The Greatest Children's Books - Gene Stratton-Porter Edition. Stratton-Porter Gene

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СКАЧАТЬ stopped short and raised questioning eyes to McLean.

      “I can't help being Irish, but I can help being superstitious,” he said. “I mustn't be laying it to the Almighty, or to me bird, must I?”

      “No, dear lad,” said McLean, stroking the brilliant hair. “The choice lay with you. You could have stood a rooted dolt like all the remainder of us. It was through your great love and your high courage that you made the sacrifice.”

      “Don't you be so naming it, sir!” cried Freckles. “It's just the reverse. If I could be giving me body the hundred times over to save hers from this, I'd be doing it and take joy with every pain.”

      He turned with a smile of adoring tenderness to the Angel. She was ghastly white, and her eyes were dull and glazed. She scarcely seemed to hear or understand what was coming, but she bravely tried to answer that smile.

      “Is my forehead covered with dirt?” he asked.

      She shook her head.

      “You did once,” he gasped.

      Instantly she laid her lips on his forehead, then on each cheek, and then in a long kiss on his lips.

      McLean bent over him.

      “Freckles,” he said brokenly, “you will never know how I love you. You won't go without saying good-bye to me?”

      That word stung the Angel to quick comprehension. She started as if arousing from sleep.

      “Good-bye?” she cried sharply, her eyes widening and the color rushing into her white face. “Good-bye! Why, what do you mean? Who's saying good-bye? Where could Freckles go, when he is hurt like this, save to the hospital? You needn't say good-bye for that. Of course, we will all go with him! You call up the men. We must start right away.”

      “It's no use, Angel,” said Freckles. “I'm thinking ivry bone in me breast is smashed. You'll have to be letting me go!”

      “I will not,” said the Angel flatly. “It's no use wasting precious time talking about it. You are alive. You are breathing; and no matter how badly your bones are broken, what are great surgeons for but to fix you up and make you well again? You promise me that you'll just grit your teeth and hang on when we hurt you, for we must start with you as quickly as it can be done. I don't know what has been the matter with me. Here's good time wasted already.”

      “Oh, Angel!” moaned Freckles, “I can't! You don't know how bad it is. I'll die the minute you are for trying to lift me!”

      “Of course you will, if you make up your mind to do it,” said the Angel. “But if you are determined you won't, and set yourself to breathing deep and strong, and hang on to me tight, I can get you out. Really you must, Freckles, no matter how it hurts, for you did this for me, and now I must save you, so you might as well promise.”

      She bent over him, trying to smile encouragement with her fear-stiffened lips.

      “You will promise, Freckles?”

      Big drops of cold sweat ran together on Freckles' temples.

      “Angel, darlin' Angel,” he pleaded, taking her hand in his. “You ain't understanding, and I can't for the life of me be telling you, but indade, it's best to be letting me go. This is my chance. Please say good-bye, and let me slip off quick!”

      He appealed to McLean.

      “Dear Boss, you know! You be telling her that, for me, living is far worse pain than dying. Tell her you know death is the best thing that could ever be happening to me!”

      “Merciful Heaven!” burst in the Angel. “I can't endure this delay!”

      She caught Freckles' hand to her breast, and bending over him, looked deeply into his stricken eyes.

      “'Angel, I give you my word of honor that I will keep right on breathing.' That's what you are going to promise me,” she said. “Do you say it?”

      Freckles hesitated.

      “Freckles!” imploringly commanded the Angel, “YOU DO SAY IT!”

      “Yis,” gasped Freckles.

      The Angel sprang to her feet.

      “Then that's all right,” she said, with a tinge of her old-time briskness. “You just keep breathing away like a steam engine, and I will do all the remainder.”

      The eager men gathered around her.

      “It's going to be a tough pull to get Freckles out,” she said, “but it's our only chance, so listen closely and don't for the lives of you fail me in doing quickly what I tell you. There's no time to spend falling down over each other; we must have some system. You four there get on those wagon horses and ride to the sleeping-tent. Get the stoutest cot, a couple of comforts, and a pillow. Ride back with them some way to save time. If you meet any other men of the gang, send them here to help carry the cot. We won't risk the jolt of driving with him. The others clear a path out to the road; and Mr. McLean, you take Nellie and ride to town. Tell my father how Freckles is hurt and that he risked it to save me. Tell him I'm going to take Freckles to Chicago on the noon train, and I want him to hold it if we are a little late. If he can't, then have a special ready at the station and another on the Pittsburgh at Fort Wayne, so we can go straight through. You needn't mind leaving us. The Bird Woman will be here soon. We will rest awhile.”

      She dropped into the muck beside Freckles and began stroking his hair and hand. He lay with his face of agony turned to hers, and fought to smother the groans that would tell her what he was suffering.

      When they stood ready to lift him, the Angel bent over him in a passion of tenderness.

      “Dear old Limberlost guard, we're going to lift you now,” she said. “I suspect you will faint from the pain of it, but we will be as easy as ever we can, and don't you dare forget your promise!”

      A whimsical half-smile touched Freckles' quivering lips.

      “Angel, can a man be remembering a promise when he ain't knowing?” he asked.

      “You can,” said the Angel stoutly, “because a promise means so much more to you than it does to most men.”

      A look of strength flashed into Freckles' face at her words.

      “I am ready,” he said.

      With the first touch his eyes closed, a mighty groan was wrenched from him, and he lay senseless. The Angel gave Duncan one panic-stricken look. Then she set her lips and gathered her forces again.

      “I guess that's a good thing,” she said. “Maybe he won't feel how we are hurting him. Oh boys, are you being quick and gentle?”

      She stepped to the side of the cot and bathed Freckles' face. Taking his hand in hers, she gave the word to start. She told the men to ask every able-bodied man they met to join them so that they could change carriers often and make good time.

      The Bird Woman insisted upon taking the Angel into the carriage and following the cot, but she refused to leave Freckles, and suggested that the Bird Woman drive ahead, СКАЧАТЬ