John, a young twelve-year-old boy living in the 1900s, is hired by his father to work for his dock loading crew, which helps load and unload boats. John, his father, and a couple of men go to Upstate New York in Syracuse to help unload some ships. However, the work is exceptionally grueling, and John has to work long hours in the rain or shine. One day, the crew has to unload a boat in the middle of heavy rain. The mud makes it slippery to move, John has trouble seeing, and his body is already sore from work. John has difficulty moving the items, and his father yells at him, threatening to beat him in front of the crew. His father leaves, and John starts to cry at the harsh conditions he's supposed to work under. He imagines running to work for the railway and having a train crush him. He believes his father would finally feel sorry for how he treats him. A young man who is the same height as John and working for the crew approaches him. The man calls John a baby and tells John to take off his pants so he can spank him. John refuses, and the man tries to hit him. Soon, John and the man start to fight. The man pins John to the ground, and John bites the man's arm. The man screams when John draws blood and runs away. John stands up and notices his father witnessed the entire altercation. He goes to his father, and, for once, his father is impressed with John. John once again adores his father, and the two laugh at how John beat his opponent. The two men return to work, and John is happy that he has made his dad proud.