wanting me or care to bother with
me."

The Angel's father looked keenly into the face of this extraordinary
young man, for he found it to his liking.

"There's one other thing I meant to say," said Freckles. "Every day I
see something, and at times a lot of things, that I think the Bird Woman
would be wanting pictures of badly, if she knew. You might be speaking
of it to her, and if she'd want me to, I can send her word when I find
things she wouldn't likely get elsewhere."

"If that's the case," said the Angel's father, "and you feel under
obligations for her assistance the other day, you can discharge them in
that way. She is spending all her time in the fields and woods searching
for subjects. If you run across things, perhaps rarer than she may find,
about your work, it would save her the time she spends searching for
subjects, and she could work in security under your protection. By all
means let her know if you find subjects you think she could use, and we
will do anything we can for you, if you will give her what help you can
and see that she is as safe as possible."

"It's hungry for human beings I am," said Freckles, "and it's like
Heaven to me to have them come. Of course, I'll be telling or sending
her word every time me work can spare me. Anything I can do it would
make me uncommon happy, but"--again truth had to be told, because it was
Freckles who was speaking--"when it comes to protecting them, I'd risk
me life, to be sure, but even that mightn't do any good in some cases.
There are many dangers to be reckoned with in the swamp, sir, that call
for every person to look sharp. If there wasn't really thieving to guard
against, why, McLean wouldn't need be paying out good money for a guard.
I'd love them to be coming, and I'll do all I can, but you must be told
that there's danger of them running into timber thieves again any day,
sir."

"Yes," said the Angel's father, "and I suppose there's danger of the
earth opening up and swallowing the town any day, but I'm damned if
I quit business for fear it will, and the Bird Woman won't, either.
Everyone knows her and her work, and there is no danger in the world
of anyone in any way molesting her, even if he were stealing a few of
McLean's gold-plated trees. She's as safe in the Limberlost as she is at
home, so far as timber thieves are concerned. All I am ever uneasy about
are the snakes, poison-vines, and insects; and those are risks she must
run anywhere