All looked well; never before had there been such carting and traffic up over the moors, and there were many that earned good money letting out their horses for the work. This, again, was matter for discussion. There was the prospect of making money in the future; the trader would be getting his goods from different parts; inland or overseas, they would have to be carted up from the sea with teams of horses.
Ay, it looked as if things were going to be on a grander scale all round. Here was a young foreman or manager in charge of the carting work; a lordly young spark he was, and grumbled at not getting horses enough, for all that there were not so many loads to come.
"But there can't be so much more to come now, with the houses all up," they said.
"Ho, and what about the goods?" he answered.
Sivert from Sellanraa came clattering up homeward, empty as usual, and the foreman called to him: "Hi, what are you coming up empty for? Why didn't you bring up a load for us here?"
"Why, I might have," said Sivert. "But I'd no knowledge of it."
"He's from Sellanraa; they've two horses there," some one whispered.
"What's that? You've got two horses?" says the foreman. "Bring them down, then, the pair of them, to help with the cartage here. We'll pay you well."
"Why," says Sivert, "that's none so bad, dare say. But we're pressed just now, and can't spare the time."
"What? Can't spare the time to make money!" says the foreman.