He was big and broad-shouldered and bearded.

His face, above the beard, was tanned to a deep reddish brown, and the corners of his eyes were marked with dozens of tiny wrinkles.

He was dressed in blue cloth and wore a wide-brimmed, soft felt hat.

He entered the kitchen and tossed the hat into a corner.
"Well!" he exclaimed.

"Why don't you act surprised to see a feller?
Here I've been cruisin' from the Horn to Barnegat and back again, and you act as if I'd just dropped in to fetch the cup of molasses I borrowed yesterday.