on the t'other;
and a chamber behind both on 'em."

"What can it be bought for, Tom?"

"I guess three thousand dollars; twenty-five hundred, maybe. It will go
cheap, I reckon; I don't hear tell o' no one lookin' at it.

"What will it cost me more to fix it, think you?"

"Well, you see, Archer, the land's ben most darned badly done by, this
last three years, since old 'squire's ben so low; and the bridge,
that'll take a smart sum; and the fences is putty much gone to rack; I
guess it'll take hard on to a thousand more to fix it up right, like
you'd like to have it, without doin' nothin' at the house."

"And fifteen hundred more for that and the stables. I wish to heaven I
had known this yesterday; or rather before I came up hither," said
Harry.

"Why so?" asked the Commodore.

"Why, as the deuce would have it, I told my broker to invest six
thousand, that I have got loose, in a good mortgage, if he could find
one, for five years; and I have got no stocks that I can sell out; all
that I have but this, is on good bond and mortgage, in Boston, and
little enough of it, too."

"Well, if that's all," said Forester, "we can run down tomorrow, and you
will be in time to stop him."

"That's true, too," answered Harry, pondering. "Are you sure it can be
bought, Tom?"

"I guess so," was the response.

"That means, I suppose, that you're perfectly certain of it. Why the
devil can't you speak English?"

"English!" exclaimed Frank; "Good Lord! why don't you ask him why he
can't speak Greek? English! Lord! Lord! Lord! Tom Draw and English!"

"I'll jist tell Archer what he warnts to know, and then see you, my dear
little critter, if I doosn't English you some!" replied the old man,
waxing wroth. "Well, Archer, to tell heaven's truth, now, I doos know
it; but it's an etarnal all-fired shame of me to be tellin' it, bein' as
how I knows it in the way of business like. It's got to be selled by
vandoo in April*. [*Vendue. Why the French word for a public auction has
been adopted throughout the Northern and Eastern States, as applied to a
Sheriff's sale, deponent saith not.]

"Then, by Jove! I will buy it," said Harry; "and down I'll go to-morrow.
But that need not take you away, boys; you can stay and finish out the
week here, and go home in the Ianthe; Tom will send you down to Nyack."

"Sartain," responded Tom; "but now I'm most darned glad I told you that,
Archer. I meant to a told you on't afore, but it clean slipped o