Freckles

Proves His Mettle

r-line, and engaged him a place to board with the family of his head teamster, Duncan, whom he had brought from Scotland with him, and who lived in a small clearing he was working out between

ding-boots rubbed his feet until they bled. He was sore and stiff from his long tramp and outdoor exposure. The seven miles of trail was agony at every step. He practiced at night, under the direction of Duncan, until he

im it would. He bolted half a mile with the first boom of the bittern, and his hat lifted with every yelp of the sheitpoke. Once he saw a l

control his shaking hand to do the work. With every step, he felt that he would miss secure footing and be swallowed in that clinging sea of blackness. In dumb agony he plunged forward, clinging to t

not sufficiently deafening to shut out the wailing of whip-poor-wills that seemed to come from every bush. Nighthawks swept past him with their s

d snakes were on the trail, or, in the pandemonium, hear the rattle for which McLean had cautioned him to listen. He stood motio

elf and retraced his steps. His jaws set stiffly and the sweat dried on his body. When he reached the place from which he had started to run, he turned and with measured steps made his w

did not dare look behind him; and just when he felt that he would fall dead before he ever reached the clearing, came Duncan's rolling call:

, no one knew it; for he clung to his job without the shadow of wavering. All these things, in so far as he guessed them, Duncan, who had been set to watch the first weeks of Freckles' work

possessed was safe in his pockets, he began to grow proud. He yet side-stepped, dodged, and hurried to avoid being late ag

attack it with his club. After its head had been crushed, he mastered an Irishman's inborn repugnance for sn

did. He soon learned to laugh at the big, floppy birds that made horrible noises. One day, watching behind a tree, he saw a crane solemnly performing a few measures of a bel

rather liked it. Nature can be trusted to work her own miracle in the heart of

ld turn to them for friendship. He began by instinctively protecting the weak and helpless. He was astonished at the quickness with which they became accustomed to him and the disregard they

gh fall, when brooding was finished and the upland birds sought the swamp in swarms to feast on its seeds and berries, Freckles was content with watching them and

ould be left alone. He made especial efforts toward friendliness with the hope that he could induce some of them to stay. It was then that he conceived the idea of carrying food to the birds; for he saw that they were leaving for lack of it; but he could not stop them. Day afte

d food was very scarce and difficult to find. The birds scarcely waited until Freckles' back was turned to attack his provisions. In a few weeks they flew toward the clearing to meet him. During the bitter weather of January they came halfway to the cabin

raps of fat and gristle. One morning, coming to his feeding-ground unusually early, he found a gorgeous cardinal and a rabbit side by side sociably nibbling a cabbage-leaf, and that instantly gave to him the idea of cracking nuts, from the

ver on the same day or at the same hour. Always he found Freckles

ping out barely what was necessary for his board and clothing. What he wanted to do with his money he did not know, but it gave to him a sense of freedom and power to feel that it was there-it was his and he could have it when he chose. In im

f rain, snow, and blizzard. He was gathering a wonderful strength of body, paying his way, and saving money. Every man of the gang and of that

ected the maimed arm in bitter weather. She patched his clothing-frequently torn by the wire-and saved kitchen scraps for his birds, not because she either knew or cared anything about them, but because she herself was close enough to the swamp to be touched by its utter lon

ink he gets to his talkin

art happy, and the feet walking faithful the rough pa

from the corn he was shelling for his chickens to Freckles, and told him to

hey are just little, brightly colored cocks and hens! But 'wild' is no good. What woul

ad!" cri

and eat out of your hands and

ist brash on believin' things," said Duncan. "Ye canna inve

come see!" re

n your heid or eat frae your hand, ye are free to help you

g in air and h

too, aisy" he cried.

l believe the birds of the Limberlost are tame

next Sabbath, Duncan, with his wife and children, followed Freckles to the swamp. They saw a sight so wonderfu

ound his head into curves and circles of crimson, blue, and black. They chased each other fr

oon as his back was turned, the birds clustered over the food, snatching scraps to carry to the nearest bushes. Several of the boldest, a big crow

ng birds. While they feasted, Duncan gripped his wife's arm and stared in astonishment; for from the bushes and dry grass, with gentle cheeping and queer, throaty chatt

on!" came Mrs. Dunc

" caution

aters arose around him as a flock of tame pigeons. They perched on his arms and the cap, and in the stress of hunger

ht, for it's a chance will no likely come twice in a life. Everything is snowed under and thae craturs near starved, but trustin' Freckles that complete they are tamer than our chickens. Look hard, b

cattered his last grain. Then he waved his watchin

en Freckles, warmly capped and gloved, stepped to the corner of the kitchen for his scrap-pail, he fou

warm food for me chick

was afeared this cold weather they wadna

faced Mrs. Duncan with a trace of every pang of starved mother-hunger he

you were my mo

pted an echo of h

na ken that, learn it now and ne'er forget it. Ance a woman is the wife of any man, she becomes wife to all men for having had the wifely experience she kens! Ance a man-ch

ckles, whipping it off and holding it under his arm, caught her rough, reddened hand and pressed it to his lips in a l

y, swept into the adjoining room a

ed. "Oh, the puir mither-hun

d his wife. With a big, brown hand he l

keen enough to say the richt thing; but dang it, I'd 'a' stuttered and stammered and got naething out that would ha' done onybody a mite o' good. But ye, Sarah! Did ye see his face, woman? Ye sent him off lookin' leke a whit

g a heavy hand on each shoulder,

Sarah! Juist p

r of hands, reddened by frequent immersion in hot water, cracked and chafed by exposure to cold, b

na trade with a queen wi' a palace, an' velvet gowns, an' diamonds big as hazelnuts, an' a hundred visitors a day into the bargain. Ye've been that honored I'm blest if I can bear to s