center to the cleared semicircle, was a building, evidently the
mill. It was a small place, consisting of a single long narrow
galvanized iron shed, and placed parallel to the river. In front
of the shed was a tiny wharf, and behind it were stacks and stacks
of tree trunks cut in short lengths and built as if for seasoning.
Decauville tramways radiated from the shed, and the men were
running in timber in the trucks. From the mill came the hard,
biting screech of a circular saw.

"A sawmill!" Merriman exclaimed rather unnecessarily.

"Yes. We cut pit-props for the English coal mines. Those are they
you see stacked up. As soon as they are drier they will be shipped
across. My father joined with some others in putting up the capital,
and - voila!" She indicated the clearing and its contents with a
comprehensive sweep of her hand.

"By Jove! A jolly fine notion, too, I should say. You have
everything handy - trees handy, river handy - I suppose from the
look of that wharf that sea-going ships can come up?"

"Shallow draughted ones only. But we have our own motor ship
specially built and always running. It makes the round trip in
about ten days."

"By Jove!" Merriman said again. "Splendid! And is that where you
live?"

He pointed to a house standing on a little hillock near the edge of
the clearing at the far or down-stream side of the mill. It was a