"Ay, and a strong heart too," said his father. "He's a fine fellow. He'll do, I guess, in the long run, — at the West or somewhere; and at the West if anywhere, they say. I'm not concerned much about him."

"There's no need, I think," said Winthrop.

"Where's Will? — and what's he doing?"

"Will has just set off for Charleston — on some agency business."

"Charleston in South Carolina?"

"Yes."

"Then he is not engineering now?"

"No."

"How long does he expect to be gone?"

"Some months — more or less; — I don't know."