Freckles

her Falls and

e had been unspeakably lonely at the Home; and the utter loneliness of a great desert or forest is not so difficult to endure

ouched the Limberlost, and the snow receded before it; when the catkins began to bloom; when there came a hint of green to the trees, bushes, and swale; when th

ed in his veins. He was always hungry, and his most difficult work tired him not at all. For long months, without a single intermission, he had tramped those seven miles of trail twice each day, through every conceivable state of weather. With the heavy club he gave his wires a sure test, and between sections, first in play, afterward to keep his

d. He had made excursions into the interior until he was familiar with every path and road that ever had been cut. He had sounded the depths of her deepest pools, and had learne

ing their return with great joy. All his fears were forgotten. Instead, he was possessed of an overpowering desire to know what they were, to learn where they had been, and whether they would make friends with him as the winter birds had done; and if they did, would they be as fickle? For,

He surely would have been proud and highly pleased if he had known that many of the former inhabitants of the

radual reclothing and repopulation of the swamp. Keen-eyed and alert through danger and loneliness, he noted every sta

upon him. He brooded and fretted until he was in a fever; yet he never guessed the c

ts of all men. Yet Freckles scowled darkly as he came down the trail, and the running TAP, TAP that tested the sagging wire and telegraphe

a small cradle of thistledown and wool perilously near his head. In the beginning of brooding, the spunky little homesteader had clung heroically to the wire when he was almost paralyzed with fright. When day after day passed and brought only softly whistled repetitions of his call, a handful of crumbs on the top of a locust line-post, and gently worded coaxings, he grew in confidence. Of lat

irds could not translate, and Freckles wa

o investigate. There was an unusually large Luna cocoon, and the moth was bursting

ess I best not be trying. If I hadn't happened along, there wouldn't have been anyone to do

pursy body, almost as large as his thumb, and of the very snowiest white that Freckles ever had seen. There was a band of delicate lavender across its forehead, and its feet were of the same colour; there were antlers, like tiny, str

oing to fly," he breathed in hushed wonder. The morning sun fell on the moth and dried its velvet down, while the warm air made it fluffy. The rapidly growing wings

ising and lowering its exquisite wings to dry them and to establish circulation. The boy realized that s

! It must be something grand! It can't be a butterfly! It's aw

atingly climbed on, so he stepped to the path, holding it to the light and examining it closely. Then he held it in the shade and turned it

ht now, and I wouldn't grow smart enough to tell what you are. I suppose there's someone who knows. Of course there is! Mr. McLean said

he man-creature's head; and indeed, he simply must not be allowed to look up, so the brave lit

nd then not be able to be telling anyone about it. 'Seen a bird with black silk wings-little, and yellow as any canary.' That's as far as I'd get. Wh

fear, the goldfinch fled precipitately. His mate arose f

You have a wife. And so close my head I have been migh

eat, tiny cradle and its contents. The hen darted at him in a frenzy. "Now, where d

nd of the wire, and you shan't be touching it. Don't blame you for wanting to see, though. My, but

coddling movement. He of the yellow coat flew to the edge to make sure that everything was

in the thorn tree down the line. One day a blue bird is setting, so I think it is hers. The next day a brown bird is on, and I chase it off because the nest is blue's. Next day the brown bird is on again, and I let her be, because I think it must be hers. Next day, be golly, blue's on, and off I send her because it's brown's; and now, I bet my hat, it's both their nest and I've only been bothering them and making a b

o bird brooding. He pressed closer to take a peep at the snowy, spotless little eggs he had found so beautiful, when at the slight noise up raised four tiny baby heads with wide-open mouths, uttering hunger cries. Freckles stepped back. The brow

the creek was named, sunned on the bushes, wild ducks and grebe chattered, cranes and herons fished, and muskrats plowed the bank in queer, rolling furrows. It was always a place full of interest, so Freckles loved to l

es grew luxuriantly, throwing up large, rank, green leaves. Nowhere else in the Limberlost could be found frog-music to equal that of the mouth of

wn 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 bending the rank gr

eckles snatched it up with almost a continuous movement facing the sky. There was not a tree of any size in a large open space. There was no wind to carry it. From the clear sky it had fallen, and Freckles, gazing eagerly into the

angels are not for being white. What if the angels of God are white and those of the devil are black? But a black one has no business up ther

dering about it. It was a wing quill, eighteen inches in length, with a heavy spine, gray at the base, shading to jet black at the tip, and it caught the play of the sun's rays

w!" he kept repeating as he turned and studied the feathe

d the creamy spikes of the arrow-head, the blue of water-hyacinth, and the delicate yellow of the jewel-flower. As Freckles leaned, ha

