Bellefonte, Pa., September 13, 1912.
E
i
He resolves to get
himself. He becomes interested in a huge
pair, of vultures and calls his bird friends | BLACK JACK STOPPED HIM WITH AN OATH.
Wessner clapped an old hat over |
“chickens.”
Some of the trees he is guarding are
$1,000 each. Freckles’ books arrive.
He receives a call from Wessner.
|
Wessner attempts to bribe Freckles to they rushed him into his room. Al-
. Freckles whips him. | most before he realized that anything
1 overhears them and witnesses the had happened he was trussed up to a
betray his trust, and
Freckles’ honesty saves a precious tree.
He finds the nest of the vultures and is
visited by a beautiful young girl.
8he calls Freckles McLean's son. Freckles
calis her “the angel” and helps the Bird
Woman in taking photographs. McLean
promises to adopt Freckles.
Freckles and the angel become very
friendly.
ber thieves, from the Limberlost.
McLean fears more trouble, but Freckles
insists upon being the sole guard of the
timber. Freckles calls upon the angel's
‘The angel receives him as her equal, and
her father is kind. Mrs. Duncan has ex-
citing adventures in the Limberlost,
The Bird Woman and the angel again
visit Freckles, and Freckles falls in love
with the angel. The angel kisses him.
Freckles is bound and gagged by Black
Jack's gang, and the timber thieves start
felling a very valuable tree.
[Continued from last week.]
CHAPTER XIV.
CAPTURED BY BLACK JACK,
busy packing a box of sand- angel hammered in his ears.
8 they talked the angel was bis faith in him. The words of the
i
A wiches, cake, fruit and flow- Freckles, do watch closely!”
ers. She gave him a last
frosty glass, thanked him repeatedly
for bringing news of new material,
and then Freckles went out into the
night. He rode for the Limberlost
with his eyes on the stars.
The one thing Freckles knew that
he could do was to sing. The Duncans
heard him coming a mile up the cor-
duroy and could “not believe their
senses. [Freckles unfastened the hox
from his belt and gave Mrs. Duncan
and the children all the eatablex it
contained. except one big plece of cake
that he carried to the sweet loving
Duncan. He put the flowers back in
the box and =et it up nmong hisx hooks.
He did not say anything, but they un-
derstood it was not to be touched.
Then Freckles started for the
swamp. As he rode he sang, snd ax
he sang he worshiped. but the god he
tried to glorify was a dim and far.
away mystery. The angel was warm
flesh and blood.
With the near approach of dawn
Freckles tuned his last note. Wearied
almost to falling, he turned from the
trail into the path leading to the eabin
for n few honrs' resi.
As Freckles left the trail from the
swale near the south entrance four
large. muscular men rose up and
swiftly and carefully entered the
swamp by the wagon rond. Two of
them carried n big saw. the third coils
of rope and wire, and all were heavily
armed. They left one wan on guard
at the entrance. The ofher three made
their way through the darkness and
soon were at Freckles’ room. He had
left the swamp on his wheel from the
west trail. They counted on his re-
turning on the wheel and circling the
east line before he came there.
A little below the west entrance to
Freckles’ room Black Jack stepped
into the swale and, binding a wire
tight about a scrub oak, carried it be-
low the waving grasses, stretched it
taut across the trail and fastened it to
a tree in the swamp. Then he obliter-
ated all signs of his work and ar-
ranged the grass over the wire until it
was so completely covered that only
minute examination would reveal it.
room with |
They entered Freckles’
coarse oaths and jests. In a few mo-
ments his specimen case with its pre-
clous contents was rolled back into
the swamp and the saw was eating
into one of the finest trees of the Lim-
berlost.
As soon as Freckles was well down
the east line the watch was posted
below the room on the west to report
his coming. It was but a few mo-
ments before the signal came. Then
the saw stopped. and the rope was
brought out and uncoiled near a sap-
ling. Wessner and Black Jack crowd-
ed to the very edge of the swamp 2
little above the wire and crouched,
waiting.
They heard Freckles before they
saw him. He came clipping down the
line at a good pace, and as he rode he
was singing softly: .
‘Oh, do you love— -
Oh, say you love" —
He got no further. The sharply
driven wheel struck the tense wire
and bounded back. Freckles shot over
the handle bar and coasted down the
trail on his chest. As he struck Black
.
|
|
not
i
i
:
|
Jack and Wessner were upon him. |
Freckles’ mouth, while Black Jack
twisted his arms back of him, and |
tree and securely gagged.
Then three of the men resumed
work on the tree. The other followed
the path Freckles had worn to Little
Chicken's tree, and presently he re-
ported that the wires were down and
two teams with the loading apparatus
coming to take out the timber. All the
time the saw was slowly eating, eat-
ing into the big tree. |
Wessner went out to the trail and
removed the wire. Then he stood in
front of Freckles and laughed in dev-
flish hate. Freckles found himself
looking fear in the face and marveled
that he was not afraid. Four to one!
