you my friend here and myself both feel mighty glad we
happened to be as close by as we were. It taught you a lesson, I expect,
Sam, and you'll fight shy of blow-holes in the rotten ice after this,
won't you?"

"You bet I will, mister; and say, I guess I'm gladder'n you c'n be about
that same thing; because the river is awful swift around here, and I kept
getting colder and weaker all the while. Couldn't have held out much
longer. I want to thank both of you for what you did. I ain't goin' to
ever forget it either, see if I do, though, shucks! I don't 'spect I'll
ever have a chance to pay you back."

He shook hands with both