"He did my wife and little girl a great service the other day." "Yes, he told me what he did." "I think--er--that is, I'd like to reward you," stammered Andrew Shalley. He saw that Randy was no common boy with whom to deal. "Thank you, but I don't wish any reward, sir." "I felt you would say that," answered Andrew Shalley. "The other lad said the same." "Then you have seen Jack Bartlett?" "Yes, I just came from there. I wanted to reward him, but he would not have it. But I fixed him," and the steamboat owner smiled broadly. "Yes?" said Mrs. Thompson, curiously. "I found out he was going to move to Albany, so I gave him a free pass on my steamboat, the _Helen Shalley_--named after my wife. Now he can go up and down the river as much as he pleases and it won't cost him a cent. I told him I'd depend upon him to haul folks out of the water if they fell overboard," and the steamboat owner laughed broadly. "That ought to suit Jack--he loves the water so," said Randy. "Do you like the water, too?" "Yes, sir." "Then maybe you'd like a pass also." "I couldn't use it, Mr. Shalley." "I was only joking. But really, Randy, I'd like to do something for you, to show I appreciate what you did for my wife and for Helen." "I do not want anything, Mr. Shalley, excepting work." "Work? I should imagine you had enough of that right here." "I mean work that would pay me regular wages. We must have money. My father needs the doctor, and medicine, and we have to buy groceries, and such, and we can't make the farm pay the bills." "I understand, my lad. Where is your father?" "I am here, sir," came from the couch in the sitting room. "May I come in, Mr. Thompson?" "Certainly," answered the sick man, and a moment later Andrew Shalley entered the cottage and was shaking hands with Randy's father. CHAPTER XIII MR. SHALLEY MAKES AN OFFER The two men conversed together for fully half an hour, and during that time Andrew Shalley learned much concerning the Thompson family and their struggle to make both ends meet. "I live at Nyack," said Andrew Shalley. "And my headquarters for boats is there also. But the passenger steamer runs from New York City to Albany. The tugs run anywhere on the river, and on New York Bay." "It must be a nice business," said Randy. "I like boats of any kind." "If I had a boat on the river here I might give you a job," went on the gentleman. "But all of my craft are on the Hudson." "They tell me that the Hudson is a grand stream." "Nothing finer in this country, my boy, nothing finer. I have traveled all over the United States and I know. I think it is fully equal to the German Rhine and the St. Lawrence." "Maybe you could give me a situation on one of your Hudson River boats," went on Randy, struck by a sudden idea. "Would you care to leave home?" "Oh, Randy, you wouldn't want to go away!" cried Mrs. Thompson. "I would if it paid to do so," answered Randy, quickly. "There isn't much chance for work in Riverport."