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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1915-10-21, Page 7October aoth, 1915 THE WINGHAM TIMES Freckles. BY Gene Stratton - Porter Copyright 1904, by Doubleday, Page & Co. PROLOGUE. This romance of Freckles and .the Angel of the Limberlost is one of the most novel, entertain- ing, wholesome and fascinating stories that have come from the pen of an American author in many years. The characters in ,this sylvan tale are.: Freckles, a plucky waif who guards the Limberlost timber leases and dreams of angels. The Swamp Angel, in whom Freckles' sweetest dream ma- tterial izes. McLean, a member of a lumber company, who befriendsFreckles. Mrs. Duncan, who gives moth- er love and a home to Freckles. Duncan, head teamster -of Mc- Lean's timber gang. .411- The Bird Woman, Who, is col- lecting camera studies of birds for a book. Lord and Lady O'More, who =come from Ireland in quest of a lost relative. - The Man of Affairs, brusque ,of manner, but big of heart. Wessner, a timber thief who :Vanes rascality made easy. Black Jack, a villain to whom / . thought of repentance comes too ,late. SYNOPSIS. Freckles, a homeless boy, is hired by Boss McLean to guard the expensive tfm- , ber in the Limberlost from timber thieves. "Freckles does his work faithfully, makes - friends with the birds and yearns to know • more about nature. FIe lives 'with Mr. and Mrs, Duncan. When Flay aY'ter fray the only thing that relieved his utter loneliness was the companionship of the birds and -beasts of the swamp Freckles turned to them for friendship. He began by ,instinctively protecting the weak and .•helpless. He was astonished at the quickness,with which they became ac- customed to nim once they learned that be was not n bunter and that the club be carried was used more Ere- spently for tbeir benetit than his own. ,Ere could scarcely believe what be saw. When black frosts began stripping • the' Limberlost he watchect the depart- Ing.troops or his friends with dismay. IIe made special efforts toward frieud- aness with the hope Witt he cunld•in- duce some of them to stay. It was •then that be conceived the idea ut carrying rood to the birds. for be sa w that they were leas -lug fur lack or It. But be could not stop them. Day after day" flocks gathered and depart- ed.. By the time the tirst snow whit- ened, Ills trail aboet the Limberlost there. were left only' the little black and white juncos. the sapsuckers, yel- lowhammers, a few patriarchs among the flaming cardinals, the bluejays. When the Back Becomes Lame IT ISA SIGN OF KIDNEY TROUBLE Doan's Kidney Pills Cure the aching back by curing the aching kidneys be- neath—for it is really -the kidneys aching and not the back. Doan's Kidney Pills are a special kidney and bladder medicine for the • cure of all kidney troubles. Mrs. Louisa Gonshaw, G83 Manning Ave:, Toronto, Ont., writes: "I take great pleasure in writing you,,stating the benefit I have received by using Doan's Kidney Pills. About three years ago I was terribly afflicted with laine back, and Was so bad I could not even sweep the floor. I was advised to try your pills, and before I had used one box there was a great improvement, and my back was much better. However, I kept on taking them until my back was completely cured. I highly recommend 'Doan's' for lame back." Doan's Kidney Pills are the original pill for the kidneys. See that our trade mark the "Maple Leaf" appears on the wrapper. Dean's Kidney Pills are 50c per hex, 3 boxes for $1.25; at all dealers or resiled direct On receipt of price by The T. Milburn Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont. When ordering direct specify "Doan's." the cl ws find the suis 1. -- Then Freckles began his wizard work. He cleared a space of swale, and twice a day he spread a birds' banquet. By the middle of December the strong winds of winter bad beaten most of the seed from the grass and bushes. The snow fell, covering the swamp, and food was very scarce and hard to find. The birds scarcely wait- ed until Freckles' back was turned to attack his provisions, In a few weeks they flew toward the clearing to meet him. By the bitter weather of Jan- uary they came beltway to the cabin every morning and fluttered about him like