re immediately north-east;
all the coal lay to the north-east; all of the iron ore to the
south-east. So said Geology. For three hundred miles there were only
four gaps through that mighty mountain chain--three at water level, and
one at historic Cumberland Gap which was not at water level and would
have to be tunnelled. So said Geography.

All railroads, to east and to west, would have to pass through those
gaps; through them the coal must be brought to the iron ore, or the ore
to the coal. Through three gaps water flowed between ore and coal and
the very hills between were limestone. Was there any such juxtaposition
of the four raw materials for the making of iron in the known world?
When he got that far in his logic, the sweat broke from his brows; he
felt dizzy and he got up and walked into the open air. As the vastness
and certainty of the scheme--what fool could not see it?--rushed through
him full force, he could scarcely get his breath. There must be a town
in one of those gaps--but in which? No matter--he would buy all of
them--all of them, he repeated over and over again; for some day there
must be a town in one, and some day a town in all, and from all he would
reap his harvest. He optioned those four gaps at a low purchase price
that was absurd. He went back to the Bluegrass; he went to New York;
in some way he managed to get to England. It had never crossed his mind
that other eyes could not see what he so clearly saw and yet everywhere
he was pronounced crazy. He failed and his options ran out, but he was
undaunted. He picked his choice of the four gaps and gave up the other
three. This favourite gap he had just finished optioning again, and now
again he meant to keep at his old quest. That gap he was entering now
from the north side and the North Fork of the river was hurrying to
enter too. On his left was a great gray rock, projecting edgewise,
covered with laurel and rhododendron, and under it was the first
big pool from which the stream poured faster still. There had been a
terrible convulsion in that gap when the earth was young; the strata
had been tossed upright and planted almost vertical for all time, and, a
little farther, one mighty ledge, moss-grown, bush-covered, sentinelled
with grim pines, their bases unseen, seemed to be making a heavy flight
toward the clouds.

Big bowlders began to pop up in the river-bed and against them the water
dashed and whirled and eddied backward in deep pools, wh