"The cook's my boss ... as far as my time is concerned. I'm cabin boy."
My father gave the cook a couple of big, black cigars. I was allowed shore leave till four o'clock that afternoon....
"—you need a little outfitting," explained my father, as we walked along the dock to the street....
"I've saved up a couple of hundred dollars, which I drew out before I came over."
"But, Father...."
"You need a lot of things. I'm going to start you off right. While you were up in the cabin getting ready to go ashore I had a talk with the cook.... I sort o' left you in his charge—"
"But I don't want to be left in anyone's charge."
"—found out from him just what you'd need and now we're going to do a little shopping."
I accompanied my father to a seamen's outfitting place, and he spent a good part of his two hundred buying needful things for me ... shirts of strong material ... heavy underwear ... oilskins ... boots ... strong thread and needles ... and a dunnage bag to pack it all away in....