doves all the way to the reeding ground. By February ' they would perch on his head and shoulders, and the saucy jays would try to pry into his pockets. Then Freckles added to wheat and crumbs every scrap of refuse food he could find about the cabin. One morn - leg, coming to his feeding ground un- usually early, he found a gorgeous cardinal and a rabbit sociably nibbling a cabbage leaf side by gide, and that instantly gave to him the idea of cracking nuts from the store he had gathered for Duncan's children, for the squirrels, in the effort to add them to bis family. Soon he bad them com- ing—red, gray and black—and he be; came tilled with a vast impatience that he did not know their names nor habits. So the winter passed. Every week McLean rode over to the Limberlost, never on the same day nor of the same hour. The boy's earnings constituted his first money, and wben the boss ex- plained to him that he could leave them safe at a bank and carry away a scrap of, paper that represented the amount he made a deposit on every pay day, keeping out barely what was necessary, for his board and clothing. What'he'wanted to do with his money he did not know, but it gave to him a sense of freedom and power to feel that it was there—it was bis and he eonld have it when he chose. That winter held the first hours of real happiness in Freckles' life. He was free. He was doing a man's work faithfully through every rigor of rain, snow and blizzard. He was gathering a wonderful strength of body, paying his way and saving money. Mrs. Duncan had a hot drink ready for him when he came In from a freez- ing day ,on the trail, knitted a heavy mitten for his left hand, devised a way to sew up and ped the right sleeve which protected the maimed arm in bitter weather, patched his clothing and saved kitchen scraps for his birds, not because she either knew. or cared a rap about them, but because she her- self was near enough 'the swamp to be touched by its utter loneliness. When Duncan laughed at •her for this she re- torted: "My God, mannie, if Freckles kadna the birds and the beasts he would be always alone. It -was never meant for a hutiian being to be an soli- tary." •• r The next mornieg Duncan gave an ear of corn he was -shelling to Frec- kles and told him to crarry it to his wild chickens in the Ltmberlost. Freckles laughed delightedly. "Me chickens!" he said., "Why didn't i ever, think g' that before? Of coarse the are They are just little brightly colored cocks and bens But what world you say to me 'wild chickens' be- ing a good deal tamer than yours here inour yard?" y "Hoot, lad!" cried Duncan. "Make yours light ^n your head and eat out of your ha; es and pockets," challenged Freckles. "Go tell your fairy tales to the wee people! They're juist brash on be- lievin' things," said Duncan. "I dare you •to come see!" retorted Freckles. "Take yet" said Duncan. "If ye make juist ane bird licbt on your held or eat free your hand ye are free to help yoursel' to my corncrib and wheat bin the rest of dee winter." Atter that Freckles always spoke of 'lie birds as his chickens. The next 1litbbath Duncap, with bis wife and cliiJ1Tren, 3oi owed- Heckles" fes- the swamp. Freckles' chickens were awaiting him at the edge of the clearing. They cut the frosty aft about his head into curves and circles of crimson, blue and black. They chased each other from Freckles and swept se closely them- selves that they brushed him with their outspread win; s. . . at ibeir rec erg ground Freckles set down his oiii pail ot scraps and swept the snow from a small level space with a broom improvised Prow twigs. As soon as bis back was turned the birds clustered over tbe food, snatching scraps to carry to the nearest bushes. Several of the boldest, a big prow and a couple of jays, settled on the rim and feasted at leisure, svhile u cardi- nal that hesitated to ver Imre fumed and scolded from a twig overhead. Then Freckles scattered his store. At once the ground resembled the spread mantle of Montezuma, except that this mass of gayly colored feathers was on the backs of living birds, While -they feasted Duncan gripped Lis wife's arm and stared In astonishment, for from the bushes and dry grass with gentle cheeping and queer, throaty chatter, as if to encourage each