The tree halfway eaten through, the
wagons coming up the inside road, he
bound and gagged: The men with
Black Jack and Wessner had belong-
ed to McLean's gang when last he had
heard of them, but who those coming
with the wagons might be he could
guess.
If they secured that tree McLean
lost its value, lost his wager and lost
“Oh,
And the saw ate on.
When the tree was down and loaded
what would they de? Pull out and
leave him there to report them? It
was not to be hoped for. The place
had always been lawless. It could
mean but one thing.
A mist swept before his eyes, and his
head swam, Was it only last night
that he had worshiped the angel in a
delirium of happiness? And now '
what? Wessner, released from a turn
at the saw, walked over to the flower
bed and, tearing up a handful of rare
ferns by the roots, started toward !
Freckles. His intention was obvious. |
Black Jack stopped him with an oath,
“You see here, Dutchy.” he bawled.
“mebby you think you'll wash his face
with that, but you won't. A contract's
a contract. We agreed to take out
these trees and leave him for you to
dispose of whatever way you please,
provided you shut him up eternally on
this deal. But I'll not see a tied man
tormented by a fellow that he can lick
up the ground with, loose, and that's
flat. It raises my gorge to think what
he'll get when we're gone, but you
needn't think you're free to begin be-
fore. Don't you lay a hand on him
while I'm here! What do you say.
boys?"
“l say yes. growled one of Mec-
Lean's latest deserters. “What's
more, we're a pack of fools to risk the
dirty work of silencing him. I don't
mind lifting the trees we came for, but
I'm cursed if I want blood on my
bands.” |
“Well, you ain't going to get it,” bel-
lowed Jack. “You fellows only con-
tracted to help me get out my mark-
ed trees. He belongs to Wessner, and
it ain't our deal what happens to him.
It's all planned safe and sure. As for
&
=
&
rl
11730: rel
taiji
ie
Eises
i
gE
;
g
:
i
1
§
§
gEEE
2
4
8
4
:
1]
g
g
#
g
:
g
5
E
2piad
Hl
78
iE
i
5
is
:
_
§
8
i
=
£
§EEF
438%
£8
on the line close to this path.
on their not coming that
falled to reckon with the en-
EEF
-
2
a
;
Limberlost in the wrath of a
He looked again, and it had been a
dream. She was not there. Had she
been? For his life Freckles could not
i tell whether he had really seen the
angel or whether his strained senses | F
had played him the most cruel trick of
all. Or was it not the kindest? Now
he could die with the vision of her
lovely face fresh with him.
“Thank youn for that, O God!"
whispered Freckles. *'T'was more
than kind of you, and 1 don't s'pose 1
ought to be wanting anything more,
but if you can, oh, I wish I could know
before this ends if ‘twas me mother"
Freckles could not even whisper the
words, for he hesitated a second and
ended—*if ‘twas me mother did it!"
“Freckles! Freckles! Oh, Freckles!
the voice of the angel came call
ing. Freckles swayed forward and
wrenched at the rope until it cut deep-
ly into his body.
Black Jack whipped out a revolver
and snatched the gag from Freckles’
mouth.
“Say quick, what's that, or it's up
with you right now and whoever that
is with you!"
“It's the girl the Bird Woman takes
about with her,” whispered Freckles
through dry, swollen lips.
“They ain't due here for five days
yet,” sald Wessuer. “We got on to
that last week." an
“Yes,” sald Freckles, “but I found a
tree covered with butterflies and
things along the east line yesterday
, that I thought the Bird Woman would
want extra, and | went to town for
her last night. She said she'd come
soon, but she didn't say when. I take
care of the girl while the Bird Wom-
an works. Untie me quick until she
is gone. I'll try to send her back,
and then you can go on with your dir-
ty work."
“He ain't lying,” volunteered Wess-
ner. “I saw that tree covered with
butterflies and him watching arcund
it when we were spying on him yes-
“No, he leaves lying to your sort,”
snapped Black Jack as he undid the
rope and pitched it across the room.
“Remember that you're covered every
move you make, my buck,” he caution-
ed.
“Freckles! Freckles!” came the an-
gel's impatient voice. nearer and near-
er,
“I must be answering,” said Frec-
kles, and Jack nodded. “Right here!
he called, and to the men: “You go on
with your work, and remember one
thing yourselves. The work of the
Bird Woman is known all over the
world. This girl's father is a rich
man, and she is all he has, If you
offer hurt of any kind to either of
them this world has no place far
enough away nor dark enough for you
to be hiding in.”
