g to do," said
John, "to put a total stranger like me into what is rather a
confidential position, as well as a responsible one."

"Wa'al," said David, "in the fust place I knew that the Gen'ral wouldn't
recommend no dead-beat nor no skin, an' I allowed that if the raw
material was O.K., I could break it in; an' if it wa'n't I should find
it out putty quick. Like a young hoss," he remarked, "if he's sound an'
kind, an' got gumption, I'd sooner break him in myself 'n not--fur's my
use goes--an' if I can't, nobody can, an' I get rid on him. You
understand?"

"Yes," said John with a smile.

"Wa'al," continued David, "I liked your letter, an' when you come I
liked your looks. Of course I couldn't tell jest how you'd take holt,
nor if you an' me 'd hitch. An' then agin, I didn't know whether you
could stan' it here after livin' in a city all your life. I watched ye
putty close--closter 'n you knowed of, I guess. I seen right off that
you was goin' to fill your collar, fur's the work was concerned, an'
though you didn't know nobody much, an' couldn't have no amusement to
speak on, you didn't mope nor sulk, an' what's more--though I know I
advised ye to stay there fer a spell longer when you spoke about
boardin' somewhere else--I know what the Eagle tavern is in winter;
summer, too, fer that matter, though it's a little better then, an' I
allowed that air test 'd be final. He, he, he! Putty rough, ain't it?"

"It is, rather," said John, laughing. "I'm afraid my endurance is pretty
well at an end. Elright's wife is ill, and the fact is, that since day
before yesterday I have been living on what I could buy at the
grocery--crackers, cheese, salt fish, canned goods, _et cetera_."

"Scat my ----!" cried David. "Wa'al! Wa'al! That's too dum'd bad! Why on
earth--why, you must be _hungry_! Wa'al, you won't have to eat no salt
herrin' to-day, because Polly 'n I are expectin' ye to dinner."

Two or three times during the conversation David had gone to the window
overlooking his lawn and looked out with a general air of observing the
weather, and at this point he did so again, coming back to his seat with
a look of satisfaction, for which there was, to John, no obvious reason.
He sat for a moment without speaking, and then, looking at his watch,
said: "Wa'al, dinner 's at one o'clock, an' Polly's a great one fer
bein' on time. Guess I'll go out an' have another look at that pesky
colt. You better go over to the house 'bout quarter