The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-01
FRECKLES.

he was the most peculiar chap that
ever came to Dunston's school, not .ex-
cepting even Mason, who shot the doc
tors wife's parrot with a catapult, and
after he had been aogged offered to stuff
it in the face Of the whole school and
nearly got expelled Freckles was SO
called owing to his skin, which was
simply complicated pattern much like
what you can see in any map of the
Grecian archipelago. This arose, he
thought, from his having been born in
Australia Anyway. it was rum to see,
and so were his hands. which had red
dish down on the backs His eyes were
also reddish sort Of mixture Of red
and gray specks, and they glimmered
like cats when he was angry, which
was often. His real name was Maine
His father had made big fortune sell
ing wool at Sydney, and his grandfa-
ther was one of the last people to be
transported to Botany 3ay-through no
fault OF his own. After he had been on
a convict ship two years chap at
home confessed on his deathbed that he
had done the thing Names grandfather
was transported for. So they naturally
let Names grandfather go free, and he
was so sick about it that he never came
back homo again, but married a farm
er's daughter near Sydney and settled
out there for good
Maine didn' t think much of England
and was always talking about the Aus
tralian forests of blue gum trees and
bush and sneering rather at the size Of
our forests round Merivale, though they
were good ones. He never joined in
games, but roamed away alone for miles
and miles into the country on half holl-
days and trespassed with cheek I never
saw equaled. He could run like hare,
especially about half mile or SO,
which. as he explained to me, is just
about distance to blow keeper. Ger
tainly, though often chased. he was
never caught and never recognized. ow-
ing to things he did which he had
learned in Australia and copied from
famous bushrangers. His great hope
some day was to be a bushranger HIM
self, and he practiced in quiet way
every Saturday afternoon. making it a
rule to go out of bounds always. His get
up was fine. Me, being fond of the coun-
try and not keen on games. he rather
took to, ana after had sworn on crossed
knives not to say word to soul
(Which I never did til, Freckles lett he
told me his secrets and showed me his
things IF you'd seen Freckles starting
for an excursion you wouldn't have
said there was anything remarkable
about him, but really he was armed to
the teeth and had everything bush
ranger would be likely to want in a
quiet place like Merivale. Down his leg
was the barrel of an airgun, strong
enough to kill any small thing like a
cat at 25 yards Therest of the gun was
arranged inside the lining of his coat.
and the alugs you fred he carried loose
in his trousers pockets. Round his
waist he had a leather belt he got from
sailor for pound Inside the leather
was human skin, said to be fayed off a
chap by cannibals somewhere. which
was splendid thing to have for your
own, if it was true, and in the belt a
place had been specially made for a
knife. Freckles, Of course, had knife
in it-a bowie knife that made you cold
to see. He never used it, but kept it
ready, and said if q keeper ever caught
him he possibly might have to. In adj
dition to these things he carried in his
coat pockets little spirit lamp and a
collapsible tin pot and bag of tea.
Lastly, Freckles had fat lead mask
with holes for the eyes and mouth
which he always fitted on when tres
passing.
Once, as an awful favor-me being
much smaller and not fast enough to
run away from mamie let me come
and see what he did when bushranging
on half holiday in winter. II shan't
run my usual frightful risks with you. :
he said, "because might have to open
fire to saye you. and that would be
very disagreeable to me, bat well tres
pass bit, and I'll shoot few things If
can. don't shoot much. Only for
food.
He made me mask with tinfoil of
chocolate, emoothed out and gummed
on cardboard, but I mad no arms, and
he said Z had better not try and get
any. We started for the usual walk
Chaps were allowed to go through a
public pine wood to Merivale, but half
through, by place where was board
which warned us to keep the path.
Freckles branched off into some dead
bracken and squatted down and put on
his mask also put on mine. Then ne
fastened his airgun together and loaded
it and told me to walk six PAGES behind
him anG do as he did. His eyes were
awfully keen, and now and then ne
pointed to a feather on the ground or
an old nest or a patch of rum fungus or
a crab apple still hanging on the tree,
though all the leaves were off.
Once he fired at a jay and missed 1t.
then fell down in the fern as if he was
shot himself and remained quite mo-
tionless for some TINA He told me that
he always did so after firing that ne
might hear if any body had been attract
ed by the sound. It was well known
bushman s dodge. Once we saw keep
er through clearing, and Freckles lay
fat on his stomach, and SO did !. He
knew tine keeper well and told me he
had many times escaped from him:
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