other, came flocks of quail. Before any one saw It arrive a big gray rabbit sat in the midst of the feast, contentedly, gnawing a cabbage leaf. "Weel, I' be drawed on!" came Mrs. Duncan's tense whisper. "Shu-shu!" cautioned Duncan. Lastly Freckles took off his cap, 116 began filling it withhandfuls of wheat from his pockets. In a swarm the grain eaters rose about bim like a flock ot tame pigeons. They perched on hie arms and the cap, and, in the stress of hunger forgetting all caution, a brie liant cock cardinal and, an equally; gaudy jay fought for a perching place on his head. "Weel, I'm !?Qat!" muttered Duncan, forgetting the eilence imposed on the wife. "I'll bae to give in. t3eein' is believin ." A week later Duncan and Freckles rose from breakfast to face the bitter- est morning of the winter. When Freckles, warmly capped and gloved, stepped to the corner of the kitchen for his scrap pail he found a pan of steaming boiled wheat on tbe top of it. He wheeled to Mrs. Duncan with a shining face. "Were you fixing this warm food for me chic ns or yours?" he asked. • "It's 15r yours; Freckles," she said. Freckles faced Mrs. Duncan with a trace of every pang of starved mother hunger he had ever suffered written large on his homely, splotched, narrow features. "Oh. how I wish you were my moth - err he cried. "Lord love the lad!" exclaimed Mrs. Duncan. "Why, Freckles, are ye no bricht enough to learn without being taught by a woman that I am your Wither? If a great man like yoursel' dinna ken that, learnsit now and ne'er forget it. Ance a wolhaan is the wife of any man she becomes wife to all men for having had the wifely ex- perience zperience she kens! Ance a man child has beaten bis way to life under the heart of a woman she is mother to all men, for the hearts of mithere are everywhere the same. Bless "ye. !ad- dle, I" am ypur mither!" She tucked the coarse scarf she bad knit for bim closer over his chest and pulled his cap lower about his ears, but Freckles, whipping it off and hold- ing Reinder his arm, caught her rough, reddened hand and pressed it to hit lips in a long kiss, , Then he hurried away to hide the happy, embarrassing tears that Were, coming straight from his swelling heart. Mrs. Duncan threw herself into Dun - can's arms. "Oh,,the flute she walled.. "Oil, the pule mither hungry rad!- He break* my heart!" Duncan's arms closed convulsively, about his wife. With a big brown hand he lovingly stroked her rough sorrel hair. "Sarah, you're a guid womanl" he said. "You're a michty guid women! Ye bae a• way o' apeakin' out at times that's like the inspired prophets of the Lord." All through the winter Freckles' en- tire energy was given to keeping up his lines and his "chickens" from freezing or starving. When the first breath of spring touched the Limber - lost `and the snow receded before it; when the catkins began to bloom; when there came a hint of green to the trees, bushes and swale; when the rushes lifted their beads and the pulse of the newly resurrected season beat strong in the heart of nature, something new, stirred in the breast of the boy. Nature always levies ber tribute. Now she laid a powerful' band on the soul of Freckles, to which the boy's whole being responded, though he bad not the least idea what was troubling him.' Duncan accepted his wife's the ere that it was a touch of spring rever, bat Freckles knew better. He tad never been so well. CHAPTER, III. A FSATHE'R mete. HE sounds that had at flrst struck cold fear into Freckles' soul be now knew had left on wing and silent foot at the approach of winter. As flock after flock ofthe birds returned and he recognized the old echoes reawakening he found to his surprise that be bad been lonely for them and was hailing their return with great joy. He was possessed of an overpowering desire to know what they were, to learn where they had been and whether they would make friends with him as the winter binds had done, and if they did would they be as fickle? For with the running sap, creeping worm and wing- ing beer most of Freckles' "chickens" had deserted him, entered the swamp and feasted to such a state of plethora on its store that they cared little for his supply, so that in the days of mat- ing and not building the boy was de- serted. The yearly