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.

CHAPTER VIII.

DOGS IN THE MANGER.

David would not have been as happy as he was if he had known all that
was going on in the settlement. As it happened, his father and
brother were not the only ones he had to fear. These two had an eye
on the money he expected to earn by trapping the quails, and for
that reason they were not disposed to interfere with him until his
work was all done and he had reaped the reward of it; but there
were two others who had suddenly made up their minds that it was
unsportsmanlike to trap birds and that it shoul