The Irish standard., 1912-01-27
tor his pleasure. ana 1t warmed his

tor his pleasure, ana It warmed his
heart with pure Joy.
"Mr. Duncan" he said, II don't
know why you are being so mighty
good to me. but If you have any jobs
or Mrs. Duncan hours of the line it
would make me mighty happy"
"Freckles," said Duncan Us he began
gathering up his tools, II Gamma see
that it will hurt ye to be told that 70
are dom every day a thing that
pleases the boss Ms much as anything
We could do Ye're bein' uncommon
faithful, lad. and honest as old Father
Time. Mclean is trustin' ye as he
would his own flesh and blood"
ooh, Duncan" cried the boy. "Are
you sure?'
"Why, I know" answered Duncan.
II wadna venture to say else. In
those first days he cautioned me ma
to tell We that. but now he wadna
care. Dye ken, Freckles, that some
Of the single trees ye are guardin' are
worth thousand dollarsy
Freckles looked limp. and his eyes
popped.
rye see," said Duncan, chats why
they maun be watched so closely. The
other night down at camp some son
Of Baalam was suggestin' that ye might
be sellin' the boss out to Jack and let
tin him tax the trees secretly and no.
body wad ever ken till the gang gets
here"
A wave of scarlet flooded Freckles'
face, and he blazed holly at the insult.
"And the boss" continued Duncan,
ignoring Freckles' anger, "he lays back
just as cool as cowcumbers and says.
'I'll give thousand dollars to any
man that will show me fresh stump
when we reach the Limberlost,' says
he. Some of the men just snapped
him up that they'd find some. So you
see how the boss is trustin' ye, lad.''
II am gladder than can ever ex.
press" said Freckles. "And now will
I be walking double time to keep some
Of them from cutting tree to get all
that money"
"Mither O. Moses" howled Duncan.
aye can trust the Scotch to bungle
things a'thegither. Mclean was only
meanin' to show ye all confidence and
honor. He's gone and set high price
for some dirty whelp to ruin We. was
just tryin' to show We how he felt
toward ye, and I've gone and give We
that worry to bear"
II am mighty proud of what you
have been telling me, Duncan" said
Freckles. II need the warning sure,
for with the books coming l might be
timpted to neglect me work when dou
bic watching is needed"
Freckles picked up his club and start
ed down the line. whistling cheerily.
Duncan went straight to the lower
camp and, calling Mclean aside, re-
pented the conversation verbatim.
"And, nae matter what happens now
make We believe that Freckles hasna
guarded faithful as any man could"
II don't think anything could shake
my faith in the lad" said Mclean.
Freckles kept one eye religiously on
the line. The other he divided b.
tween the path. his friends Of the
wire and search Of the sky for his
latest arrivals. Every day since their
coming he had seen them. either hang
ing like small black clouds above the
swamp or bobbing over logs and trees
with their queer fitting walk. When
ever he could spare time he entered
the swamp and tried to make friends
with them, and they were the tamest
of all his unnumbered subjects. They
ducked, lodged and ambled about
him, over logs and bushes, and not
even near approach would drive
them to fight.
For two weeks he had found them
circling over the Limberlost regularly,
but one morning the female was miss
ing, and only the big black chicken
hung sentinel above the swamp. His
mate did not reappear in the following
days, and Freckles grew very anxious.
He spoke of it to Mrs. Duncan, and
she quieted his fears by raising a de-
lightful hope in their stead.
"Why, Freckles, II it's the hen bird
ye are missing it's ten to ane she's
SAFE" she said. "She's laid and is
setting, We silly. Watch him and
mark whaur he lichts. Then follow
and find the nest. Some Sabbath
we'll all gang see it."
Accepting this theory, Freckles be-
gan searching for the nest, but as he
had no idea where to look and Duncan
could offer no helpful suggestion the
nest was no nearer being found.
CHAPTER v.
, FREcKLEs FACES Trouble.