resurrection of the Lim- berlost is a mighty rovival. Freckles stood back and watched with awe and envy the gradual reclothing- and, me D PALPITATION OF THE HEART. Sudden fright or emotion maycause a momentary arrest of the heart's action, or some excitement or apprehension may set up a rapid action. of the heart thereby causing palpitation,. Palpitation, again, is often the result of digestive di!,orders arising from the stomach, or may be the result of over indulgence of tobacco or alcoholic drinks. The only way to regulate this serious heart trouble is to use Milburn's Heart and Nerve Pills. Mrs. 5. S. Nicholls, Listowell, Ont., writes: "I was weak and run down, my heart would palpitate and I would take weak and dizzy spells. A friend ad- vised me to try Milburn's Heart and Nerve Pills, so I started at once to use them, and found that I felt much stronger. I cannot praise your medicine too highly, for it has done me a world of good." Milbunt's Heart and Nerve Pills are 50c per box, 3 boxes for $1.25; at all dealers, . or mailed direct by The T. Milburn Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont. populating of be swamp. Keen eyed and 'alert through danger and loneli- ness, be noted every stage of develop- ment from the first piping frog and un- sheathing bud to full leafage and the return of the last emigrant. The knowledge of his complete lone- liness and utter insignificance was hourly thrust upon him. He brooded and fretted until he was in a fever, and yet he never guessed the cause. Ile was filled with a vast impatience and a longing that would not much further be denied. It was Tune by the zodiac, June by the Limberlost, and by every delight of a newly resurrected season it should have been June in the bearts of all men. Yet Freckles • scowled darkly as he came down the trail, and the run- ning tap. tap which tested the sagging wire and telegraphed word of his com- ing to Ms furred and feathered friends of the swamp this morning carried the story of his discontent a mile ahead of him. Freckles' special pet, a dainty yellow coated, black .sleeved cock goldfinch, bad for several days past remained on the wire, the bravest of all, and Freckles, absorbed with the cunning and beauty of the tiny fellow, never guessed the be was being duped, for the goldfinch 'was skipping, flirting and swinging for the express purpose of holding his attention that he would not look up and see a small cradle of thistledown and wool perilously near his head. , A peculiar movement uander a small walnut tree caught his eye. He stop- ped to investigate. It Was an un - Usually large Luna cocoon, and the moth was just bursting the upper end in its struggles to reach light and air. Freckles stood and stared. "There's something in there trying to get out," he muttered. "Wonder if I could help it? Guess 1 best not be trying. If I hadn't happened along there wouldn't have been .any one to help it, and maybe I'd only be hurting It. It's—it's—oh, skaggany! It's just being born!" Freckles gasped with surprise. The moth cleared the opening and with great wobblings and contortions climb- ed up the tree: He stared, speechless with amazement as the moth crept around a limb and clung to the under- side. There was a great pursy body almost as large as his thumb and o1 the very snowiest white that Freckles bad ever seen. There was a band of delicate lavender across its forehead, and its feet were of the same color. There were antlers like tiny straw colored ferns on its head and on its shoulders little wet looking flaps no bigger than his thumb nail. Freckles saw that those queer little wet look- ing things were expanding, drooping, taking on color, and small oval mark - Ings were beginning to show. The minutes went by. Freckles' steady gaze never wavered. Without realizing it he was trembling with eagerness and anxiety. As he saw 'what was taking place "It's going to bave„wings" he breathed in hushed ThermY of Constipation le Growing Smaller Every Dray. CARTER'S LITTLE LIVER PILLS are responsible—they not only give relief— they permanently cure Constipa- tion. Mil- lions use them for nous. !TTL IVER ness, Indigestion, Sick Headache, Sallow Skin. Small Pill, Small Dose, Small Price,, Genuine must bear Signature /10-e—AZe. lvoncter: The