The bartender turned red in the face, and was angered at being taken up as he was.
"Hello, my wharf-rat, how did you get so wet ?" "In the water." "He jumped off the ferry-boat to save a little girl," said Jim, seeing the storm brewing, and desirous of putting in a good word for his friend.
This declaration was received with a guffaw, not one of the hearers believing a word of it.
"Jumped off to get away from the Bobbies," sneered the bartender.

"If you don't get out of here quicker'n lightning I'll hand you over to them." "We can go out if you say so," said Tom, in the same good-natured manner; "but we came in to get our supper and stay all night." "Have you got the stamps to pay for it ?" "If we hadn't we'd know better than to come in here." "All right; my terms are a half a dollar apiece for supper and lodging." "What is it with breakfast ?" "Seventy-five cents." "We might as well pay you now." And in his off-hand fashion Tom drew from his water-soaked pocket his portemonnaie, remarking to Jim that they would arrange it between themselves, and handed the exact change to the somewhat surprised bartender and clerk.
That made a difference; and the servant became as obsequious as if he had just recognized in his visitor a millionaire that had dropped in to spend a part of his fortune with him.
The boys were hungry, as may be supposed, and they fell to eating like a couple of famished wanderers.

Only a mouthful or two was swallowed when Jim exclaimed,-- "Hello, Tom; where did you get that gold chain ?" "What are you talking about ?" demanded Tom, looking up at his friend.
"I'll show you;" and, as Jim spoke, he reached over and unhooked a tiny gold chain from the upper button of his friend's coat, around which it was twined in a singular manner.
More than that, there was a locket attached to it.
"That's the strangest thing I ever heard tell of," said Tom, as he examined the chain and locket.

"I never knew it was there till you spoke." "You must have got it from that girl in the water, when you helped her out." "That's so! Wait here till I come back!" and with this exclamation the lad sprang up and darted outdoors.
He was gone but a short time, when he returned.
"I've been down to the ferry-house to see whether I could find the woman and give her back her jewelry; but nobody there knows anything about her, and I'll have to keep it till I learn who she is." On looking at the locket the boys agreed that it was the likeness of the girl that had so narrowly escaped drowning.

They admired it a long time, after which Tom carefully put it away, and they finished their supper.
The supper finished, the boys sat in the hot room until Tom's clothing was fully dried, during which process the two were urged to drink fully a score of times, Tom being assured by several that the only way to escape a dangerous cold was to swallow a good supply of gin.
Like sensible lads they steadfastly refused, as they had never tasted spirituous liquors, and never intended to.
Finally, at a late hour, they retired to their humble room, where they were speedily asleep.
On the morrow it was agreed that they would make this place their headquarters, while they looked up something to do.