Probably, accustomed as he was to luxury and ease, he had had a hard time of it; but a man inured to work and weather would not have suffered half so much as he did; though, chilled and terrified as he was, I did wonder that he had not been washed from his raft, to perish in the deep waters beneath him. “I am very glad we happened to come along as we did,” I added. “It was fortunate for me, Wolf. I will give you a thousand dollars for the service you have rendered me as soon as I get home.” “Excuse me, sir; but I cannot take anything,” I replied, warmly. “Why not, Wolf?” “Because I should despise myself if I took anything. There are some things in this world that cannot be paid for with money.” “You are a strange boy, Wolf.” “Perhaps I am; but I think too much of myself to take money for doing a kindness to any one in distress.” “Very likely I can do something else for you.” “I don’t require anything to be done for me, Colonel Wimpleton,” I persisted. “If you have been up to Hitaca, probably you have seen the steamer I am building there.” “Yes, sir, I saw her; and a very fine boat she will be.” “I shall want an engineer for her,” he suggested. “Of course you will, sir. An engineer is a necessity in a steamer,” I replied; but I refused to bite at the bait he threw out to me. “Are you the captain of this boat, Wolf?” he asked, glancing round at the pleasant little state-room in which he was lying. “For the present I am.” “Whose boat is it?” “Major Toppleton’s.” “I saw her at the yard in Hitaca; but I had no idea she was so large and fine, as she lay in the river.” “She is just finished, and the major sent me up to bring her down to Middleport. I don’t suppose I shall go in her again, for I belong on the railroad.” “I know you do,” he replied; and his tone seemed to indicate that, at that moment, he was sorry I did. I did not care to discuss the relations of the two sides of the lake with him, and I turned his attention from the subject by asking what I could do for him. “I do not need anything more, Wolf. I am warm and comfortable, and I am very much obliged to you for what you have done. Did you know who it was when you saw me on the raft?” “Yes, sir; I recognized you when the boat came up to the raft.” “You did?” “Yes, sir; certainly I did.” “Were you not tempted to let me remain where I was?” he asked, raising his head on the bed, so as to see my face. “No, sir, I was not.” “I should think you would have been.” “Why, I am not a heathen, Colonel Wimpleton!” I replied. “No; we have had considerable trouble, and I suppose you have no reason to think very kindly of me,” stammered he, as though the words almost choked him. “I don’t think you used me just right, sir; but I’m not an Indian.” “I think I should have perished in half an hour more. It was getting dark, and I was as numb as though I had been frozen. But I shall make it all right somehow, Wolf.” “It is all right now.”