“Say! I only wish you could have seen him when I brought in the letter. Mother was just going to tie his cue; he glanced over it, jumped up, and cut round the house like a boy of sixteen; made me put the saddle on the mare, and in spite of all mother could do, went over to tell Uncle Isaac, with his hair all flying in the wind. Won’t they have a good time, talking it over?”
“Yes; and I know just what they’ll say.”
“What?”
“They’ll say he’s turned out just as they expected, when it was all you, father, and I could do to get them started to build the vessel for him.”
“Don’t be too confident, Charlie; the old folks know a thing or two; remember the cow trade.”
Charlie blushed, and in order to turn the conversation, remarked, as he looked again at the letter, “It seems he wants some beef and fish to make up his next cargo.”
“Fred has got a lot on hand, just packed; father is going up in the Perseverance to take it up, settle up the voyage, and bring home the money. Have you heard the news, Charlie, Tom Bannister brought?”
“No; what is it?”
“Pete Clash and John Godsoe have turned up.”