“It will then be the difference between their acting according to general ideas or against them,” agreed Thorne.

“Never lick a pup for chasin’ rabbits until yore ready to teach him to chase deer,” put in California John.

VIII

Bob found it much more difficult to approach Welton.  When he did, he had to contend with the older man’s absolute disbelief in what he was saying.  Welton sat down on a stump and considered Bob with a humorous twinkle.

“Want to quit the lumber business!” he echoed Bob’s first statement.  “What for?”

“I don’t think I’m cut out for it.”

“No?  Well, then, I never saw anybody that was.  You don’t happen to need no more money?”

“Lord, no!”

“Of course, you know you’ll have pretty good prospects here——­” stated Welton tentatively.

“I understand that; but the work doesn’t satisfy me, somehow:  I’m through with it.”

“Getting restless,” surmised Welton.  “What you need is a vacation.  I forgot we kept you at it pretty close all last winter.  Take a couple weeks off and make a trip in back somewheres.”

Bob shook his head.

“It isn’t that; I’m sorry.  I’m just through with this.  I couldn’t keep on at it and do good work.  I know that.”

“It’s a vacation you need,” insisted Welton chuckling, “—­or else you’re in love.  Isn’t that, is it?”

“No,” Bob laughed quite wholeheartedly.  “It isn’t that.”

“You haven’t got a better job, have you?” Welton joked.

Bob considered.  “Yes; I believe I have,” he said at last; “at least I’m hoping to get it.”

Welton looked at him closely; saw that he was in earnest.

“What is it?” he asked curtly.

Bob, suddenly smitten with a sense of the futility of trying to argue out his point of view here in the woods, drew back.

“Can’t tell just yet,” said he.

Welton climbed down from the stump; stood firmly for a moment, his sturdy legs apart; then moved forward down the trail.

“I’ll raise his ante, whatever it is,” he said abruptly at length.  “I don’t believe in it, but I’ll do it.  I need you.”

“You’ve always treated me better than I ever deserved,” said Bob earnestly, “and I’ll stay all summer, or all next winter—­until you feel that you do not need me longer; but I’m sure that I must go.”

For two days Welton disbelieved the reality of his intention.  For two days further he clung to a notion that in some way Bob must be dissatisfied with something tangible in his treatment.  Then, convinced at last, he took alarm, and dropped his facetious attitude.

“Look here, Bob,” said he, “this isn’t quite fair, is it?  This is a big piece of timber.  It needs a man with a longer life in front of him than I can hope for.  I wanted to be able to think that in a few years, when I get tired I could count on you for the heavy work.  It’s too big a business for an old man.”