if we hadn't railways enough on our hands already."

"Not many railways like this one," said the young man. "Did you see an
article in the _Arbiter_ about it this morning? It is going to be the
most tremendous thing that ever was done."

"Oh, of course, yes," said Sir William with an accent of scorn in his
tone. "Just the kind of thing that the _Arbiter_ would have a good
flare-up about. I have no doubt that the scheme is magnificent on paper.
However, time will show," he added, with a kinder note in his voice. He
liked the boy and his faith in achieving the impossible.

"It will indeed," said Anderson. "Only, you see, we can't afford to wait
till time shows--we must take it by the forelock now, I'm afraid."

"Then what do you propose to do next?" said Sir William.

"We are going to form a company," said the boy, his colour rising. "We
are going to have everything ready, and the moment the railway is
finished we are ready to work the mine, and our fortune is made."

"You are going to form a company?" said Sir William, incredulously.

"Yes," Anderson replied. "In a week we shall have the whole thing in
shape, and I hope that when the mine and its possibilities are made
public, we shan't have any difficulty in getting the shares taken up."

"Well, I am sure I hope you won't," said Sir William. "I'll take some
shares in it if you can show me a reasonable prospect of its coming to
anything. But I should like to hear something more about it first."

"You shall, of course," said Anderson, as he took up his map again. "But
it was not about taking shares I came to ask you, Sir William."

"What was it, then?" said Sir William.

"You said," the boy replied, with an embarrassed little laugh, looking
him straight in the face, "that you would be the chairman of the first
company I floated."

"By Jove, so I did!" said Sir William. "Upon my word, it was rather a
rash promise to make."

"I don't think it was, I assure you," the boy said earnestly; "this
thing really is going to turn up trumps."

"Well, let's hope it is, for all concerned," said Sir William. "And what
are you going to call it?"

"Oh, we are going to call it," said Fred, "simply 'The Equator,
Limited.'"

"The Equator! Upon my word! Why not the Universe?" said Sir William.

"That will come next," said the boy, with a happy laugh of sheer
jubilation. "Then, Sir William, will you--you will be our chairman?"

"Oh yes," said Sir William. "A promise is a p