Whatever it was, the lads hailed his appearance with wild shouts of glee.
"Golly, boys, look! Here's the fiddlin' kid," yelled one; and the others joined in the "Hurrah!" he gave.
David smiled delightedly; once more he had found some one who wanted him--and it was so nice to be wanted! Truth to tell, David had felt not a little hurt at the persistent avoidance of all those boys and girls of his own age.
"How--how do you do ?" he said diffidently, but still with that beaming smile.
Again the boys shouted gleefully as they hurried forward.

Several had short sticks in their hands.

One had an old tomato can with a string tied to it.

The tallest boy had something that he was trying to hold beneath his coat.
"'H--how do you do ?'" they mimicked.

"How do you do, fiddlin' kid ?" "I'm David; my name is David." The reminder was graciously given, with a smile.
"David! David! His name is David," chanted the boys, as if they were a comic-opera chorus.
David laughed outright.
"Oh, sing it again, sing it again!" he crowed.