Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-06-18
CHAPTER XIV.
CAPTURED BY BLACK JACK.

CAPTURED BY BLACK JACK.
Is they talked the angel wai
IAj busy packing box Of sand
n wiches. cake. fruit and 6ow'
S ers. She gave him a last
frosty glass. thanked him repeatedly
for bringing news Of new material.
and then Freckles went out into the
night. He rode for the Limberlost
with his eyes on the stars.
The one thing Freckles knew that
he could do was to sing. The Duncans
heard him coming mile up the cor
duroy and could not believe theil
senses. Freckles unfastened the box
from his belt and gave Mrs. Duncan
and the children all the eatables 1t
contained. except one big piece Of cake
that he carried to the sweet loving
Duncan. He put the flowers back in
the box and set 1t up among his books.
He did not say anything. but they un-
derstood II was not to be touched.
Then Freckles started for the
swamp. AS he rode he sang. and as
be sang he worshiped. but the god be
tried to glorify was dim and far
away mystery. The angel was warm
flesh and blood.
With the near approach Of dawn
Freckles tuned bis last note. Wearied
almost to falling. he turned from the
trail into the path leading to the cabin
for few hours rest.
As Freckles left the trail from the
swale near the south entrance four
large. muscular men rose up and
swiftly and carefully entered the
swamp by the wagon road. Two OF
them carried big saw. the third coils
Of rope and wire. and all were heavily
armed. They left one man on guard
ut the entrance. The other three made
their way through the dEkness and
soon were at Freckles' room. He had
left the swamp on his wheel from the
west trail. They counted on bis re-
turning on the wheel and circling the
east line before he came there.
A little below the west entrance to
Freckles' room Black Jack stepped
into the swale and. binding q wire
tight about scrub oak, carried 1t be-
low the waving grasses. stretched 1t
taut across the trail and fastened 1t to
, tree in the swamp. Then he obliter-
nted all signs of his work and ar
ranged the grass over the wire until 1t
was 80 completely covered that only
minute examination would reveal 1t.
They entered Freckles' room with
coarse oaths and jests. In few mo-
ments his specimen case with Its pre-
cious contents was rolled back into
the swamp and the saw was eating
into one of the finest trees OF the Linn
berlost.
As soon as Freckles was well down
the east line the watch was posted
below the room on the west to report
his coming. 1t was but few mo-
ments before the signal came. Then
the saw stopped. and the rope was
brought out and uncoiled near sap
ling. Wessner and Black Jack crowd
ed to the very edge Of the swamp
little above the wire and crouched.
waiting.
They heard Freckles before they
saw him. he came clipping down the
line at good pace. and as he rode ne
was singing softly:
"oh. do you love
Oh. say you love-
He got no further. The Sharply
driven wheel struck the tense wire
and bounded back. Freckles shot over
the handle bar and coasted down the
trail on his chest. As he struck Black
Jack and Wessner were upon him.
Wessner clapped an old hat over
Freckles' mouth, while Black Jack
twisted his arms back of him, and
they rushed him into his room. Al
most before he realized that anything
had happened he was trussed up to
tree and securely gagged.
Then three Of the men resumed
work ON the tree. The other followed
the path Freckles had worn to Little
Chickens tree. and presently he re-
ported that the wires were down and
two teams with the loading apparatus
coming to take out the timber. All the
time the saw was slowly eating, eat
ing into the big tree.
Wessner went out to the trail and
removed the wire. Then be stood In