The boys were deeply interested, but their studies in commercial methods were destined to be of brief duration. For the clerk left them almost immediately. Later in the day he came again and said to Phil:-- “You’re rather in luck, captain. The market for western produce is up to-day. Apples were particularly high.” “Will they stay up long enough for us to work ours off?” asked Phil. “Work yours off?” exclaimed the clerk, in astonishment. “Why, you’ve sold out, bag and baggage, flatboat and all, two hours ago. I came down to make delivery. The buyer’s clerk will be here immediately.” It was all astonishing to the western boys, but the clerk was good-natured, and explained while he waited for the buyer’s clerk. He told them how Mr. Kennedy went to a big room called “’change,” where all the other merchants were gathered, showed his manifest, and in five minutes had sold out everything. “But,” said Irv, “nobody has been here to look at the goods. How does the buyer know what the things are like?” “Why, produce is all classified, and we sell by classes. I looked over this cargo and reported quality and condition. We made sales accordingly. When we deliver, the buyer’s clerk will look at the things, and if any of them are not up to the grade represented, he’ll reject them or take them at a reduction, and so on. If we can’t agree, the matter will be referred to a committee of ’change, and their decision is final. Both sides are bound by it.” “But what if either refused?” “Well--” hesitated the clerk, “that couldn’t very well happen; but if it did, the merchant refusing would have to leave ’change, and go out of business. You see, all business of this kind is done on ’change, and if a merchant isn’t a member there, he simply can’t do any business at all. But pardon me, here comes the buyer’s clerk. I must get to work. Oh, by the way, here’s the card of a comfortable, inexpensive hotel; Mr. Kennedy told me to give it to you. He’ll call to see you there.” “But why can’t we stay on the boat till her buyer is ready to take her away?” “Oh, he’ll do that this afternoon. He’ll drop her down to his own warehouse, unload her, and by this time to-morrow she’ll be nothing but a pile of lumber on shore somewhere.” “It fairly makes my head swim,” said Irv, “to see the way these city people go at things.” “Mine too,” said Phil. “But I see clearly that that’s the way to get things done, and it’s the way we ought to manage in our study club when we get home.” “But how? We can’t have a big ’change and all that sort of thing.” “I didn’t mean as to details,” said Phil. “I referred to the spirit of the thing. When these people have anything to do, they do it at once and with all their might. Then they drop that as something done for, and without an instant’s delay they turn to something else. That’s the way we must manage.”