David worked faithfully at his traps, paying no further heed to his
brother's movements. He tried to keep his mind on what he was doing,
but now and then the recollection of the heavy loss he had sustained
would come back to him with overwhelming force and the tears would
start to his eyes in spite of all he could do to prevent it. Then he
would throw down his hammer and wander about with his hands in his
pockets, wondering what was the use of trying to do anything or be
anybody while things were working so strongly against him.
It was during one of these idle periods that Don and Bert came up.
David's hopes arose immediately when he caught sight of Don's smiling
face, for he was sure that he was about to hear something
encouraging. Indeed, Don's first words confirmed this impression; but
it turned out that they had come there simply to offer him work that
would keep him busy for two or three weeks. Of course David wanted
work, but just then he wanted money more. He wanted to pay that
grocery bill, so that he could look Silas Jones in the face the next
time he met him.
When the brothers got into their boat and rowed away, David went back
to his traps, while Dan, who had been disappointed in his hopes of
hearing some private conversation between the visitors and his
brother, shouldered his rifle and disappeared in the woods.
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