Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/340

 were taken along to help work the boat. Eugene Cruger, a nephew of the yacht's owner, was one of us. Peekskill was reached, and the whole party went up to the hotel.

"All the way up the river we had noticed that Mr. Gould was uneasy, shifting about constantly on the deck, where he sat, and squirming and twisting as if to find a softer spot. Nothing was said about it, of course, but when we landed Mr. Gould himself furnished the explanation. From the heat of the sun, the yellow paint on the boat's deck had become baked and chalky, and it was not long before the little man discovered that the dry powder was coming off on his trousers. Hence his uneasiness. He concluded by saying that he was afraid his broadcloth nether garments would be, if they were not already, ruined, and was determined to abandon the trip and return by rail. This Mr. Cruger would not hear of, and promised to obviate the difficulty. We all adjourned to a general store, and Cruger bought for two shillings and a half, a pair of jean overalls. These Mr. Gould put on when we went aboard the boat, and expressed his unqualified satisfaction with the result.

"On our trip back from Newburgh, we again called at Peekskill, and once more the party started for the hotel. This time Mr. Gould declined the invitation to take something, and preferred to remain on board. About an hour was spent in the hotel, when suddenly Mr. Cruger remembered that he wanted some white lead, and young Eugene Cruger