d not be done if they
could prevent it. They were Lester Brigham and his particular friend
and crony--almost the only one he had in the settlement, in fact--Bob
Owens.

Bob lived about two miles from General Gordon's, and might have made
one of the select little company of fellows with whom Don and Bert
delighted to associate, if he had been so inclined. But he was much
like Dan Evans in a good many respects, and had been guilty of so
many mean actions that he had driven almost all his friends away from
him. He rode over to the General's about twice each week, and while
he was there he was treated as civilly and kindly as every other
visitor was: but the brothers never returned his visits, and would
have been much better satisfied if Bob had stayed at home.

These two boys, Lester and Bob, were determined that David should not
earn the hundred and fifty dollars if they could help it, and they
knew that by annoying him in every possible way, they would annoy
Don and Bert, too: and that was really what they wanted to do. What
reason had they for wishing to annoy Don and Bert? No good reason.
Did you ever see a youth who was popular among his fellows, and who
was liked by almost everybody, both old and young, who did not have
at least one enemy in some sneaking boy, who would gladly injure him
by every means in his power? Lester and Bob were jealous of Don and
Bert, that was the secret of the matter; and more than that, they
were disappointed applicants for the very contract which Don had
secured for David.

Bob regularly borrowed and read the "_Rod and Gun_," and when his eye
fell upon the advertisement calling for fifty dozen live quails, he
thought he saw a chance to make a goodly sum of pocket money, and
hurried off to lay the matter before his friend Lester, proposing
that they should go into partnership and divide the profits. Of
course Lester entered heartily into the scheme. He knew nothing about
building and setting traps, but Bob did, and when they had discussed
the matter and calculated their chances for success, they told each
other that in two weeks' time the required number of birds would be
on their way up the river. That very day Bob addressed a letter to
the advertiser, and as soon as it was sent off he and Lester went to
work on the traps.

It is hardly necessary to say that they lived in a fever of
excitement and suspense after that, and anxiously awaited an answer
from the gentleman who wanted the