'I don't know that; I think we might help ourselves.'
'How, Jim? Come, let me hear.'
'Do you remember, Ned, I once told you about a boat I saw at the fort, which had come from a distance with stores for the garrison? there were large square chests of tea, just as they came from China, and barrels of molasses and sugar, and casks of rice, and a great variety of things, enough to have completely filled Mr. Grizzle's store.'
'Yes; I remember you told us about it, when you came home. But what of it, Jim? What good will they do us?'
'I do not expect that those particular articles will benefit us, especially, but I have thought a great deal about the matter since then; and now, what I was going to propose is, to put your money with mine, and let me lay it out in tea, and molasses, and sugar and some other things.'
'Why, Jim, now you are crazy. Why, when should we ever eat up a hundred dollars' worth of such things?'
'But you are too fast, Ned; you don't wait to hear what I have to say. I intended, when we had procured these things, to let the neighbors know of it, and when they wanted, we could sell to them for a small profit. I know many would prefer buying of us rather than of Grizzle.'
'Why, Jim!' and Ned jumped down from the rock, and placing himself immediately before his brother, looked up at him with great earnestness.
'You mean that we should set up a little store—don't you, Jim?'
'Yes, it would be something like that.'