40 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
half miles from Exeter station, and the wagon 
road not so direct as the railroad. The trip to 
the farm, therefore, could not be much less than 
forty miles, and would require the best part of 
two days. ‘The three men whom I had engaged 
reported for duty, as also did Thompson’s son, 
whom we are to know hereafter as Zeb. 
Early on the last day of the month the men 
and teams were off, with cooked provisions for 
three days. They were to break the journey 
twenty-five miles out, and expected to reach the 
farm the next afternoon. Polly and I wished to 
see them arrive, so we took the train at 1 P.M. 
August 1st, and reached Four Oaks at 2.30, tak- 
ing with us Mrs. Thompson, who was to cook 
for the men. 
Before starting I had telephoned a local car- 
penter to meet me, and to bring a mason if pos- 
sible. I found both men on the ground, and 
explained to them that there would be abundant 
work in their lines on the place for the next year 
or two, that I was perfectly willing to pay a 
reasonable profit on each job, but that I did not 
propose to make them rich out of any single 
contract. 
The first thing to do, I told them, was to 
move the large farm-house to the site already 
chosen, about two hundred yards distant, enlarge 
it, and put a first-class cellar under the whole. 
The principal change needed in the house was an 
additional story on the ell, which would give a 
