gives
him a picture. Jim's so proud of what he has he keeps them in the Bible.
He shows them to everybody that comes, and brags about how he helped.
If you're smart, you'll send for her and she'll come and make a picture
just like life. If you help her, she will give you one. It would be
uncommon pretty to keep, after your birds are gone. I dunno what they
are. I never see their like before. They must be something rare. Any you
fellows ever see a bird like that hereabouts?"

No one ever had.

"Well," said the teamster, "failing to get this log lets me off till
noon, and I'm going to town. I go right past her place. I've a big
notion to stop and tell her. If she drives straight back in the swamp
on the west road, and turns east at this big sycamore, she can't miss
finding the tree, even if Freckles ain't here to show her. Jim says
her work is a credit to the State she lives in, and any man is a measly
creature who isn't willing to help her all he can. My old daddy used to
say that all there was to religion was doing to the other fellow what
you'd want him to do to you, and if I was making a living taking bird
pictures, seems to me I'd be mighty glad for a chance to take one like
that. So I'll just stop and tell her, and by gummy! maybe she will give
me a picture of the little white sucker for my trouble."

Freckles touched his arm.

"Will she be rough with it?" he asked.

"Government land! No!" said the teamster. "She's dead down on anybody
that shoots a bird or tears up a nest. Why, she's half killing herself
in all kinds of places and weather to teach people to love and protect
the birds. She's that plum careful of them that Jim's wife says she has
Jim a standin' like a big fool holding an ombrelly over them when they
are young and tender until she gets a focus, whatever that is. Jim says
there ain't a bird on his place that don't actually seem to like having
her around after she has wheedled them a few days, and the pictures she
takes nobody would ever believe who didn't stand by and see."

"Will you he sure to tell her to come?" asked Freckles.

Duncan slept at home that night. He heard Freckles slipping out early
the next morning, but he was too sleepy to wonder why, until he came to
do his morning chores. When he found that none of his stock was at all
thirsty, and saw the water-trough brimming, he knew that the boy was
trying to make up to him for the loss of the big trough that he had been
so anxious to