hundred and fifty dollars of his own in a few weeks, he would surely
let him have a warm dress or a pair of shoes. When his money came he
would get his mother something fine to wear to church; and, while he
was about it, wouldn't it be a good plan for him to send to Memphis
for a nice hunting outfit and a few dozen steel traps? Like his
father, when he first thought of the barrel with the eighty thousand
dollars in it, David looked upon himself as rich already; and if he
had attempted to carry out all the grand ideas that were continually
suggesting themselves to him, it was probable that his hundred and
fifty dollars would be gone before he had earned them.

"Halloo, there!" shouted a voice.

David looked up and saw another horseman standing beside the
fence--Silas Jones, who kept the store at the landing, and the very
man of whom he had been thinking but a moment before.

"Come here, David," continued Silas. "I am out collecting bills, and
I thought I would ride around and see if you have heard anything of
that respected father of yours during the last few days."

"No, sir; we haven't," answered David, hanging his head.

"Well, I suppose you know that he owes me eight dollars, don't you?"
said Silas.

"I knew he owed you something, but I didn't think it was as much as
that," replied David, opening his eyes. In his estimation, eight
dollars was a debt of some magnitude.