"To tell the truth, I did, for I was determined to get back what they had taken."
"Bully for you, lad. If you had dropped in on us some time back we might have had a different class of boys around here by now. You're a reformer, that's what you are. First you knocks that tyrant Jim down; then you pepper him with shot after he has fired the pigpen of your new home, and now you brave him in his own dooryard. That's reforming all right, and I hope you keep at it until you've reformed the ugly beggar into the penitentiary. I begin to pluck up hope that soon public spirit will be so aroused that we can do something right. Would you mind shaking hands with me again, Darry. It does me good, sure it does."
Of course Darry complied, though he had his doubts as to whether Mr. Squires would ever have the nerve to connect himself with any movement looking to the purging of Ashley village of its rough element.
In fact, if anything were ever done he believed such women as Miss Pepper would be the ones to run the evil-doers out of town, and put up the bars.
Darry had taken the three animals home, pleased to know that after all half his traps had found victims on this second day.
He judged from this that he was doing very well, and with a little more experience could consider himself a full-fledged trapper.
Later in the afternoon he thought of the ducks, and passing out upon the marsh walked until he discovered several feeding among the wild rice, when he started to creep up on them with infinite cunning.
Reaching at last a bunch of grass as near as he could hope to go he waited until two were close together, when he fired his right barrel.
As the remaining mallard started to rise in a clumsy fashion Darry gave him the benefit of the other barrel.
When Mrs. Peake saw what fine birds he had secured she was loud in her praise, for their coming meant at least one good meal without cost, and every cent counted in this little family.