And there was another thing that came into his mind:
Silas Morgan and Dan were two of the most notorious poachers in the county, and Joe knew that when the grouse season opened, they would be the very first to shoulder their guns, call their dogs to heel and start for Mr. Warren's woods.
If he accepted the position offered him, it would be his duty to order them off. They wouldn't go, of course, and the next thing would be to report them to Mr. Warren, who, beyond a doubt, would have warrants issued for their arrest.
That would be bad indeed, Joe told himself; but would it cause him any more sorrow than he felt whenever he saw his mother setting out on one of those long fatiguing walks to the house of a neighbor, where she earned the pitiful sum of a dollar by doing a hard day's work at washing or scrubbing? The money he could give her every month would save her all that, and provide her with many things that were necessary to her comfort.
When Joe thought of his mother, his hesitation vanished.
"I'll take it, Mr. Warren," said he, with an air of resolution, "and I am very grateful indeed to you for offering it to me. Now, will you tell me when you want me to go up there, and just what you expect me to?"
To Dan's great disappointment and disgust, Mr. Warren took Joe by the arm, and led him away out of earshot; but he heard him say something about shooting all the stray dogs that came into the woods, because they would do more damage among the few deer that were left, than so many wolves, and that was all he learned that day regarding Joe's instructions.
"Luck has come my way at last!" exclaimed Dan, who, for some reason or other seemed to be highly excited. "I can't hardly hold myself on the ground. I'll go down to old man Hallet's this very minute, and tell him that if he's needing a game-warden, I'm the chap he's waiting for. Then mebbe I won't have a nice little house all to myself, and good grub to grow fat on, as well as that Joe of our'n. I won't do no shooting, 'cause that would make too much noise, and give me away to old man Hallet; but I'll do a heap of trapping and snaring, I bet you. Hallo! who's them fellers?"