Bob and Lester counted the number of trips
they made between the wagon and the door of the cabin, and made a
rough estimate of the number of birds they had caught that morning.
"They've got at least a hundred," said Lester, when the wagon was
driven toward the house, "and that is just one-sixth of the number
they want. At that rate that beggar Dave will be rich in a week
more."
"Not if we can help it!" exclaimed Bob, angrily. "That cabin will
burn as well as the shooting-box did!"
"But we don't want to do too much of that sort of work," answered
Lester. "We may get the settlement aroused, and that wouldn't suit
us. I'd rather steal the birds, wouldn't you?"
Bob replied that he would, but hinted that if they attempted it they
might have a bigger job on their hands than they had bargained for.
In the first place, there were Don's hounds.
"But we braved them once--that was on the night we borrowed Don's
boat to go up and burn his shooting-box--and we are not afraid to
do it again," said Lester. "We didn't alarm them then."
Bob acknowledged the fact, but said he was afraid they might not be
so lucky the next time. And even if they succeeded in breaking into
the cabin without arousing the dogs, how were they to carry away a
hundred live quails? The only thing they could do would be to put
them in bags, and it was probable that half of them would die for
want of air before they could get them home.
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