Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-20
Gene SmraGG10m-

1Npu USU
COPYRIGHT. 1904 BY DOUBLEDAY. PACE
CHAPTER II.
TnEcHLEs PROVES HIS METAL.
II 81 ext morning the boss showed
mi Freckles around the timber
line and engaged him board
with his head teamster, Dun
Gun. whom he had brought from Scot
land and who lived in small clear
ing he was working out between the
swamp and the corduroy. When the
gang pulled out for the south camp
Freckles was left to guard fortune
in the Lsmberlost. That he was under
guard himself those first weeks he new
er knew.
Every hour was torture to the boy.
The restricted life OF great city or
phanage was the other extreme Of the
world from the LimberlOst. He was
afraid for his life every minute. He
cut a stout hickory cudgeL with q
knot on the end as big as his fist, 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
ginuous waving against the play Of the
wind, as Mclean had told him It
would. He bolted half mile with his
first boom Of the bittern. and his hat
lifted with every yelp Of the sheitpoke.
Once he saw lean. shadowy form
following him and blazed away with
his revolver, Then he was frightened
worse than ever for fear it might have
been Duncan's collie.
The first afternoon that he found
his wires down, and he 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. clinging 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 be great owl boot
ing from every hollow tree and a little
one screeching from every knothole.
Nighthawks swept past him with their
ehivering cry, and bats struck his face.
"A prowling wildcat missed its catch
ana screamed with rage. A lost fox
bayed necessarily for its mate. The
hair on the back Of Freckles' neck rose
like bristles. and his 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
to listen.
Something big. black and heavy
came crashing through the swamp. and
with a yell Freckles broke and rnn-
how far he did not know. But at last
he gained some sort Of mastery over
himself and retrnced his steps. When
he again came toward the corduroy
the cudgel fell to test the wire at ev-
cry step.
Sounds that curdled his blood seem
ed to close in about him and shapes
Of terror to draw nearer and nearer.
Just when he felt that he should fall
dead before he ever reached the clear
ing came Duncan's rolling call. Free
kles. Frecklesv' 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 he started out on
time. Day after day with his heart
pounding like triphammer he ducked.
lodged, ran when he could and fought
like wildcat when he was brought to
bay. IL he ever had an idea of giving
up no one 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 ut the south camp, but the inner
most, exquisite torture Of the thing the
big Scotchman never guessed, and Me-
Lean with his finer perceptions came
only little nearer.
After a few weeks, when Freck!es
found that he was still living, that he
had home 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 dangers
to which they are hourly accustomed.
His heart seemed to be in his mouth
when his first RATHER disputed the
truil with him. but he mustered cour.
age and let drive at 1t with his club.
After its head had been crushed he
cut OF its rattles to show Duncan.
With the mastery Of his drst 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 not come out on
the trail and attack him, and he had
his revolver for defense IL they did.
He soon learned to laugh ut the fioppy
birds that made horrible noises. One
day watching from behind q tree he
saw q crane solemnly performing =
few measures Of q belated nuptial
song and dance with bis mate. Re-
alixing that It was intended In tender