“Why, Don, I am glad to see you out again,” exclaimed David, dropping his hammer and hurrying forward to greet his friend.
“Thank you,” replied Don, accepting David's proffered hand. “I assure you I am glad to be out again, too. It's a fearful bore to be tied up in the house for a whole week, but I was bound to come down here this morning, if I had to come in the carriage, for I have news for you,” added Don, putting his hand into the breast-pocket of his coat.
“Has it come?” asked David, in a voice that trembled with excitement.
“It certainly has. It was addressed to me, you know, and so Bert opened it. The man says, he wants fifty dozen live quails immediately, and—but there it is, read it for yourself.”
Don produced the letter, and David took it with a very unsteady hand. A hundred and fifty dollars was a fortune in his eyes, a larger one too than he had hoped to earn for some years to come. He opened the letter and one glance at it showed him that the money was his, if he could only capture the required number of birds. They were to be trapped at once, the sooner the better, put into boxes, which were to be marked C. O. D. and forwarded, charges paid, to the address at the bottom of the letter.
“Cod,” repeated David, whose opportunities for learning how business was transacted had been very limited, “does he mean codfish?” Don and Bert laughed heartily.
“No,” said the former, as soon as he could speak. “C. O. D. means 'collect on delivery.'”
“O,” said David, in a tone of voice which showed that he did not yet fully understand.
“It is nothing to be ashamed of,” said Bert; “we didn't know what the letters meant until father told us.”
“That's so,” said Don; “how is a fellow to know a thing he has never had a chance to learn? Now when the birds are caught, you put so many of them in a box and on each box you mark the value of its contents. You send a notice of shipment to the man, and he will know when to look for the birds. When they arrive he pays the amount of your bill to the express agent, and the agent forwards it to you. You run no risk whatever, for the man can't get the quails until your bill is paid.”