Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-11

Ye-Sess,
WON'T YOU PLEASE DE GIVING ME A
NAME?"
The restricted life OF Il great city or.
phnnage was the other extreme OF the
world from the Limberlost. He was
afraid for his life every minute. He
cut stout hickory cudgel. with II
knot on the end as big as his list. and
it never left his hand. What he
thought In those first days he himself
could not clearly recall afterward.
His heart stood still every time he
! saw the beautiful marsh grass begin
sinuous waving against the play Of the
wind. as Mclean had told him it
would He bOlted a half mile with his
first boom of the bittern. and his hat
lifted with every yelp Of the sheitpoke
Once he saw n lean. shndowy form
following him and blazed away with
his revolver. Then he was frightened
worse than ever for fear 1t might have
been Duncan's collie.
The first afternoon that he found
his wires down. and lie was compelled
to plunge knee deep into the black
swamp muck to restring them. he
could scarcely control his shaking hand
to do the work. With every step he
felt that he would miss secure footing
and be swallowed up in that clinging
sea OF blackness In dumb agony he
plunged along. ciinging to the posts
and trees. He had consumed much
| time. Night closed in. The Timber
lost stirred gently. then shook herself.
grOwled and awoke about him.
! There seemed to he great owl boot,
ing from every hollow tree and little
one screeclng from every knOthOle.
Nighthawks swept past him with their
shivering cry. and bats struck his face.
a prowling wildcat missed its catch
aud screamed with rage. A lost fox
bayed necessarily for its mate. The
hair on the back VI Freckles' neck rose
| like bristes. ana hls knees wavered
under him. He could not see IL the
dreaded snakes were on the trail nor
In the pandemonium hear the rattle
for which Mclean had cautioned him
| 10 listen.
Something big. black and heavy
! came crashing through the swamp. and
with yell Freckles broke and ran
how far he did not know But at last
he gained some sort OF mastery over
himself and retraced his steps. When
he again came toward the corduroy
the cudgel fell to test the wire ut cv.
cry step.
Sounds that curdled his blood seem.
cd to close in about him and shapes
Of terror to draw nenrer and nearer
! lust 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 shuddering
sob burst in the boys dry throat. But
he only told Duncan that finding the
wire down had made him late.
: The next morning ne started out on
time. Day after day with his hcari
pOunding like triphanimer 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 one knew 1t AL! 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 ut the south camp. but the inner
most. exquisite torture Of the thing tho
! big ScOtchman never guessed, and Nc.
! Lean with his finer perceptions came
only little nearer
! After Il few weeks. when t'reca,es
found that he was stu living. that he
had Il homo and the very first money
he had ever possessed was safe in his
pockets. he began to grow proud He
was gradually developing the fearless.
ness that men ever acquire of dDngers
to which they are Lourly accustomed.
/ His heart seemed TO he 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 its head had been crushed he
cut or its rattles to show Duncan.
With the mastery Of his first snake
his greatest fear Of them was gone.
Then lie began to realize that with
the abundance of food in the swamp
! flesh hunters would not come out ON
the trail and attack him, and he had
his revolver for defense II they did.
( He soon learned to laugh ut the floppy
birds that made horrible noises. One
day watching from behind tree he
saw a crane sOlemnly performing 4
few measures OF belated nuptial
song and dance with his mate. Re-
alizing that 1t was intended In tender.
ness. no matter how 1t appeared. the
lonely. starved heart Of the boy went
out to them In sympathy.
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-
customed to him once they learned
that he was not hunter and thut the
I 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 Iimberlost 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 10 stay. 1t was
then that he conceived the idea Of
carrying food to the birds. for he saw