Bert hesitated only long enough to toss off his coat and in he plunged. He could just make out the head of the man, being swept under the bridge, and he swam rapidly toward it. An instant later he had caught the man by his rather long hair and was pulling him toward shore. "You--you saved my life!" gasped the rescued one, as soon as he was on the bank and could speak, for he had swallowed some water. "I can't swim." "Oh, I guess you'd have been all right," said Bert. "It is shallow a short distance below here, and you could have waded out." "No," said the man, rather solemnly; "I'd have gone to the bottom and stayed there. I'm that unlucky." He seemed quite affected and spoke sadly. Then, by the distant gleam of the lanterns on the engine, Bert saw that the man was ragged and quite unkempt. In short, he was a tramp. "Where are you from?" asked Bert. "From New York. I was asleep under that haystack, and I woke up to find it on fire." "Were you smoking there?" asked Bert, suspiciously. "No," replied the tramp, so earnestly that Bert believed him. "I don't smoke. But I was traveling with a fellow who did. Maybe it was his pipe that set the fire. He ran off, and I stayed around to see you boys put out the fire. You did it in great shape. I started to cross the bridge and I fell off. I'm weak, I guess. I haven't had anything to eat all day." "Where are you going?" asked Bert, for he felt a sympathy for the man. No one else had been attracted to the scene, as every one was too much interested in the new engine to leave it. "I don't know," replied the man, despondently, "I'm looking for work." "What do you do." "I'm a stenographer and typewriter, but there are so many girls at it now that a man can't get living wages. So I decided to become a tramp. I wanted to get out doors, because my health is not good. But I can't get anything to do, except very heavy tasks, and I'm not able to do them." "I'll see if I can't help you," proposed Bert. "Come with me. I can give you a bed for the night." "No, you've done enough for me. You saved my life, and I'm grateful. Some day, maybe, I can return the favor. I'll go on now. If I stayed around here they might arrest me on suspicion of setting the hay on fire. I'll keep on. Maybe something will turn up." "Then take this money," said Bert, handing the tramp a quarter. "You can get something to eat with it." CHAPTER VIII ON THE LAKE The tramp seemed overcome by emotion. He held the quarter which Bert had given him as though he did not know what to do with it. "It's a good one," said the lad, with a smile.