customers.  If Dan was astonished at this, he was still more astonished, when David threw down a ten-dollar bill and the grocer pushed it back to him with the remark, that his credit was good for six months.  Dan could not imagine how David had managed to obtain possession of so much money, and when he found out, as he did when he and his brother were on their way home, he straightway went to work to think up some plan by which he might get it into his own hands.  This problem and a bright idea, which suddenly suggested itself to him, occupied his mind during the walk; and shortly after parting from his brother at General Gordon’s barn, Dan hit upon a second idea, which made his usually gloomy face brighten wonderfully while he thought about it.

Dan’s first duty was to rectify his mistake of the morning, and make his brother understand that he had repented of the determination he had made to work against him, and that he was going to do all he could to assist him.  He tried to do this, as we know, but did not succeed, for to his great surprise and sorrow David announced that he was not going to waste any more time in building traps for Dan to break up, and this led the latter to believe that nothing more was to be done toward catching the quails.  He walked slowly around the cabin, after a short interview with his brother, and the first thing he saw on which to vent his rage was Don’s pointer, which came frisking out of his kennel and wagging his tail by way of greeting, only to be sent yelping back again by a vicious kick from Dan’s foot.

“I’m jest a hundred an’ fifty dollars outen pocket an’ so is pap,” soliloquized Dan, almost ready to cry with vexation when he thought of the magnificent prize which had slipped through his fingers.  “A hundred an’ fifty dollars!  My circus hoss an’ fine gun an’ straw hat an’ shiny boots is all up a holler stump, dog-gone my buttons, an’ that thar’s jest what’s the matter of me.  An’ what makes it wusser is, I lost ’em by bein’ a fule,” added Dan, stamping his bare feet furiously upon the ground.

Just then a lively, cheerful whistle sounded from the inside of the cabin where David was busy arranging his purchases.  Things were taking a turn for the better with him now, and he whistled for the same reason that a bird sings—­because he was happy.

“If I could only think up some way to make that thar mean Dave feel as bad as I do, how quick I’d jump at it!  I wish pap was here.  He’d tell me how.  He’s as jolly as a mud-turtle on a dry log on a sunshiny day, Dave is, while I——­ Whoop!” yelled Dan, jumping up and striking his heels together in his rage.  “Howsomever, I’ll have them ten dollars afore I take a wink of sleep this blessed night——­”

Here Dan stopped and looked steadily at the pointer for a few minutes.  Then he slapped his knee with his open hand, thrust both arms up to the elbows in his pockets and walked up and down the yard, smiling and shaking his head as if he were thinking about something that afforded him the greatest satisfaction.