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THE FIRST STAGES.
For a month Bud worked and forced himself to cheerfulness, and tried to forget.

Sometimes it was easy enough, but there were other times when he must get away by himself and walk and walk, with his rifle over his shoulder as a mild pretense that he was hunting game.

But if he brought any back camp it was because the game walked up and waited to be shot; half the time Bud did not know where he was going, much less whether there were deer within ten rods or ten miles.
During those spells of heartsickness he would sit all the evening and smoke and stare at some object which his mind failed to register.

Cash would sit and watch him furtively; but Bud was too engrossed with his own misery to notice it.