Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-18

Mclean said there were people tina
knew every leaf, bird and flower In tn
Limberlost. oh. lord. how wish you'd
be telling me Just this one thing"
The gOldnnch had ventured back to
the wire, for there was bis mate only
few inches above the man creatures
head. and. indeed. he simply must NOT
be allowed to look up just them. 90 the
brave little fellow rocked on the wire
and piped up, 5ust as he had done ev.
cry day for week, "See me; see mef'
"see you! Of course I see you.
growled Freckles. II see you day aft.
er day, and what good II It doing me
I might see you every morning for a
year and then not be able to be telling
any one about II. Seen a bird-little
and yellow as any canary. with black
silk wings. That's as far as I'd get.
What you doing here anyways HIVE
you a mate? what's your name? See
your I reckon ! see you. but l might
as we'll be blind for any good its doing
! mel
Freckles impatiently struck the wire.
With a screech Of fear the goldfnch
fed preclpitately. His mate tore from
of the nest with a whirr. Freckles
looked up and saw 1t.
"O.ho" he cried. 80 that's what
YOU are doing here. You have wife"
Freckles climbed up to examine the
neat, tiny cradle and it's contents. The
hen darted at him in frenzy. Nov.
where do you come imp he demanded
when he saw that she was not like
the goldfinch.
you be clearing out Of here. This
Is none Of your fry. This Is the nest
Of me little yellow friend Of the wire.
and you shan't be touching It. Don't
blame you for wanting to see though.
My. but it's fine nest and beauties Of
eggs. VIII you be keeping away or
will Ere this stick at your
Freckles dropped back to the trail.
The hen darted to the nest and settled
on 1t with tender. coddling move.
ment. He Of the yellow coat few 70
the edge to make sure that everything
was right.
well, I'll be switched" muttered
Freckles. "lf that amt both their
nest. And he's yellow and she's green
or she's yellow and he's green. OF
course I don't know. and haven't
any way to find out. but it's plain as
the nose on your face that they are
both ready to he fighting for that nest.
30 Of course they belong. Don't that
beat you? Say. that's what's been
sticking me for oil of these two weeks
on that grass nest in the thorn tree
down the line. One day blueblrd
IL setting, and think 1t is hers. The
next day brown bird is on. and I
chase 1t OF because the nest is blues.
Next day the brown bird is on again.
and I let her be because I think 1t
must be hers. Next day. be golly.
blues on again. and OF I sent her be.
cause it's browns. and now bet my
hat it's both their nest. and I've only
been bothering them and making a big
fool Of meself"
Freckles plodded on down the trail.
scowling blackly and viciously spang-
ing the wire. At the hnches' nest he
left the line and peered into the thorn
tree. There was no bird broOding. He
pressed closer to take q peep ut the
snowy, sp0tless little eggs he had
found 80 beautiful. and at the slight
noise up Jared four tiny baby heads
with wide open mouths and hunger
cries. Freckles stepped back. The
brown bird lit on the edge and closed
one cavity with wiggling green
worm. and not two minutes later the
blue filed another with something
white That settled 1t. The blue and
brown were mates. Once again
Freckles repeated his How wish
knew
About the bridge spanning Sleepy
Snake creek the swale spread wide,
the timber largely dropped away. and
willows. rushes. marsh grass and
splendid wild flowers grew abundant.
ly. Lazy big black water snakes. for
which the creek was named. summed on
the bushes. wild ducks and grebe chat
tered. cranes and herOns tshed. and
muskrats plowed the bank in queer
rolling burrows. 1t was always place
full Of interest TO Freckles.
Freckles struck slowly into the pnth
leading from the bridge to the line.
1t was the one spot at which he might
relax his vigilance. The greatest tim
Der thief the swamp had ever known
would not have attempted to enter it
by the mouth of the creek ON account
Of the water and because there was
no protection from surrounding trees.
He was swishing the rank grass with
his cudgel and thinking Of the shade
the denser swamp afforded when he
suddenly lodged sldewise. The cud-
gel whistled sharply through the air
and Freckles sprang back
Out OF the clear sky above him, first
level with his face, then Swimming.
dipping. fitting. whirling until 1t lit
quill down in the path in front OF
him. came n glossy. iridescent big
black feather. As 1t struck tho
ground Freckles snatched IL up and
with an almost continuous movement
faced the sky. There was not n tree
Vt any size in large open space.
From the clear sky 1t had faGen. and
Freckles, gazing eagerly into the arch
OF June blue with few lazy clouds
floating far up in the sea Of ether.
hnd neither mind nor knowledge to
dream OF bird hanging us II frozen
there. He turned the big quill ques-
tiOningly. and again his awed eyes
swept tho sky.