The two friends whose conversation was so suddenly interrupted were
natives of the town of Portsmouth, in the Province of New Hampshire; and,
had either had occasion to set down the date of this accidental meeting,
it would have been written, October 26th, 1765.
As has been suggested, Walter Neal's ambition was to erect a grist-mill a
certain distance up the Pascataqua River, where was great need of one,
since land in that portion of the province was being rapidly settled; and,
although without capital, he believed it might be possible for him to
accomplish his desires.
He was favourably known to the merchants of Portsmouth, and thanks to the
efforts of his friend, Andrew McCleary, -ten years his senior, -several
tradesmen had intimated that perhaps they might advance sufficient money
to start the enterprise in a limited way.
Neal had inherited a small amount of property from his father; but, like
many of the farmers in the New World, he was sadly hampered by the lack of
ready money. During several weeks prior to this accidental meeting with
Stephen Kidder, he had been forced to temporarily abandon his scheming in
regard to the mill, that he might try to raise sufficient money with which
to pay the annual tax, already more than burdensome, upon his small
estate.
As Neal hastened after the two men who had given him the signal to follow
them, the most engrossing thought in his mind was as to how the amount of
four pounds and seven shillings in cash could be raised without a
sacrifice of the cattle from the home farm.
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