mtirniiiseuu fell on the moth and dried its velvet down, and the bat air trade It fluffy. The rtrpld- ly growing wings began to appear to be of the most delicate green, with lav- ender fore ribs, transparent, eye shap- ed markings edged with lines ot red, tan and black and long, crisp trailers. Freckles was whispering to himself tor fear'oi disturbing the Moth. It be- gan a systematic exercise of raising And lowering its exquisite wings to dry them and to establish circulation. Freckles realized that it would soon be able to spread them and sail away. His long coming soul sent up its first shivering cry. "I don't know what It is. Oh, I wish I knew! How I wish I knew! It must be something grand. It can't be a butterfly. It's away too big. Oh, I wish there was some one to tell me what it is!" He climbed on the locust post and, balancing himself by the wire, held a finger in the line of the moth's advance up the twig. It unhesitatingly climbed on. and he stepped back to the path, holding it up to the light and examin- ing it closely. Then he held it in the shade and turned it, gloating over its .markings and beautiful coloring.. When he held the moth back ,to the limb it climbed on, still waving those magniti• ceut wings. "My, but I'd like to be staying with you!" be said. "But if I was to stay here all day you couldn't get any pret. tier thnn you are right now and 1 wouldn't get smart enough to tell what you are. I suppose there's some one that knows. Of course there is. Mr. McLean said there were people that knew every leaf. bird and flower in the Limberlost. Oh, lord, how I wish you'd be telling me just this sue thing!" The goldfinch had ventured back to rhe wire, for there was his mate only a few inches above the man creature's tread, and, indeed, he simply must no be allowed to look up just them, so the brave little fellow rocked on the wire and piped up, just as he had done ev ery day for a week, "See me; see me?' "See you! Of course .I see you, growled Freckles. "I see you day aft er day, and what good is it doing me? I might see you every morning for a year and then not be able to be telling any one about it. 'Seen a bird—little and yellow as any canary, with black silk wings." That's as far as I'd get. What you doing here anyway? Have you a mate? What's your name? 'See y'ou?' I reckon I see you, but 1 might as well be blind for any good it's doing me!" Freckles impatiently struck the wire. With a screech of fear the goldfinch fled precipitately. Elis mate tore from off the nest with a whirr. Freckles looked up and saw it. , "0 -bo!" he cried. "So that's what you are doing here! You have a wife." Freckles climbed up to examine the neat, tiny cradle and its contents. The hen darted at him in a frenzy. "Now, where do you come in?" he demanded when he saw that she was not like the goldfinch. "You be clearing out of here! This is none of your fry. This is the nest of me little yellow friend of the wire, and you shan't be touching it. Don't blame you for wanting to see though. My', but it's a fine nest and beauties of eggs. Will you be keeping away or will I fire this stick at you?" Freckles dropped back to the trail. The hen darted to the nest and settled on it with a tender, coddling move- ment. He of the yellow coat dew to the eclge to make sure that everything `'as right. "Well, I'll be switched!" muttered Freckles. "If that ain't both their uest! And he's yellow and she's green, or she's yellow and he's green. Of course I don't know, and I haven't any way to find opt. but it's plain as the nose on your face that they are both ready to be fighting for that nest, so of course they belong. Don't that beat you? Say, that's what's been sticking me for all of these two weeks on that grass nest in the thorn tree clown the line. One day a bluebird is setting, and I think it is hers. The next day a brown bird is on, and 1 chase it off because the nest is blue's. Next day the brown bird Is on again, and I let her be because I think it must be hers. Next day, be golly, blue's on again, and off 1 sent her be- cause it's brown's, and now 1 bet my hat it's both their nest. and I've only been bothering them and making a big fool of meself." Freckles plodded on down the nail. scowling blackly and viciously spring- ing the wire. At