d teeth.

"He's going to do it!" whispered the Angel. "That will come next. You'll
best give me that bulb!"

"Yis," assented Freckles, but he was looking at the log and he made no
move to relinquish the bulb.

Little Chicken nodded daintily and ruffled his feathers. He gave his
head sundry little sidewise jerks and rapidly shifted his point of
vision. Once there was the fleeting little ghost of a smirk.

"Now!--No!" snapped the Angel.

Freckles leaned toward the bird. Tensely he waited. Unconsciously the
hand of the Angel clasped his. He scarcely knew it was there. Suddenly
Little Chicken sprang straight in the air and landed with a thud. The
Angel started slightly, but Freckles was immovable. Then, as if in
approval of his last performance, the big, overgrown baby wheeled until
he was more than three-quarters, almost full side, toward the camera,
straightened on his legs, squared his shoulders, stretched his neck full
height, drew in his chin and smirked his most pronounced smirk, directly
in the face of the lens.

Freckles' fingers closed on the bulb convulsively, and the Angel's
closed on his at the instant. Then she heaved a great sigh of relief and
lifted her hands to push back the damp, clustering hair from her face.

"How soon do you s'pose it will be finished?" came Freckles' strident
whisper.

For the first time the Angel looked at him. He was on his knees, leaning
forward, his eyes directed toward the bird, the perspiration running in
little streams down his red, mosquito-bitten face. His hat was awry, his
bright hair rampant, his breast heaving with excitement, while he yet
gripped the bulb with every ounce of strength in his body.

"Do you think we were for getting it?" he asked.

The Angel could only nod. Freckles heaved a deep sigh of relief.

"Well, if that ain't the hardest work I ever did in me life!" he
exclaimed. "It's no wonder the Bird Woman's for coming out of the swamp
looking as if she's been through a fire, a flood, and a famine, if
that's what she goes through day after day. But if you think we got it,
why, it's worth all it took, and I'm glad as ever you are, sure!"

They put the holders in the case, carefully closed the camera, set it in
also, and carried it to the road.

Then Freckles exulted.

"Now, let's be telling the Bird Woman about it!" he shouted, wildly
dancing and swinging his hat.

"We got it! We got it! I bet a farm we got it!"

Hand in hand they ran to the nor