"I met him when he was getting a horse," answered our hero and told of what had happened.
"I wish I had been there!" cried Jack, laughing heartily. "I'll wager Bob was as mad as seventeen hornets."
"Yes, indeed. He must have had a good bill to pay for damages."
Randy spent a pleasant two hours with Jack and then went back to the boat, Jack promising to visit the craft some night when the Helen Shalley should tie up at Albany again.
So far matters had gone well on board. Randy was much amused by the passengers, especially those who were peculiar in their manners. There was one fussy old gentleman who went up and down the river twice a week. He always wanted to sit in a corner in the shade and asked a dozen times a day if they weren't behindhand.
"We are exactly on time," said Randy, to him, one day.
"Hum!" cried the old gentleman, consulting a watch he carried. "I think we are twenty minutes behindhand."
"We haven't been twenty minutes behindhand since I've been on the boat," said Randy, as he moved off.
The old gentleman grumbled to himself and restored his timepiece to his pocket.
A minute later Randy saw an Englishman saunter along the deck and stop close to the old gentleman. Randy had noticed the Englishman before, because he spoke with a strong Cockney accent—that is, he dropped h's where they were wanted and put them in when not needed. At this time the steamboat was just approaching the Highlands.