the !Indies' nest he left the line and peered into the thorn tree. There was no bird brooding. I -le pressed closer to talc 0 peep a t the snowy, spotless little oggs he had found so beautiful. and at the slight noise up Ilnred four tinbaby hen do 1y with wide open mouths and hunger cries. Freckles stepped hack. The brown bird lit un the edge and closed one cavity with a wiggling green worm, and not two minutes later the blue tilled anutiter with something white That settled it. The blue and brown were mates. Once agate Freckles retreated his "Clow I wish I knew!" About the bridge spanning Sleepy Snake creek the sWale spread wide. the timber largely dropped away, and willows, rushes, marsh grass and splendid will flowers grew Abundant- ly. Lazy big black water snakes, for which the creek was named, sunned on the bushes, Wild ducks and grebe chat- tered, cranes and herons fished, and muskrats plowed the bank in queer, rolling furrows. It was always a place full of interest to Freckles. Freckles struck slowly into the path leading from the bridge to the line. It was the one spot at which be might relax his vigilance. The greatest tim- ber thief the swamp bad ever known would nee Iheve attempted to, enter it e • ';1u w„ V ,11 I' it Hifi p,m iIIQr' All 1411;; :,III •l. ,li, ii 1111 l• MR 42. The leoprielaiyor fhteul fledicinekt. AVegetable Preparation trmliating IheFoodandReoulae ling lheSlomachsand Bowelsof INFANTS 'CHILDREN Promo (es Digestion Cheerful- ness and RestContalns neittrr Opiunt.Morphine nor Miura] NOT NARC O TIC. Re ofOltILIr t11LFlPfIIW JJ1 Ihnp.,fin Seed- 4&Senna + I?o ei(cSdfs- wfitiscSeed fll nelitadas NSem Scrd- ardkd Jbrpr • tidurreent'irtw: Aperfect Remedy forConsiipa- lion, SourStomach,Diarrhoea, Worms.Convulsions.Feverish- ness and LOSS OFSLEEP. Facsimile Signalureof 711E CENTAUR COMPANY. MONTREAL&NEW YORK Atbmonths old 3S D USES, —35 CENTS Exact Copy of Wrapper. r..ge 7 CASTORIA For Infants and Children. t Mothers Know That Genuine Castoria t; Always Bears the Signature of «t. In Use For Over Thirty Years CASTORIA TNC et NTI.0 1. ePH PANY. NCW YP111C CITY- . �:za wi.is•'�. 1 by the month of itis creek on oedema of the water and because there was no protection from surrounding trees. He was swishing the rank grass with his cudgel and thinking of the shade the denser swamp afforded when he suddenly dodged sidewise. The cud- gel whistled sharply through the air and Freckles sprang baelr. Out of the clear.sky above him, first level with his face, then. skimming, dipping, tilting, whirling until it lit quill down in the path in front of him, came a glossy, iridescent big black feather. As it struck the ground Freckles snatched it up and with an almost continuous movement faced the sky. There was not a tree of any size in a large open space. From the clear sky it had fallen, and Freckles, gazing eagerly into the arch of June blue with a few lazy clouds floating far up in the sea of ether, had neither mind nor knowledge to dream of a bird banging as if frozen there. He turned the big quill ques- tioningly, and again bis awed eyes swept the sky. "A feather dropped from heaven!” he breathed reverently. "Are the holy angels 'molting? But, no; if they were it would be white. Maybe all the an- gels are not for being `white. What it the angels of God are white and those of the devil are .black? But a black one has no business up there. Maybe some poor black angel is so tired of be- ing punished it's for slipping up to the gates, beating its wings trying to make the Master bear!" Again and again Freckles searched the sky, but there was no answering gleam of golden gates, no form of sail- ing bird. Then he went slowly on his way, turning the feather over and wondering about it. it wa&" a whsg quill eighteen inches in length, with a nig, heavy spine, gray at the base, shading to jet black at tbe tip, and it ccught the play of the sun's rays in slanting gleams of green and bronze. Again Freckles' "old man of the sea" sat sullen and heavy on his shoulders and weighted him down until his step lagged and his heart ached. "Where did it come from? What is it? Ob, how I wish 1 knew!" be kept repeating. Before him spread a great green pool, filled with rotting logs and leaves, bordered with delicate ferns and