I gave it to him, and he looked at it closely through a microscope. "How
deep have you gone?"

"Not more than six inches."

"That so? Much of this size?"

"Train loads, I should think."

"Ah, hah. How much land does it cover?"

"Don't know exactly. Haven't investigated."

And this question set me to thinking. The mine was well on my land, but
it might spread out beyond my lines. It was important that I should buy
several acres surrounding the stretch of moss, and I decided to do this
immediately upon my return home.

"Let's see," said the capitalist. "This is Friday. Mr. Clarm is out of
town and will not be back until Monday--has a summer home in St. Jo,
Mich., and is over there. It's just across the lake. Suppose we go over
there to-morrow morning. Boat leaves at nine. Be a pleasant trip. All
right."

He resumed his work as if my acceptance of his proposition was a
foreshadowed necessity. "How did you happen to find it?" he asked,
without looking up from his work.

"I was digging for angle worms."

He grunted. "Didn't find any worms, did you?"

"No, I don't think I did."

"I know you didn't. Worms and mica don't exist in the same soil. Very
rugged?"

"Rocks on each side."

I was determined to be business-like, not to give him information unless
he asked for it; and I sat there, studying him. He was direct and this
pleased me, for it bespoke a quick decision. But after a time I grew
tired of looking upon his absorption, for his mood was unvarying, and he
held one position almost without change, so I began to walk about,
looking at the pictures of factories and of mines, hung on the walls.
The day was hot and the windows were up, and I looked down on the
ant-working industry in the street. How different from the view that lay
out of my window in the old log house; but I was resolved to draw no
long bow of astonishment, for in a man's surprise is a reflex of his
ignorance.

"What business?" the capitalist asked, still without looking up.

"None, you might say. Have taught school, but of late I have employed my
time with studying law."

He looked round at me and then resumed his work. A long time passed. I
heard his watch snap and then he got up.

"We'll go out and get a bite to eat," he said. "Any particular place?"

"No," I answered, pleased that he should presume that I was acquainted
with the eating houses of the town.

We stepped out into the hall and he yelled: "Down!" He shoved me into