nd when we had "lighted up"
Joe began:

"Well, sir, it's about twelve years ago. I was a strong, active chap
then--not that I aint strong now, for I can shove a boat over the
sandbar with any man on the shore--but I aint as active as I were. I
warn't called Surly Joe then, and I had my two arms like other men. My
nickname then was Curly; 'cause, you see, my hair won't lay straight
on my head, not when it gets as wet as seaweed. I owned my own boat,
and the boys that worked with me warn't strangers, like Dick there,
but they were my own flesh and blood. I was mighty proud of the two
boys: fine straight tough-built lads was they, and as good-plucked uns
as any on the shore. I had lost their mother ten years, maybe, before
that, and I never thought of giving them another. One of 'em was about
twelve, just the size of Dick there; the other was a year older. Full
of tricks and mischief they was, but good boys, sir, and could handle
the boat nigh as well as I could. There was one thing they couldn't
do, sir--they couldn't swim. I used to tell 'em they ought to learn;
but there, you see, I can't swim myself, and out of all the men and
boys on this shore I don't suppose one in twenty on 'em can swim. Rum,
aint it, sir? All their lives in the water or on the water, seeing all
these visitors as comes here either swimming or learning to swim, and
yet they won't try. They talks about instinks; I don't believe in
instinks, else everybody who's got to pass his life on the water would
learn to swim, instead of being just the boys as never does learn.
That year, sir, I was doing well. There was a gentleman and his wife
and darter used to use my boat regular; morning and afternoon they'd
go out for a sail whenever it warn't too rough for the boat to put
out. I don't think the old gentleman and lady cared so much for it;
but they was just wrapped up in the girl, who was a pale, quiet sort
o' girl, who had come down to the sea for her health. She was
wonderful fond of the sea, and a deal o' good it did her; she warn't
like the same creature after she had been here two months.

"It was a roughish sort of afternoon, with squalls from the east, but
not too rough to go out: they was to go out at four o'clock, and they
came down punctual; but the gentleman says, when he gets down:

"'We have just got a telegram, Joe, to say as a friend is coming down
by the five-o'clock train, and we must be at the station to meet her,
she being an invalid;