king that he understood what he was about very well, yet,
if Mr. Page had volunteered a suggestion, he would have listened to it
and made it the subject of reflection. In fact, a single seriously
expressed doubt as to the safety of the investment he was about making,
coming from a man like Mr. Page, would have effectually prevented its
being made, for Jordan would not have rested until he understood the
very nature and groundwork of the objection. He would then have seen a
new statement of figures, heard a new relation of facts and
probabilities, and learned that Barnaby was selling at the suggestion
of Mr. Page, after being fully convinced of the folly of proceeding
another step.

But no warning came. The self-esteem of old Matthew Page, who felt
himself to be something of an oracle in S--, was touched, because the
young man had not consulted him; and now he might go to the dogs, for
all he cared.

The preliminaries of sale were soon arranged. Jordan was as eager to
enter upon his money-making as Barnaby was to get rid of his
money-losing scheme. Three thousand dollars cash were paid, and notes
given for the balance. An overseer, or manager of the whole business to
be entered upon, was engaged at five hundred dollars a year; some
twenty hands to cut timber, haul it to the mill, and saw it up when
there, were hired; and twenty yokes of oxen bought for the purpose of
hauling the logs from the woods, a distance of two miles. The price of
a dollar a log, which Barnaby expected to pay for timber floated down
the river, had been considered so dear a rate as to preclude all hope
of profit in the business. The great advantages which Jordan felt that
he possessed was in himself owning the timber, which had only to be cut
and taken to the mill. He had, strangely enough, forgotten to make a
calculation of what each log would cost him to cut and haul two miles.
There were the wood-choppers at a dollar a day, the teamsters at
seventy-five cents a day, and four pairs of oxen to each log to feed.
Eight logs a day he was told that each team would haul, and he believed
it. But two or three logs were the utmost that could be accomplished,
for in the whole distance there was not a quarter of a mile of good
solid road.

Six months in time, and a thousand dollars in money, over and above
wages to his men, were spent in getting the mill into running order.
Jordan had bought under the representation that it was all ready for
starting. Af