“I’d do it, Fred; I think you’ll stand in your own light if you don’t; you know you’ve got a wharf at the mill to land fish and goods, and a place in your mill for your goods, measures, a scale and weights, counter and shelves: you are all fixed.”
“Not by a good deal. If I take fish from the canoes, I must have a fish-house to salt and keep them in, and a pair of large scales to weigh them, and the fish-house must be large enough to store a fare of fish, or two or three, till they are made and marketed. Then it will cost something to put up flakes; though father says he’ll give me the timber to build the house and flakes, and let me use his oxen to haul the timber to the spot, and the logs to the mill for the boards. But then I can’t sell these fish till fall, and in the mean time I must buy salt and goods, and I don’t like to run in debt. I have but little money, and I ain’t one of the kind to go into a thing without making some kind of calculation as to how I’m coming out.”
“I’ll tell you what you do, Fred: go and cut your frame, and logs for boards; haul your frame logs to the spot, and roll them up on skids all ready to hew, and your logs for boards to the mill; cut and haul your stuff for flakes; Joe Griffin won’t be gone more than a fortnight or three weeks; when he comes back, I’ll get him and his crew, father, and some more, and we’ll hew your frame out, raise it, and make your flakes in two days. I can board and shingle it, and make the doors for you, and you can pay me in goods.”
“You are very kind, Charlie; it’s just like you; but even with all these helps, I’ve not half money enough; three hundred and fifty dollars won’t go far in buying goods.”
“What kind of goods do you want?”
“The most, of molasses, tea, coffee, and salt. O, I forgot the tobacco. Rum I don’t drink, and won’t sell. These are the heaviest. I shall want some sugar, nails, a few pots and kettles, medicines, calico, powder and shot; the rest I can barter for round here. You know it takes a good while, and is a great deal of expense, to get goods from Portland or Boston here. You must be able, when you go, to buy enough at once to last a good while.”
“Now, Fred, listen to me: you, John, and myself have always been together, like the fingers on one hand; we put our ventures into your hands, and you did well for yourself and us: now, what is to hinder John and me from putting more goods in your store to sell at half profits. I’ve got four hundred dollars, John has got three hundred dollars; there’s seven hundred dollars: we’ll put that into tea and coffee; we’ll get Captain Rhines to go to Boston or Portland, and buy it for us, put it in your hands to sell at half profits; then you can have your own money to get other things. You can put a few goods in, and go right to taking fish from the canoes, and by the time the large vessels get along, we will get our goods.”
“Charlie, you are a friend indeed; but will John be willing to do it?”
“Yes; John Rhines will be willing to do anything that is good and noble. He started the matter the first time; I mean to get the start of him now. I’ll write to him to-morrow; there’s a vessel going to Portland with timber, and the money is over to his father’s.”