t of the wastes of the Pacific, while
four-masted ships lay two deep beneath the humming mills. Then, rising
ridge on ridge, jumbled in picturesque confusion, and flanked by
towering telegraph poles, store and bank and office climbed the slope
of the hill. It was a new stone city which had sprung, as by
enchantment, from the ashes of a wooden one, and would, purging itself
of its raw crudity, rise to beauty and greatness yet.

Alton glanced towards it with a comprehensive gesture. "What a place
this will be by and by," he said. "Sometimes I'm proud I was born in
this country. Now I might have been raised back there at Carnaby, and
taught it was every man's chief duty to dress and talk nicely, chase
foxes, and think about his dinner."

"I fancy there are men who would not have thought that a great
misfortune," said Seaforth dryly. "You could also, if you liked it, do
so still."

Alton laughed a little grimly. "There are two kinds of men in this
world, Charley, and which of them makes it go?" said he. "The ones who
have too much to eat and too little to do, or the others who have to
keep on doing something because they're hungry? Well, I needn't ask
you, because the conundrum was answered long ago, and that kind of
talking's no great use to anybody. That was a very fine mill, and I
picked up a good deal down there. Still, we will scarcely want such a
big one at Somasco."

"No," said Seaforth, smiling. "I don't quite see how we are going to
keep the one we have busy."

"Well," said Alton, "you will by and by, and I'm going to buy three or
four new saw-fixings to-day. You don't know anything about
bookkeeping, Charley?"

"You have surmised correctly," said Seaforth. "I don't know that I
want to."

Alton laughed, and presently stopped in front of a building on which a
brass plate was inscribed, "Bookkeeping and Shorthand taught
efficiently."

"I think you're wrong, and this is the place," said he. "That's a
sensible man, and he just puts down what he can do. Go right in, and
ask how long he'll take to make a business man of you."

Seaforth stared at him in bewilderment. "You took nothing with your
breakfast, Harry?" said he.

Alton smiled a little grimly. "I haven't had any yet. I've been too
busy," he said. "Walk in, Charley, while I see whether they'll lend me
twenty thousand dollars at the bank yonder."

Seaforth, who, however, knew that there was no use in arguing with his
comrade, sho