He did not find his brother there, but he came in shortly afterward, and then Dan found that he had been borrowing trouble, for David never said a word to him about the pointer.

He told his mother of the loss, and of course she sympathized with him, and offered every explanation except the right one.

The thief opened his eyes and looked surprised while they were talking, but neither of them paid any attention to him; and Dan, muttering angrily to himself that he was nothing more than a crooked stick about that house any way, undressed and went to bed.
Dan passed the next day in his usual idle and shiftless manner.

He saw David go up to General Gordon's, and would have been glad to know what sort of work he was doing up there, and how much he was to receive for it.

He did not find out that day, but he did the next, and the discovery made him feel like a new boy.
Growing tired of staying by himself, Dan thought he would go down to the landing, hoping that he would find a shooting-match going on there, or that a steamer would come in, bringing a stranger or two for him to stare at.