grasses, among which lifted the creamy spikes of the arrowhead, the blue of water hyacinth and the deli- cate yellow of the jewel flower. As Freckles leaned, handling the feather and staring first at it and then into the depths of the pool, he once more gave voice to his old query, "I won- der what it is?" Straight across from him,couched ed in the mosses of a soggy old log, a big green bullfrog, with palpitant throat and batting eyes, lifted his head and bellowed in answer, "Fin' dout, tin' gout!" "Wha-what's that?" stammered Freckles, almost too much taken aback to speak. "I—I know you are only a bullfrog; but, be jabers, that sound- ed mightily like speech. Wouldn't you please to be saying it over?" The bullfrog cuddled contentedly in the ooze. Then suddenly he lifted his voice and, like an imperative drum - boat, rolled it again, "Fin' Bout, fin' dout, fin' doutl" Freckles bad the answer. Like the lightning's flash, something seemed to snap in his brain. There was a wavering flame before bis eyes. Then his mind cleared. His head lift- ed ifted in a new poise, his shoulders squar- ed, and his spine straightened. The agony was over. His soul floated free. Freckles came into his birthright, "Before God, I will!" He uttered the oath so impressively that the record- ing,angel neeVerewinced as he posted it ufTin ifie-peayer column: ` -• - Freckles set his hat overthe top of one of the locust posts used between trees to hold up the wire and fastened the feather securely in the band. Then he started down the line, talking to himself as men that have worked long alone always fall into the habit of do- ing. "What a fool I have been!" be mut- tered. "Of course that's what I have to do. There wouldn't likely anybody be doing it for me. Of course I can! What am I a man for? It I was a four footed thing of the swamp maybe I couldn't, but a man can do anything if be's the grit to work ,hard enough and stick at it, Mr. McLean is always saying, and here's the way I nm to do it. He said, too, that there were peo- ple that knew everything in the swamp. Of course they have written books. The thing for me to be doing is to quit moping and be buying me some books. Never bought a book in me life or anything else of much ac- count, for that matter. Ob, ain't 1 glad I didn't waste me money! I'll surely be having enough to get a few. Let me see." (TO BE CONTINUED.) SURROUNDING AN ARMY. Turning the Enemy's Flanks and Rr11- ing Up the Entire Line. Those not fatuiliar with military tad. tips have a very vague idea as to how an army is surrounded. It is generally believed that a cuunnnnder who schemes to encircle his enemy with an impenetrable ring of guns and men must conceive some method of maneu- vering his troops round to the rear of his opponent's army. It is possible, however, for a geueral well versed in field tactics to cleverly "roll up" a huge body of troops by frontal nttack 1)4000. This is accomplished by means of think- ing hanking movements. For purposes'of example let us imag- ine two armies facing one another drawn up in two long lines. Behind one of the battle lines a body of re- serve troops stealthily matte their way over to the right. Their purpose is to make a sudden onslaught on one end of the enemy's line. At exactly the right moment, when the artillery tire is at its fiercest, the reserve troops violently at, tack the forces situated at the extreme left of the enemy's front. rt Thee atrarit- ing force, owing to its overwhelming numbers. bends had: the Incl of the assailed army. "it refuses its right" as military 111011 say. At the opposite end of the line 0 simi- lar attach is launched, which Inas the effect of forcing back the eneIr1,V's right. An army which "refuses" al. most at the same time its "left" and "right" wings is 00011100. Unless a very speedy retreat -is carried out the whole force is "rolled up," as both ite flanks are freed back. As the right and left flanks of the enemy give ground the attacking troops slowly force their way to the rear of the assailed army, closing in the while. Tile result is that within a few hours the defeated force is entirely surrounded, although in the first in- stance It was attacked from its front alone.--Peat•son's Weekly. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTOR[A