There must be a forge built on purpose, and an anvil, supported on a solid foundation, and various tools.

All these are necessary for shoeing a single horse, and when they are all procured, they will answer for all the horses of the neighborhood.

Thus it happens, that though farmers do a great deal of their wood work themselves, at their own farms, in cold and stormy weather, they generally have their iron work done at a blacksmith's at some central place, where it is easy and convenient for all of them to go." The above conversation took place between Marco and Forester, as they were walking along together through the village, toward the part of the town where the mills were situated.

Just at this moment, Marco happened to cast his eyes across the street a short distance before them, and he saw a fire on the ground in a little yard.

He asked Forester what that fire could be.