"It may be hard work at first, but you'll get used to it."
"I am not afraid of hard work."
"The captain will give you a uniform in a few days."
The gangplanks were hauled in, the lines cast off, and with a hoarse whistle the Helen Shalley continued on her course down the Hudson. There was a small Italian band on board, consisting of two violins, a harp and a clarionet, and they struck up a popular air.
The work at the dock had somewhat exhausted Randy, who was not used to handling such heavy stuff so quickly, but he took pains to conceal his feelings.
"I am not going to back down, no matter how hard the work is," he told himself. "Others can do it and so can I."
Among the deckhands was a tall, limber American man named Jones. He came up to Randy after the work was done.
"Malloy told me to show you around the boat and give you some pointers," said Jones. "Come ahead."
They passed from one end of the steamboat to the other, through all of the three decks, and Jones named over the various parts and told what the deckhands were expected to do. Then they went below and he told of some work there. Lastly he took Randy to the sleeping quarters.
"This is my bunk," said Jack Jones. "That will be yours over there. When you get the chance, I'll advise you to air your bedding. You can do it after we tie up in New York and the passengers go ashore."