eat, and
curled over her shoulders. It was all of one piece with the gold of the
sun that filtered between the branches. Her eyes were the deepest blue
of the iris, her lips the reddest red of the foxfire, while her cheeks
were exactly of the same satin as the wild rose petals caressing them.
She was smiling at Freckles in perfect confidence, and she cried:

"Oh, I'm so delighted that I've found you!"

The wildly leaping heart of Freckles burst from his body and fell in the
black swamp-muck at her feet with such a thud that he did not understand
how she could avoid hearing. He really felt that if she looked down she
would see.

Incredulous, he quavered: "An'--an' was you looking for me?"

"I hoped I might find you," said the Angel. "You see, I didn't do as
I was told, and I'm lost. The Bird Woman said I should wait in the
carriage until she came back. She's been gone hours. It's a perfect
Turkish bath in there, and I'm all lumpy with mosquito bites. Just when
I thought that I couldn't bear it another minute, along came the biggest
Papilio Ajax you ever saw. I knew how pleased she'd be, so I ran after
it. It flew so slow and so low that I thought a dozen times I had it.
Then all at once it went from sight above the trees, and I couldn't find
my way back to save me. I think I've walked more than an hour. I have
been mired to my knees. A thorn raked my arm until it is bleeding, and
I'm so tired and warm."

She parted the bushes farther. Freckles saw that her blue cotton frock
clung to her, limp with perspiration. It was torn across the breast. One
sleeve hung open from shoulder to elbow. A thorn had torn her arm until
it was covered with blood, and the gnats and mosquitoes were clustering
around it. Her feet were in lace hose and low shoes. Freckles gasped. In
the Limberlost in low shoes! He caught an armful of moss from his carpet
and buried it in the ooze in front of her for a footing.

"Come out here so I can see where you are stepping. Quick, for the life
of you!" he ordered.

She smiled on him indulgently.

"Why?" she inquired.

"Did anybody let you come here and not be telling you of the snakes?"
urged Freckles.

"We met Mr. McLean on the corduroy, and he did say something about
snakes, I believe. The Bird Woman put on leather leggings, and a nice,
parboiled time she must be having! Worst dose I ever endured, and I'd
nothing to do but swelter."

"Will you be coming out of there?" groaned Freckles.

Sh