"Would the senor think four dollars too much? There will be my brother and myself, and it will be a long row."
"It is dear," Bob said, decidedly; "but I will give you three dollars and, if everything passes to my satisfaction, maybe I will make up the other dollar."
"Agreed, senor. I will see if I can find the man who was here, asking for a boat for his fruit."
"I will come back in an hour, and see," Bob said, getting up and walking leisurely away.
The fisherman was waiting for him.
"I can't find the man, senor, though I have searched all through the town. He must have gone off to his farm again."
"That is bad. How much did you reckon upon making from him?"
"I should have got another three dollars from him."
"Well, I tell you what," Bob said; "I have a good many friends, and people are always pleased with a present from the country. A box of fruit from Marbella is always welcome, for their flavour is considered excellent. It is well to throw a little fish, to catch a big one; and a present is like oil on the wheels of business. How many boxes of fruit will your boat carry? I suppose you could take twenty, and still have room to row?"
"Thirty, sir; that is the boat," and he pointed to one moored against the quay.