Ted asked without much interest, "What happened?"
"Old Man Hawley sold everything 'cept that little patch when the state took over and made the Mahela into state forest. Jud, his son, was goin' to make a huntin' camp of it. But he never did and he never will. Bet you could buy the works for a hundred and fifty dollars."
Ted almost yelled, "Dad!"
"What's the matter? Bee sting you?"
"No, but something else did! Dad, I'm going to buy it!"
"That?" Al looked puzzled.
"Don't you see?" Ted's eyes were shining and Al knew his heart was singing. "With more and more people coming into the Mahela every year, they must have more places to stay. I'm going to tear this house down and build a camp right here! Bet it'll rent five months out of the year!"
"Well, I'll be jugged!" Al hoped Ted couldn't interpret his smile. "That is an idea!"
"We'll buy them all!" Ted bubbled, "with the money you were going to use to send me to college! There're plenty of these small plots in the Mahela and nobody else wants them! They can be had cheaply! Dad, it can be done that way!"
"By gosh, Ted, it might! But it'll take a while."