The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-09


 FreekIss ,saI so ss... slat presently the brim of his hat was covered with snake feeders. rasping their crisp wings and singing as they rested. Some of them sertled on the club and one on his. shoulder. He was so quiet and feathers. fur and gauge were so accustomed to him that all about the ewaIe they went on with their daily life and forgot he was there.
 Tha heron family waded about the E.nuth of the creek. Freckles idly wondered whether the nerve racking cated domestic felicity or; a raging quarrel, A sheitpoke. with naring crest, went stalking across a bare space near fhe creeks mouth. A stately brown bfttefn waded out into the clear flowing water. lifting his feet high at every step and setting them down cingeFiy. as if he dreaded wet ting them. and. with slightly parted beak. stood eagerly watching about him for worms. Behind him were some mighty trees of the. swamp above. and below the bank glowed a solid wall of goidenrod-
 No wonder the ancients had chosen yellow as the color to represent vic tory. for the fierce. conquering hue of the sun was in ft. They had done well. too. in choosing purple as the color of royalty. IL was dIGnihed. compelling color. snd iu its warm tone there was hint of blood
 It was the LimbeFIost's hour to pro claim her sovereignty and triumph. Everywhere she Haunted her yellow banner and trsiled the purple of her mantle. that was paler in the thistle heads took on strength in the, first opening asters. and gloWed and burned in the ironwort.
 CompeIlIngly beautiful was the Linn berlest. but cruel withal: far back In there bleached the unconined bones of her victims. and she had missed era ding him. oh. so narrowiyI
 Below the turtle log. a dripping silver gray head. with shining eyes. was eau tiously lifted. and Freckles' hand slid around to his revolver. Higher and higher came the head: a long. heavy. fur coated body rose. now half. now three-fourths out of the water. Fneckles looked at his shaking hand and doubted. but he gathered his forces. the shot rang out, and the otter Aay GL14A@ 11G GAdtttCA NO8A 01k0 LtACO to lift ft- He could scarcely muster strength to carry it to the bridge. The consciousness that he really could not go farther with 1t mnde Freckles re. alize the fact that he was well up to the limit of human endurance He could bear 1t ,Iittie. if any. longer. Every hour the face of the, angel way cred befoTe him. and behind it the m-rF,~4 t7f1<r-.&-.7 Sv~aasrn o( n u.fr as he swore to the punishment he would mete out to her.
 FreckIes stopped when he came to the first guard. and telling him of his luck. asked him to go for the otter and carry it up to the cabin. as he was anxious to. meet Mclean. Freckles passed the second guard without seeing him. and hurried up to the. boss. He stood silent under the eyes of Mclean.
 The boss was dumfounded- Mrs. Duncan had led him to expect that he would find Freckles h a bad way. but this was almost deathly. The fact was apparent that the boy scarcely knew what he was doing. His eyes had q glazed. farsighted look in them. that wrung the heart of the man that loved him. Without thought of pre-. liminaries Mclean leaned in the sad dle and drew FfeekIes up to him.
 "My poor lad.' he said My poor. dear lad: tell me. and we will try to right itr'
 FreckIes had twisted his fingers in Nellie's mane. Atthe kind words his face dropped on McLean's thigh and he shook with nervous chill Mclean gathered him closer and waited.
 ''Freckies.' said, Mclean at last. Twill you. tell me. Or must I set to work in the dark and try to find the troubBe?'
 "Oh. want5to tell you! must tell you. sir shud1ered Freckles. "l can