og, a big green bullfrog, with palpitant throat and batting eyes

speak. "I-I know you are only a bullfrog, but, be jabbers, that sou

denly he lifted his voice, and, as an imperative drumb

his eyes. Then his mind cleared. His head lifted in a new poise, his shoulders squared, while hi

impressively that the recording angel never

the wire while he fastened the feather securely in the band. Then he started down the lin

o anything if he's the grit to work hard enough and stick at it, Mr. McLean is always saying, and here's the way I am to do it. He said, too, that there were people that knew everything in the swamp. Of course they have written books! The th

s pay was thirty dollars a month, and his board cost him eight. That left twenty-two dollars a month, and his clothing had cost h

butterflies, and--Yes, by gummy! I'll be having one about th

his stick, and started down the line. The even tap, tap, and the cheery, glads

when he rounded the last curve he was almost running. There wa

thought might be classed as large birds, but never anything like this, for six feet it spread its big, shining wings. Its strong feet could be seen drawn among its feathers. The sun glinted on its sharp, hooked beak. Its eyes glowed, caught the light, and see

re mates, for with a queer, rolling hop the first-comer shivered his bronze wings, sidled to the new arrival, and gave her a silly little peck on her wing. Then he coquettishly drew away and ogled her. He lif

ble tenderness moved him so he hobbled to his bombardment once more. He faced her squarely this time, and turned his head from side to side with queer little jerks and indiscriminate peckings at her wings and head,

er did. You fly higher than I can see. Have you picked the Limberlost for a good thing and come to try it? Well, you can be me chi

ident. When he approached too boisterously, she relieved him of a goodly tuft of feathers and sent him backward in a series

! I'll be umpiring this

He suddenly lifted his body, but she coolly rocked forward on the limb, glided gracefully beneath h

red the path to the clearing and saw the Boss sitting motionless on

could have gone faster, only there were that many things to keep me, and I didn't know you would be here. I'll hurry after this. I've neve

the perspiration from his forehead and began to laugh. Then, forgetting all his customary reserve with the Boss, the pent-up boyishness in the lad broke forth. With an eloquence of which he never dreamed he told his stor

he vital point, a naturalist's dawning enthusiasm for the wonders of the Limberlost, and the welling joy of his newly found happiness, he made McLean see the struggles of the moth and its freshly painted wings, the dainty, brillian

e mouth of the creek that uses its wings like feet and walks on all fours. It travels like a thrashing machine. There's another, tall as me waist, with a bill a foot long, a neck near two, not the thickness of me wrist and an elegant color. He's some blue an

seen them numerous around the lumber camps of Georgia, but I never before heard of any this far north. They must be strays. You have described perfectly our nearest equivalent to a branch of these birds called in Euro

o big and fearless. They have a fine color for black birds, and their feet and beaks seem so strong. You never saw anything so keen as their eyes! And fly? Why, just think, sir, they must be flyi

ce dragged an

interestedly

little bit of loving in me life. You easily can be understanding that at the Home it was every day the old story of neglect and desertion. Always people that didn't even care enough for their children to keep them,

is brave, steady

r moved. All I'd be thinking of would be how they felt toward me. If they will stay, I'll be car

isn't he? And the only real chicken you have. Of course he'll remain! The Limberlost will be paradise for his family. And now, Freckles, what has been the tr

break me heart when the gang comes and begins te

the trouble?"

ke to be knowing and naming them, that it got to eating into me and went and made me near sick, when I was well as I could be. Of course, I learned to read, write, and figure some at school, but there was nothing there, or in any of the city that I ever got to see, that would make a fellow even be drea

guessed until that minute what it would have meant to him to have Freckles give up. "

em in the Home or at school. I could knock them all out singing. I was always leader in the Home, and once one of the superintendents gave me carfare and let me go into the city and sing in a boys' choir. The master said I'd the swatest voice of them all until it got rough like, and then he made me quit for awhile, but he said it would be coming back by now, and I'm railly thinking it is, sir, for I've tried on the line a bit of late and it seems to go smooth again and lot

ccount-book and the Bo

onth's pay will provide you everything you need to start on. I will write a f

eyes wer

ve just one of them for me very own! Won't it be fun to see me sawbird and me little yellow fellow looking at me fr

n you can study out what you have. I suspect you could collect specimens that I could send to naturalists in the city and sell for you; things like that winged creature, this morning. I don't know much in that line, but it must have been a moth, and it might have been rare. I've seen them by the thousand in museums, and in all nature I don't remem

n he saw the point and smiled. Standing on the trail,

k of luck I ever had! 'Bout time something was coming my way, but I wouldn't ever tho