The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-12-29
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
n CO

glimpse of the onroming figure. Hi
neart fiopded with joy. for it was .
nan from the gang WeSsner hao
.,een bis bunk mate the night he CANE
Town the corduroy. This was no tiIn
| ,er thief. Freckles sprung up ant
allied cheerily, warm welcome on his
ace.
We'll. it's good telling if you're gla'
see me-" said Wessner. I'VE beer
,-aring down AT the camp you wert
% mighty touchy you didn't allow
.nan within rod of the line"
mo more do l." answered Freckles
IF hes a stranger. but you're from
Mclean. amt yOu?
'Oh. curse Mclean" said Wessner.
FreckleS gripped the cudgei.
And are you rally saying so?" he
inquired with elaborate politeness.
"Yes. am" said WesSner. $50
would every other man of the gang If
they wasn't too big towards to say
anything unless maybe that other slob-
boring old Scotchman Duncan. Grind
lug the lives out of us! Working us
like dogs and paying us starvation
wages. while he rolls up his millions
and lives like a prince"
Green lights began to play through
the gray of Freckles' eyes.
"WeSSnpr." he said impressively.
you'd make a fine pattern for the ia
Their of liars. Every man on that
gang is strong and hilthy. paid all he
earns and treated with the courtesy OF
q gentleman. As for the boss living
like prince. be shares fare with you
every day of your lives"
WesSner was not a born diplomat.
but be saw be was on the wrong tack,
and be tried another.
"Freckles. old fellow" he said. 'if
you let me give you pointer can
put you ON to making a cool i've hum
dred without stepping out OF your
tracks"
Frex:kles drew back.
"You needn't be afraid Of speaking
up" he said. There isn't a soul in
the Limberlost save the birds and the
beasts unless some of your sorts come
along and's crowding the privileges of
the legal tinints."
''None Of my friends along" said
Wessner. Nobody knew came but
Black IL mean u friend of mine. IL
you want to. bear sense and act with
reason he can see you later. but it amt
necessary. We can make all the plans
needed. The tricks so dead small and
easy"
Must be If You have the engineering
of it. said Freck1es. But be heard
with a sigh of relief that they were
alone.
Wessner was impervious. "You just
bet 1t is: Why, only think. Freckles.
slavin' away at measly little $50 a
month. and here is chance to clear
$500 in a day: You surely won't be
the fool to miss TT"
"And how was you proposing for
me to stale it?" inquired Freckles.
"Or am just to find it laying in me
path about the line?"
THAT'S It, Freckles." clustered the
Dutchman. you're just to find it.
You needn't know a thing. You name
morning when you will walk up the
west side of the swamp and then turn
round and walk back down the same
side again and the money is yours.
Couldn't anything be easier than that.
could it?''
"Depinds entirely on the man." said
Freckles. The Tilt of lark hanging
above the swale beside them was not
sweeter than the sweetness of his
voice. ITO some 1t would seem to
come aisy as breathing. and to some
wringin' the last drop Of their hearts
blood couldn't force thin! I'm not
the man that goes into scheme like
that with the blindfold over me eyes.
for. you see. it names to break trust
with the boss. and I've served him
faithful as knew. You'll have to be
making the thing very clear to me
understanding"
ats SO dead easy" repeated Wess-
ner. 1t makes me tired Of the SIM
pleness of it. You see. there's few
trees in the swamp that's real gold
mines. There's three especial. Two
are back in. but ones square on the
line. Why. your pottering old Seotc b
fool of boss nailed the wire to it
with his own hands. He never no.
ticed where the bark had been peeled
nor saw what it was. If you will stay
on this side of the trail just one day
we can have it cut. loaded and ready
to drive out at night. Next morning
you can find it. report and be the
busiest man in the search for US. We
know where to fix it all safe and easy
Then Mclean has net up with Il
couple of the gang that there can't be-
raw stump found in the Limberlost.
There's plenty OF witnesses to swear
TO 1t. and l know three that will.
There's cool thousand. and this tree
Is worth all of that raw. Say. it's a
gold mine. tell you. and just $5O0 OF
it Is yours. There's no danger OH
earth to you. for you've got Mclean