He stopped when he came to the first guard, and telling him of his luck,
asked him to get the otter and carry it to the cabin, as he was anxious
to meet McLean.
Freckles passed the second guard without seeing him, and hurried to the
Boss. He took off his hat, wiped his forehead, and stood silent under
the eyes of McLean.
The Boss was dumbfounded. Mrs. Duncan had led him to expect that he
would find a change in Freckles, but this was almost deathly. The fact
was apparent that the boy scarcely knew what he was doing. His eyes had
a glazed, far-sighted appearance, that wrung the heart of the man who
loved him. Without a thought of preliminaries, McLean leaned in the
saddle and drew Freckles to him.
"My poor lad!" he said. "My poor, dear lad! tell me, and we will try to
right it!"
Freckles had twisted his fingers in Nellie's mane. At the kind words his
face dropped on McLean's thigh and he shook with a nervous chill. McLean
gathered him closer and waited.
When the guard came with the otter, McLean without a word motioned him
to lay it down and leave them.
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