The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-12-29
(Continued.)

where the grounu .o-e higher for Lis
floor a row of foxtire that would soon
be open.
natural arrangement of the trees that
grew to giant size and were set in a
gradually narrowing space so that
long. open vista stretched away until
lost in the dim receSSes of the swamp.
"A little trimming back of underhush
rolling out of dead logs, leveling Of
floor and carpeting of moss. made it
easy to understand why Freckles had
named this the cathedral" yet he had
never been taught that 1.-THE groves
were Gods first temples"
On either side of the trees that con-
gtituted the first arch of this dim vista
of the swamp he planted ferns that
grew waist high this early in the sea-
son. and so skillfully had the work
been done that not frond dropped
because of the change. Opposite he
cleared space and made f1owerbed.
Every day saw the addition Of new
specimens.
On the line side he left the bushes
thick for cOncealment and entered by
a narrow path he and Duncan had
cleared In setting up the case. He
called this the front door. though he
used every precautiOn to hide 1t. he
built rustic seats between several of
the trees. leveled the floor and thickly
carpeted it with rank. heavy wOolly dog
MOSS About the case he planted wild
clematis. bittersweet and wild grape
vines and trained them over 1t until
1t was almost covered.
This morning Freckles walked
straight to his case. unlocked 1t and
SET his apparatus and dinner inside.
He took out the birdbook. turned to
the section headed ~" Past "veery"
and "vireo" be went. on down the line
until his finger. trembling with eager
ness. stopped at culture"
"'Great black California vulture,'"
he read.
"Humsh! This side the Rockies will
TO for u.s."
Common turkey buzzard.'
"Well. we amt bunting common tur-
keys. Mclean said chickens, and
what he says goes
"'Black vulture Of the SOUTH"
Here we are arrived at once"
FreckIes' finger followed the line.
and he read scraps aloud.
Common in the south. Sometimes
called Jim Crow. Nearest equivalent
to Cat a rites A-t-r-a-t-a.'"
- the Pharaoh's chickens Of Euro
pean species. Sometimes stray north
as far as Virginia and Kentucky -
"And sometimes farther" interpo-
lated Fretkles. ''cos got them right
here in Indiana SO yiike these pictures
can just see me big chicken bobbing
up to get his ears boxed. HeyY'
Light blue eggs
''Goily. got to he seeing them"
80 - big as a common turkeys. but
shaped like a hens. heavily spiotched
with chocolate -
''Caramels. l suppose. And
90 In hollow logs or stumps.'"
-"Oh. hagginy: Wasn't | barking up
the wrong tree though? Ought TO been
looking near the ground all this time.
Now it's all to do over. and suspect
the sooner ] start the sooner III be
likely to find them" :.
Fret.kles ate and drank his last drop
of water. He sat resting little and
watching the sky TO see If his big
chicken was hanging up there. But
be came to the earth abruptly. for
there were steps coming down the
trail that were neither McLean's nor
Dancan's. and there never had been
others. FreckleS' heart ieaped holly.
He ran quick hand over his belt to
feel if his revolver and Ratchet were
there. caught up his cudgel and laid
Il across his knees. then sat quietly
waiting. Was it Black Jack. or some
one even worse? Forced to do some
thing to brace his nerves. he puckered
bis stiffening lips and began whistling
4 tune he had led in his clear tenor
avery year OF his life at the home
Christmas exercises.
His quick Irish wit reused to the
righteousness Of IL and he burst into