him fur it afore he's a great many weeks older, I'll just play myself
out a tryin'. If me an' him works together we kin get them fifty
dollars as easy as fallin' off a log; but he can't arn 'em by
hisself, an' he shan't, nuther."

This was the way Dan Evans talked to himself, as he trudged through
the woods with his rifle on his shoulder, after his unsuccessful
attempt to overhear what passed between his brother and Don and Bert
Gordon; or, rather, after his failure to find out what it was that
brought Don and Bert to the cabin. He _did_ overhear what passed
between them, but he did not learn anything by it. Of course that
made him angry. A good many things had happened that day to make him
angry, and he had gone off in the woods by himself to think and plan
vengeance.

"Bein' the man of the house I've got more right to them fifty dollars
nor Dave has," thought Dan, "an' if he don't give me half of 'em, he
shan't see a cent of 'em hisself. Wouldn't I look nice loafin' around
in these yere clothes while Dave was dressed up like a gentleman an'
takin' his ease? I'll bust up them traps of his'n faster'n he kin
make 'em. I'll show him that I'm the boss of this house now that
pap's away, no matter if them Gordon fellers is a backin' on him up.
I've larned a heap by listenin'. I heard Dave tell the ole woman that
he's goin' to make three dollars a dozen outen them quail. I didn't
larn nothing this arternoon, howsomever. Them fellers must a seed me
lookin' through the cracks, kase they didn't tell him what they was
agoin' to tell him when they fust come up to the fence."

Dan walked about for an hour or more, talking in this way to himself.
The squirrels frisked and barked all around him, but he did not seem