Perry’s father was always called Cap’n Kent.  He kept a kind of floating restaurant.  One end of his boat was boarded over into a closet, with shelves filled with a supply of fresh fruit and berries in the season, cider, cakes, pies, root-beer, lemons, crackers, etc.  His customers were chiefly the “hands” on board sloops becalmed opposite the landing, or passing barges and canal-boats, slowly trailed in the wake of a panting propeller, or escorted by dingy little “tugs,” struggling along like lively black beetles.

The “Cap’n” was a very tall man, and his arms were so long that, as he rowed, he sat quite upright, only stretching his arms back and forth, scarcely bending his body at all.  This gave great dignity to his appearance in a boat.  His feet were very long too, and when he walked he lifted the whole foot at once, and put it down flat.  Of course he could not walk very fast; but so important a person as the “Cap’n” could never be in a hurry.

As he held his boat against a rock while Perry lifted in the basket of fish, he saw the wistful faces of the children standing on the beach.  Now, the “Cap’n” considered himself a very good-natured man, and good-natured men are always fond of children.  So he called out in a loud voice: 

“Whose little folks are you?”

“Bub and Mandy Lewis,” Mandy answered quickly.

Bub nudged her with his elbow.

“He spoke to me, Mandy!”

“Want to take a little row up to the hotel?  Let’s see—­your folks live by the old fishin’ dock, don’t they?  Wal, I can leave ye there comin’ back.  You can tell your Pa that Cap’n Kent took ye out rowin’.”

“I’d like to go, if you please,” said Bub, who was ready with an answer this time; “but Mandy, she’s got to tend to the baby.”

“The baby!  What baby?” said the “Cap’n,” while Mandy whispered, crossly, “Bub, I think you’re real mean!”

“Oh, sir, baby’s fast asleep up on the dryin’-ground, where the nets are!  I could go as far as that, if you’d let me get out there,—­if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, sir.”

“Course it would!” said Bub, emphatically.

But the “Cap’n,” who was not so good-natured that he liked to have small boys answer for him, gravely considered the matter while he settled his oars in the rowlocks.

“Wal, it’s some trouble, perhaps; but I don’t mind puttin’ myself out once in a while for a nice little gal.  Step lively now, young man!  Come along, sissy!”

Mandy sat radiant in the little bow-seat, as the boat pushed off.  A great Albany “tow” was passing,—­a whole fleet of barges and canal-boats lashed together,—­with calves and sheep bellowing and bleating, cables creaking, clothes flapping on the lines; a big steamboat, with a freight-barge under each wing, plowing the water on ahead, and sending the waves chasing each other in shore.

The little boat danced gayly on the “rollers.”  A fresh wind blew toward them, and brought with it a shout of “Boat ahoy!  Hello, Cap’n!  Got any good stuff aboard?”