Nat's heart leaped into his throat, but he did not lose his presence of mind. He was but a few feet from the man, and as quick as a flash he jumped forward, caught the fellow up, and dragged him out of harm's way.

 

"Wha—what yer doin'?" stammered² the fellow, gazing unsteadily at our hero.

 

"Do you want to be killed?" asked Nat, sharply.

 

"They won't—won't dare to kill me," said the fellow. "I'm a—a—good citizen."

 

"He ought to be locked up," said a man standing³ near.

 

"It was a brave deed," said one of the ladies.

 

"Who's goin' to lock me up?" demanded the tramp, for he was nothing less. And he began to show fight, at which the majority of the crowd turned away, and hurried to board the train. Nat hesitated for a second, and then concluded to let the train go on and take the next one.

 

"Say, you pulled me from the track, didn't you?" said the man, after another look at Nat.

 

"I did."

 

"Noble boy. I ought to reward you."

 

"I don't want any reward."

 

"Humph! Don't worry, my dear friend—Tom Nolan ain't got no money to reward you with." And the semi-drunken man indulged in a senseless chuckle⁴.

 

"See here, haven't I met you before?" demanded Nat, looking at the man more closely than ever.

 

"Maybe yer have, an' maybe yer haven't."

 

"Where do you come from?"

 

"Me? I'm an Ohio man, I am, and I ain't ashamed to own it. Ohio's best State in the union."

 

"So you are from Ohio. Were you ever in and around Brookville and Caswell?" went on our hero, suddenly.

 

"Sure. I spent two months in that district not very long ago. But I had to git out, I did." And the tramp

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