“Is there any one who wishes to land?” he shouted up toward the deck, in as manly a tone as he could assume.
Yes, there was an elderly gentleman with glasses who had not gone with the other boat.
“Can you row?” asked the gentleman with the glasses.
“You may be sure we can,” answered Johnny Blossom, with a very superior air.
So the gentleman got into Jeremias’s boat and Johnny and Asta turned it toward the wharf. Asta was always inclined to put her oars too deep in the water, and when she tried to take them out, she had to get up off her seat almost every time. Johnny threw condemnatory glances at her. She was likely to ruin everything, doing no better than that, after he had assured the gentleman that they could row.
The boat scraped against the wharf.
“How much for my passage?” asked the gentleman.
“Do you think five cents is too dear?” asked Johnny in a businesslike manner.
No, the stranger thought not.
“I declare if there isn’t the Kingthorpe heir himself, hiring out as boatman!” came a voice from the wharf.