Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-03-14
Is
BY
Gene SGr@GG@m=
Porter
& co.

COPYRIGHT. 1904, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAC,
& CO.

VI leEIOi W uFdW ueureF anu nearer.
Just when he felt that he should fall
dead before he ever reached the clear
ing came Duncan's rolling call. "Frec-
kles. Freckles" A great s%huddering
sob burst in the boys dry throat. But
he only told Duncan that finding the
wire down had made him late.
The next morning he started out on
thine. Day after day with his heart
pounding like a triphammer he ducked,
lodged. ran when he could and fought
like a wildcat when he was brought to
bay. If he ever had an idea of giving
up no knew it. All these things
in so far as he guessed them Duncan.
who had been set to watch the first
weeks of Freckles' work. carried to the
boss at the south camp. but the inner
most, exquisite torture Of the thing the
big Scotchman never guessed. AID Nc
Lean with his finer perceptions came
only a little nearer.
After a few weeks. when F'reck,es
found that he was still living, that he
had a home and the very first money
AS hdu CNCl pOSSSSScu was salt Ill LIS
pockets, he began to grow proud. He
was gradually developing the fearless
ness that men ever acquire Of dangers
to which they are hourly accustomed.
His heart seemed to be in his mouth
when his first RATHER disputed the
trail with him, but he mustered cour-
age and let drive at it with his club.
After it's head had been crushed he
cut off its rattles to show Duncan.
With the mastery Of his first snake
his greatest fear of them was gone.
Then he began to realize that with
the abundance Of food in the swamp
flesh hunters would o come out on
the trail and attack him. and he had
his revolver for defense it they did.
He soon learned to laugh at the foppy
birds that made horrible noises. One
day watching from behind a tree he
saw a crane solemnly performing a
few measures OF a belated nuptial
song and dance with his mate. Re-
alizing that it was intended in tender
ness, no matter how it appeared. the
lonely, starved heart of the boy went
OuC " Cucul Ill
When day after day the only thing
that relieved his utter loneliness was
the companionship Of the birds and
beasts Of the swamp Freckles turned
to them for friendship He began by
instinctively protecting the weak and
helpless. He was astonished at the
quickness with which they became ac-
1,,o%@-o1I To I:-o o,1o +1o- @o1-@
that be was not a hunter and that the
club he carried was used more fire.
quently for their benefit than his own.
He could scarcely believe what he saw.
When black frosts began stripping
the Limberlost he watched the depart
ing troops Of his friends with dismay.
He made special efforts toward friend
illness with the hope that he could in
duce some of them to stay. 1t was
then that he conceived the idea of
carrying food to the birds, for he saw
that they were leaving for lack Of it.
But he could not stop them. Day
after day focks gathered and depart
ed. BY the time the first snow whit.
ened his trail about the Limberlost
there were left only the little black
and white %juncos, the %sapsuckers, vel
lowhammers, a few patriarchs among
the flaming cardinals, the blueiays.
the crows and the quail.
Then Freckles began his wizard
work. He cleared a space of swale.
and twice a day he spread a birds
banquet. BY the middle of December
thu ctronr winds, of riofor bod hnotnr
most of the seed from the grass and
bushes. The sno fell. covering the
swamp, and food was very scarce and
hard to find. The birds scarcely wait
ed until Freckles' back was turned to
attack his provisions. In a few weeks
they flew toward the clearing to meet
him. By the bitter weather Of Jan
uary they came halfway to the cabin
every morning and 1uttered about him
like doves all the way to the feeding
ground. By February they would
perch on his head and shoulders, and
the saucy jays would try to pry into
his pockets.
Then Freckles added to. wheat and
crumbs every scrap Of refuse food he
could find about the cabin. One morn
ing, coming to his feeding ground un-
usually early, he found a gorgeous
cardinal and a rabbit socially nibbling
a cabbage leaf side by side. and that
instantly gave to him the idea Of
cracking nuts from the store he had
gathered for Duncan's children, for
the squirrels. in the effort to add them
to his family. Soon he had them COM
ing-red, gray and black-and he be.
came filled with a vast Impotence
that he did not know their ame nor
habits.
So the winter passed. Every week
Mclean rode over to the Limberlost.
never on the same day nor at the same
hour. The boys earnings constituted
his first money, and when the boss ex-
planned to him that he could leave
them safe at a bank and carry away
a scrap Of paper that represented the
amount he made a deposit on every
pay day, keeping out barely what was
necessary for his board and clothing.
wv