She will require coaxing."
"The Lord be praised!" muttered Freckles under his breath.
The Bird Woman began to feel better.
"Why do you call the baby vulture 'Little Chicken'?" she asked, leaning
toward Freckles in an interested manner.
"'Twas Duncan began it," said Freckles. "You see, through the fierce
cold of winter the birds of the swamp were almost starving. It is
mighty lonely here, and they were all the company I was having. I got to
carrying scraps and grain down to them. Duncan was that ginerous he was
giving me of his wheat and corn from his chickens' feed, and he called
the birds me swamp chickens. Then when these big black fellows came,
Mr. McLean said they were our nearest kind to some in the old world
that they called 'Pharaoh's Chickens,' and he called mine 'Freckles'
Chickens.'"
"Good enough!" cried the Bird Woman, her splotched purple face lighting
with interest. "You must shoot something for them occasionally, and I'll
bring more food when I come. If you will help me keep them until I
get my series, I'll give you a copy of each study I make, mounted in a
book.
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