The Captain chuckled. "The outer beach in winter ain't exactly a
camp-meeting for sociableness," he said. "And the idea of that Bartlett
boy tellin' you how to walk there!"

"Is he a specimen of your Cape Cod youngsters?"

"Not exactly. He's a new shipment from New York. Grand-nephew of a
messmate of mine, Cap'n Perez Ryder. Perez, he's a bachelor, but his
sister's daughter married a feller named Bartlett. Maybe you knew him;
he used to run a tugboat in the Sound."

Mr. Hazeltine, much amused, denied the acquaintance.

"Well, I s'pose you wouldn't, nat'rally," continued the Captain.
"Anyhow, Perez's niece's husband died, and the boy sort of run loose,
as yer might say. Went to school when he had to, and raised Ned when
he didn't, near's I can find out. 'Lizabeth, that's his ma, died last
spring, and she made Perez promise--he being the only relation the
youngster had--to fetch the boy down here and sort of bring him up.
Perez knows as much about bringing up a boy as a hen does about the Ten
Commandments, and 'Lizabeth made him promise not to lick the youngster
and a whole lot more foolishness. School don't commence here till
October, so we got him a job with Lem Mullett at the liv'ry stable. He's
boardin' with Lem till school opens. He ain't a reel bad boy, but he
knows too much 'bout some things and not ha'f enough 'bout others.
You've seen fellers like that, maybe?"

Hazeltine nodded. "There are a good many of that kind in New York, I'm
afraid," he said.