Send him out on the Kama--alone." "To give him a trial ?" "Well, he'll do some mischief--you'll lose something--but then we'll know what stuff he is made of." "Indeed--I'll send him off," Ignat decided.
And thus in the spring, Ignat sent his son off on the Kama with two barges laden with corn.

The barges were led by Gordyeeff's steamer "Philezhny," under the command of Foma's old acquaintance, the former sailor Yefim--now, Yefim Ilyich, a squarely built man of about thirty with lynx-like eyes--a sober-minded, steady and very strict captain.
They sailed fast and cheerfully, because all were contented.

At first Foma was proud of the responsible commission with which he had been charged.

Yefim was pleased with the presence of the young master, who did not rebuke or abuse him for each and every oversight; and the happy frame of mind of the two most important persons on the steamer reflected in straight rays on the entire crew.

Having left the place where they had taken in their cargo of corn in April, the steamer reached the place of its destination in the beginning of May, and the barges were anchored near the shore with the steamer at their side.