The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-02-22
CHAPTER TX.
A FIGHT WITH BULLETS.

hlaAN iltNhito NlOoHth oittBg
MI Snake creek and the goldflnch.
I'LL waiting as ever. challenged.
o See me2" he saw the dainty,
swaying grace of the angel instead.
What is a man to do with an angel
who dismembers herself and scatters
over a whole swamp. thrusting a vivid
reminder upon him at every turn2
"You needn't be thinking" he said
10 the goldhnch. "that because I'm
coming down this line alone day after
day it's always to be so. Some of
these days you'll be swinging on this
wire. and you'll see me coming. and
you'll swing. skip and fiirt yourself
around and chip up right spunky.
See mer I'll be saying See you? See
herr You'll look. and there she'll
stand. The sunshine won't look gold
any more, nor the roses pink. nor the
sky blue. because she'll be the pinkest
bluest. goldest thing OF all. You'll be
yelling yourself hoarse with the jeal-
ousy Of her. The saw bird will stretch
his neck out of joint. and she'll turn
the heads of all the flowers. Wherev-
er she goes ! can go back afterward
and see the things she's seen. walk
the path she's walked. hear the grass
es whispering over all the things she's
said, and IL there's place too swampy
for her bits OF feet, maybe-maybe
she'd be putting the beautiful arms
of her about me neck and letting me
carry her overw
Freckles shlvered as with a chill
He sent the cudgel whirling skyward.
dexuously caught 1t and set 1t spin
ming.
Maybe she'll be wanting the cup
me blue and brown chickens raised
their babies in. II there's any feathers |
falling that day, why, It's from the
wings OF me chickens-it's sure to be. |
for the only angel outside the gates
will be walking this timberline. and
every step of the way I'll be holding
me breath and praying that she don't
unfold wings and sail of before the
hungry eyes of me-"
When the week was up Freckles had
his room crisp and glowing with fresh
living things that riyaled every tint
of the rainbow. He carried bark and
filed up all the muckiest places OF the
trail.
1t was middle July. The heat of the
last few days had dried up the water
about and through the Limberlost. so
that 1t was possible to cross it on foot
In almost any direction II one had any
Idea OF direction and did not become
lost in its rank tangle of
vegetation and bushes.
The heat was doing one other thing
that was bound 10 make Freckles. as
/ good freshman. SILVER. AS the swale
Tried its inhabitants were seeking the
,ooler depths OF the swamp. They
liked neither the heat nor leaving the
ield mice. moles and young rabbits
II their chosen location. He saw
hem crossing the trail every day as
he heat grew intense. The rattlers
we're sadly forgetting their manners,
or they struck on no provocation
whatever and didn't even remember
0 rattle afterward. Daily Freckles
vas compelled 10 drive big black
makes and blue racers from the nests
I his chickens. Often the terrified
qualls OF the parent birds would
each him far down the line, and he
you'd run to the rescue of the ba
les.
He saw the angel when the carriage
urned from the corduroy into the
Tearing. They stopped mt the west
ntrance TO the swamp, waiting for =
I'm TO precede them down the trail,
$ he had told them IL was safest for
be horse that be should do so. They >
olOwed the east line 10 a point oppo-
tie the big chickens tree, and Free "
les carried In the cameras and showed :,
be Bird Woman a path ne had cleared :
} the log.
They arranged that Freckles should +,
rive the carriage into the east en- u
rance in the shade and then take the "
orse around toward the north 70 81
etter place he knew. Then be was Sc
, entertain the angel at his study or al
n the line until the Bird Woman fin U
he'd her work and came 10 them. al
Freckles trod on air, for his dream
ad come true 50 soon. He was going Sc
own the timberline and the angel was be
blowing him. He asked to be excused ST.
,r going first, because he wanted TO ql
z sure the trail was safe for her. br
be laughed at his fears. telling him ey
lat IT was the polite thing for him to N