Ellmer was engaged at his desk, but by and by he put down his pen and looked thoughtfully about. His accounts bothered him and indicated that his venture was rash. For a new settlement, the hotel was ambitious and the room was large, but the floor was roughly boarded and the walls were thin and cracked. A bench went along one side and the chairs were plain bent-wood. Sometimes Ellmer speculated about a floor of inlaid blocks, paneling and upholstered furniture; but he admitted he must wait and might wait for long.
Yet he was not daunted. Ellmer was stubborn and knew something about the building of bush settlements. Although water power, milling lumber and useful minerals helped, the real driving force was confidence. If the settlers believed the town would go ahead, it went. Maxwell, in a
