Boston scart the life out of me. I had no notion there was that many folks and horses and buildings in the world. We pulled for the schooner right away, but none too quick for me. I never liked a crowd. A man understands he don't amount to much, yet don't like to have the fact rubbed in. Cap'n Jesse Conklin owned the boat. He had a mild blue eye, a splendid line of cuss words, a body as big as mine, and a pair of legs that just saved him from running aground. When I first saw him I thought he was standing in a hole. Howsomever, he got around mighty lively on his little stumps, and he could light his pipe when the _Matilda_, of Boston, was throwing handsprings. He always opened his eyes wide and said, "Ha!" like he was perfectly astonished when you spoke to him. Then, to square things, you was really perfectly astonished when he spoke to you. Eli introduced me. "Ha!" says the captain. "So this is one of them ripperty-splintered and bejiggered young thingermergummeries that runs away from hum, heh?" I don't wish to be understood as giving the captain's exact words, although I ain't one of your durn prudes, neither. Eli explained. "Ha!" says the captain. "Is that so? Howjer come by them legs, young feller? You'll be riggin' a set of stays fur them when we hit the stream. I've seen shorter and thicker things than them growin' on trellises." "Never you mind about his legs, you old bladder-head," says Eli, cousinly. "You're to take the boy as passenger." "_I_ am!" says Captain Jesse, jumping back, mad as a bumblebee. "_I_ am; that's _me_! I don't own this boat nor nothin'! I've got to be told what I'm to do, I have!" "Sure!" says Eli, undisturbed. "Well, all right," says the captain, calm as anything. "What makes you so hasty, Eli? Does he pay his passage, or work it?" "He gives you five dollars in hand, and works the rest of it," says Eli. The cap'n gave a horrible grin, showing a set of teeth like a small horse. "And won't he work it!" says he, rubbing his hands together. "Dry land'll do for him, two weeks out." "Yaaas," says Eli. "You're a turble person, you are--you'd ought to been a pirate, Jess." Cap'n Jesse got mad again--he was more like a little boy than anybody of his weight I ever see. He come up to Eli and shook his finger under that hawk-bill of a nose. "I don't want none of your slack, Eli!" he says. "You've tried me often"--here he got impressive, talking very slow--"don't you try me once too much!" Eli grabbed the hand, stuck the finger in his mouth, and bit it. "Aaoow!" yells the captain, grabbing his finger. "You quit your foolin'!"