“Freckles, where are you?” demand-
ed the angel.
killing that buck—come to think of it, for h
killing is what he needs. He's away | = Sick rite fen : 3 4, Proosies
to good for this world of woe anyhow. sh ht enter. She
His dropping out won't be the only | ns on apparently giv-
secret the old Limberlost has never yne him a glance, and the first words |
told. It's too dead easy to make it she said were: “Why have the gang |
look like he helped take the timber and ome so soon? I didn’t know you ex-
then cut. Why, he's played right into, ;o.teq them for three weeks yet. Or
{ eamp, and the Bird Woman had
our hands. He was here at the swamp
all last night and back again in an
bour or so. When we get our plan
worked out even old fool Duncan
won't lift a finger to look for his car-
cass.”
“You just bet,” sald Wessper. *“1|
owe him all he'll get. But I'll pay!
he snarled at Freckles.
So it was killing then. They were
not only after this one tree, but \vany, |
and with his body it was their plan
to kill his honor. To brand him al
thief, like them, before the angel, the |
Bird Woman, the dear boss and the |
Duncans! Freckles’ body sagged |
against the ropes in sick despair.
There was no hope of McLean's
coming. They had chosen a day when
they knew he had a big contract at
the south camp. The boss could not |
possibly come before tomorrow,
there would be no tomorrow for him. |
Duncan was on his way to the so |
|
g
18d
she would come as soon as she
After the fatigue of the party it
useless to expect her and the
today, and God save them from
ing!
i
is this some special tree that Mr. Mc-
Lean needs to fill an order right now?”
Freckles hesitated. Would a man
dare lie to save himself? No. But to
save the angel—surely that was differ
ent. He opened his lips, but the an-
gel was capable of saving herself. She |
walked in among them, exactly as if
she had been raised in a lumber camp
and never waited for an answer.
“Why, your specimen case!” she
cried. “Look! Haven't you noticed
that it’s tipped over? Set it straight
quickly!" .
A couple of men stepped out and
carefully righted the case.
“There; that's better,” she said.
“Freckles, I'm surprised at your be-
ing so careless. It would be a shame
to break those lovely butterflies for
one old tree. Is that a valuable tree?
Why didn’t you tell us last night you
were going to take a tree out this
rning? Oh, say, did you put your
there to protect that tree from
t stealing old Black Jack and his
? I bet you did! Well, if that
't bright! What kind of a tree
”m
sEREEE
7
]
:
§
§
g
3
FETAL,
Hi
ll i8;
ES oy
stiffs
ijt if
é
5
§
i
$4
:
R
gs
i
|
i
:
iE §
turned full on Black Jack, and
gave the most beautiful little start of
astonishment.
Of the seven wonders of the modern
world, all are pr incalculable benaft b
man ; mar t orward
his march of py Hops
A comparison with the ancient list is
an eloquent demonstration that the ad-
uxury password
of the ancients ; usefulness that of the
present.—New York American.
eS ————
if physical condition is weak. Exer-
ise guly When the condition is
y. When there weakness, espe-
weakness, the exercise on-
They Come Together
BACKACHE AND KIDNEYACHE ARE USUAL-
LY INSEPARABLE. SOME BELLEFONTE
PEOPLE ARE LEARNING HOW TO
GET RID OF BOTH.
Does your back ever ache?
re, 39990¢ You £28 hard.
A making the
§/5. ou making common mistake
To cure the , You must cure
he kidneys.
pain may cease, but is sureto re-
turn.
You may feel tired and worn-out all the
0 reader can doubt the fol
statement.
It's from a resident of this locality.
Medical.
msc
It's A Cure That's Sure
~FOR-
RHEUMATISM, GOUT,
SCIATICA. AND
— LUMBAGO
We have cured Thousamls with
JONES BREAK-UP
£"0 iT WILL CURE YOU
Always mn stock at
SIDNEY KRUMRINE, Druggist.
Wns ens
LYON & COMPANY.
La Vogue Fashions
We take pleasure in announcing to the Ladies of Centre
county that we are the sole agents of the well-known La Vogue
COATS AND COAT SUITS.
It will also prove quite interesting to all women who are particu
lar in the matter of selecting their garments.
You will find in La Vogue not only pleasing, stylish models
of fashionable trend, but quality, wear-giving material, neatly
and exactingly made by expert tailors. In fact the best in clothes
Linings and Trimming effects await you in a La Vogue garment.
The new fall styles in La Vogue Women’s and Misses’ Suits and
Coats are ready for your inspection.
Lyon & Co. .... Bellefonte
57-25-3m. Bellefonte, Pa.
Yeager’s Shoe Store
Fitzezy
The
Ladies’ Shoe
that
Cures Corns
Sold only at
Yeager’s Shoe Store,
Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, PA.