The window by which I stood opened on the porch.  My father and his men had come in, and, tipping their chairs against the wall, or mounted on the porch-railing, were smoking their cigars, laughing, joking, talking,—­and there in the midst of them sat the stranger, smoking too, and joining in their talk with an easy earnestness that seemed to win them at once.  Our country-people do not spare their questions.  My father took the lead, the men throwing in a remark now and then.

“I calculate you have never been in these parts before?”

“No, never.  You have a beautiful country here.”

“The country’s well enough, if we could clear off some of them trees that stop a man every way he turns.  Did you come up from Lowiza to-day?”

“No; I have only ridden from the mouth of Blackberry, I believe you call it.  I have left a boat and crew there, who will be up in the morning.”

“What truck have you got on your boat?”

“Lumber and so forth, and plenty of tools of one sort or other.”

“Damn me if I don’t believe you’re the man who is coming up here to open the coal mines on Burgess’s land!” And the whole crowd gathered round him.

He laughed good-naturedly.

“Yes, I am coming to live among you.  I hope you’ll give me a welcome.”

There was a cheery sound of welcome from the men, but my father shook his head.

“We don’t like no new-fangled notions, noways, up here, and I’ll not say that I’m glad you’re bringing them in; but, at any rate, you’re welcome here to-night.”

The young man held out his hand.

“We are to be close neighbors, Squire Boarders, and I hope we shall be good friends; but I ought to tell you all about myself.  Mr. Burgess’s land has been bought by a company, who intend to open the coal mines, as you know, and I am sent up here as their agent, to make ready for the miners and the workmen.  We shall clear away a little, and put up some rough shanties, to make our men comfortable before we go to work.  We shall bring a new set of people among you, those Scotch and Welsh miners; but I believe they are a peaceable set, and we’ll try to be friendly with each other.”

The frank speech and the free, open face seemed to mollify my father.

“And how do you call yourself, stranger, when you are at home?”

“My name is George Hammond.”

“Well, as I was telling you, you’re welcome here to-night, and I don’t know as I’ve anything against your settling over the river on Burgess’s land.  The people round here have been telling me your coming will be a good thing for us farmers, because you’ll bring us a market for our corn and potatoes; but I don’t see no use of raising more corn than we want for ourselves.  We have enough selling to do with our lumber, and you’ll be thinning out the trees.—­But there’s my old woman’s got her supper ready.”