Young Jim Garfield wanted to be a sailor on the high seas. He had to settle for mule driver for a canalboat instead. No one wanted a landlubber like him, and he learned soon enough that he could get his feet wet even working on a canalboat—literally. But he was a good worker with a good sense of humor, both of which stood him well. In the end, however, he had to make a decision: Was the life of a boatman—of any kind—the life he truly wanted to lead?