“Freckles, your Angel has a spice of the devil in her, but she’s superb!  You needn’t spend any time questioning or bewailing anything she does.  Just worship blindly, my boy.  By heaven! she’s sense, courage, and beauty for half a dozen girls,” said McLean.

“It’s altogether right you are, sir,” affirmed Freckles heartily.  Presently he added, “There’s no question but the series is over now.”

“Don’t think it!” answered McLean.  “The Bird Woman is working for success, and success along any line is not won by being scared out.  She will be back on the usual day, and ten to one, the Angel will be with her.  They are made of pretty stern stuff, and they don’t scare worth a cent.  Before I left, I told the Bird Woman it would be safe; and it will.  You may do your usual walking, but those four guards are there to remain.  They are under your orders absolutely.  They are prohibited from firing on any bird or molesting anything that you want to protect, but there they remain, and this time it is useless for you to say one word.  I have listened to your pride too long.  You are too precious to me, and that voice of yours is too precious to the world to run any more risks.”

“I am sorry to have anything spoil the series,” said Freckles, “and I’d love them to be coming, the Angel especial, but it can’t be.  You’ll have to tell them so.  You see, Jack would have been ready to stake his life she meant what she said and did to him.  When the teams pulled out, Wessner seized me; then he and Jack went to quarreling over whether they should finish me then or take me to the next tree they were for felling.  Between them they were pulling me around and hurting me bad.  Wessner wanted to get at me right then, and Jack said he shouldn’t be touching me till the last tree was out and all the rest of them gone.  I’m belaying Jack really hated to see me done for in the beginning; and I think, too, he was afraid if Wessner finished me then he’d lose his nerve and cut, and they couldn’t be managing the felling without him; anyway, they were hauling me round like I was already past all feeling, and they tied me up again.  To keep me courage up, I twits Wessner about having to tie me and needing another man to help handle me.  I told him what I’d do to him if I was free, and he grabs up me own club and lays open me head with it.  When the blood came streaming, it set Jack raving, and he cursed and damned Wessner for a coward and a softy.  Then Wessner turned on Jack and gives it to him for letting the Angel make a fool of him.  Tells him she was just playing with him, and beyond all manner of doubt she’d gone after you, and there was nothing to do on account of his foolishness but finish me, get out, and let the rest of the timber go, for likely you was on the way right then.  That drove Jack plum crazy.