"Well, now, look here," said Silas, slowly. "Don't you think it would be mighty mean for a man who is worth twenty-five hundred dollars to take the money his little boy makes by living up there alone in the woods? I do. And I've about made up my mind that I won't do it."
"Didn't you tell me that you thought the head of the family ought to have the handling of all the money that came into the house?" demanded Hobson, who was really astonished to hear such sentiments as these come from Silas Morgan.
"I did think so once, but I don't now," was the reply. "And furder'n that, I don't reckon I'll get my money all in a lump, like I thought I was going to, 'cause old man Warren he's gone and made himself my guardeen; and if I run in debt now, I'll have to give you an order on him for the money. Of course he would want to see the bill, and mebbe he'd take particular notice of the items that's into it."
"Do you mean to let him boss you around in that way?" exclaimed Hobson. "I thought you had more pluck than that. You are old enough to be your own master, if you are ever going to be."
"Well," said Silas, again, "there's one thing that I ain't master of, and I know it. That's money. Whenever I get a dollar bill in my hands, it burns me so't I have to drop it somewheres. I reckon I won't touch that reward this winter."
Hobson was so angry and disgusted that he could not say a word in reply. He went around behind his counter, and when Silas turned to go out, he informed him, in a savage tone of voice, that there was a little difference of a dollar and a half between them, and he would be glad to have him settle up then and there.
"Didn't I tell you when I first come in that I ain't got a cent to bless myself with?" reminded Silas. "But me and Dan are going to work for old man Warren this very afternoon, and I'll be around next Saturday, sure pop."
"I'll bear that in mind," said Hobson. "If you are not on hand, I shall ride down to your house to see what is the matter."
"That's always the way with them kind of fellows," said Brierly, in a low tone. "As long as you've got plenty of money, and spend it free with them, you're a first-rate chap; but the very minute you turn over a new leaf, and try to be honest and sober, they ain't got no use for you. I'm done with 'em."
Silas walked home in a brown study. The first thing he did after he crossed the threshold of his humble abode was to put his gun in its place over the door, and the second, to take an axe and whetstone out of the chimney corner. With these in his hand, he went out on the bank where Dan was still sunning himself.