Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-07
f R C|AL[ES
~
Gene SnraGa0m-
Porter.
COPYRIGHT. ,soA BY pouB, EBAY. PACE


CHAPTER XII. -
WITH HIS SWAMP ANGEL.
ri ARAB DUNCAN hadstnot fol-
NI lowed the trail many rods
when her trouble began. She
was not Freckles. and not a
bird Of the line was going to be fooled
into thinking she. was. They Kept
whizzing from their nests and darting
from all sorts Of unexpected places
about her! head and feet with quick
whirrs that kept her starting aud
Jumping. Before Freckles was half
way to the town poor Mrs. Duncan
was hysterical and the I.imberlost had
neither sung nor performed for her,,
Il wouldna stay in this place for a:
million a month" she had said. aud
the sound Of her voice brought no CON-
fort. for 1t was so little like she had
thought it that she glanced hastily
about to sec II It had really been she
that spoke.
Her chin was qpiyering like terri.
fed child's. Almost into her face went
. nighthawk stretched along a limb
for its daytime nap. Mrs, Duncan
sprang down the trail, lighting: on 4
frog. The croak 1t gave as she crush
ed It sickened her. She screamed wild
y and jumped to one side. That car
1ied her into the swale. where the
grasses reached almost to her waist.
and her horror Of snakes returning she
made a dying leap for an old log lying
along the lire. She lit on il squareiy.
but It was 20 damp and rotten that
she sank straight through 1t to her
knees. She caught at the wire as
she went down and. missing. raked her
wrist over . barb until she laid it
open In a bleeding cash. Her fingers
closed convulsiveiy around the second
strand.
She was too frightened to scream
now. Her tongue stiffened. She chung
frantically to the sagging wire and
finally managed to grasp 1t with the
other hand. Then she could reach the
top wire. and so she drew herself up
and found solid footing. She picked
up the club that she had dropped in
order to extricate herself. Leaning
heavily On 1t, she got back to the
trail. -
The Wind rose higher, the changes
from light to darkness were more
abrupt. aud the thunder came nearer
and louder. In swarms the blackbirds
rose from the swale aud came fockinZ
to the interior with clamoring cry.
.T'check., t'check." Grackles mar
shaled to their tribal call. '.Trallashee.
Tali.a-hee" Red winged 'blackbtrds
swept low: calling to belated mates.
"Fol.low-me. fol-low-me." Huge jetty
crows gathered about her. crying. as
II warning her to fee before 1t was
everlastingly too late. A heron, fish,
ing the nearby pool for Freckles' find
OUT frog, fell into trouble with Il
muskrat and let out q rasptng note.
Mrs Duncan was too shaken to run
far. X rs'e-S
Several bees struck her and were an
grily 3buzzing about before she noticed
them. Then the humming swelled to
q roar on all sides. A great. convul-
sive sob shook her. and she ran into
the bushes, now into the swale. any
where to avoid the swarming bees.
ducking. lodging. fighting for her very
life. Presently the humming seemed
10 grow little fainter. She found the
trail again and ran with all her might
fromka few of her angry pursuers.
And as she ran. straining every mus
Gle. she suddenly became aware that
crossing the trail before her was q
great, round. black body with brown
markings on its back. like painted geo.
netrScal patterns. She tried to stop.
but The louder bnzzing behind warned
her 1he dared not. Gathering her
skirts still higher, with hair flying
about her face and her eyes almost
bursting from their sockets. she ran
straight toward it. The sound Of her
feet iand the humming Of the bees
alarmed the rattler. and it stopped
squarely across the trail, lifting it's
head above the grasses Of the swale
and rattling inquiringly-rattled until
the bees were Ontdone.
Straight at It went the panic stricken
woman. running wildly and uncontrol.
labIys She took one great leap. clearing
its body on the path, and then few on
with. winged feet. The snake. coiling
to strike. missed Mrs. Duncan and
landed among the bees instead They
settled over and about 1t. and, reaiiz.
ting that it had found trouble. it sank
among the grasses and went thrashing
toward the deep willow fringed low
ground where it, sAso- was until the
swale looked as II mighty reaper
wers cutting wide swath. The mass
Of snraged bees darted angrily about.
searching for 1t, and. colliding with
the sscrub thorn. began temporary
settling there to discover whether it
was.a. suitable place. Ma. Duncan
staggered on few steps farther. fell
face,down on the path. where Freckles
found her. and lay still.
Breckles worked with her until she
drew q long. quivering breath and
opened her eyes.
When she saw him bending over her
she closed them tightly and. gripping