“No, fifteen.” “So it was. How much do you pay this Dan when you hire him to take you fishing on Six Town Pond?” “Two dollars a day.” “Does he earn his money?” “He does that!” exclaimed Walter with enthusiasm. “The other day we got a pickerel that weighed almost ten pounds and we saw a snake almost as big as a fence rail.” “You say ‘we’ got a ten-pound pickerel. Who got it――you or Dan?” “I caught it――though I don’t believe I’d have landed it if it hadn’t been for him.” “Quite likely. What did he do?” “He just told me what to do.” “Has he been studying any at night?” abruptly asked Mr. Borden. “Every night,” replied Walter promptly. “I’ll go over to his farm with you to-morrow morning.” “Dan said he might come over here to-night.” “That is all right,” said Mr. Borden quietly. * * * * * An hour later when the entire family was seated on the piazza Dan appeared. He was quiet, almost shy in his bearing, and as he accepted Mrs. Borden’s invitation to a seat with the family he found himself sitting between Walter and his father. Mr. Borden took little part in the conversation, but Walter was positive that his father was quietly observing his friend and consequently was eager to have him make a good impression. But Dan too was unusually silent even for him and Walter was compelled to do most of the talking, though it cannot be said that the task, for him, was a difficult one. At last Mr. Borden inquired, “Dan, how many acres are in your farm?” “Fifty-one, sir,” replied Dan. “All under cultivation?” “No, sir. We have a nine-acre wood-lot and there are about twelve acres we use as pasture. It’s rock land and the soil is thin.” “What do you raise mostly?” “Some wheat, considerable corn, and more potatoes.” “Why do you raise potatoes?” “Because I have a ready market and they pay best. The soil is just right for them.” “How do you know it is?” “If you saw our potatoes I don’t think you’d ask that question.” “Did your father raise many potatoes?” “No, sir.” “What made you try it then?” “One of the Otis boys took the agricultural course at college. When he was in college I asked him to analyze some of the soil. It was when he was a student and I don’t suppose his analysis was absolutely correct. But he talked with his professors, told them about our farm, how it was located and all, and they advised trying potatoes as a crop. We did――and we are satisfied.” “You say you have a good market. Where is it?” “All over is about the best answer I can give you, Mr. Borden. A good many people come up here every summer from the city. I make arrangements with a few of them to ship a barrel or two directly to each family every fall.” “Do you get the market price?” “Yes, sir; after taking out the freight.” “Market price here or of the wholesalers or retailers in the city?” “The retail price in the city.” “Don’t you think that is a little too much?” laughed Mr. Borden. “No, sir.”