Why don't you take this stick for a gun and go skinning a mile ?" Freckles broke into an unrestrained laugh, for the bird-lover was keen about his courting, while evidently his mate was diffident.

When he approached too boisterously, she relieved him of a goodly tuft of feathers and sent him backward in a series of squirmy little jumps that gave the boy an idea of what had happened up-sky to send the falling feather across his pathway.
"Score one for the lady! I'll be umpiring this," volunteered Freckles.
With a ravishing swagger, half-lifted wings, and deep, guttural hissing, the lover approached again.

He suddenly lifted his body, but she coolly rocked forward on the limb, glided gracefully beneath him, and slowly sailed into the Limberlost.

He recovered himself and gazed after her in astonishment.
Freckles hurried down the trail, shaking with laughter.

When he neared the path to the clearing and saw the Boss sitting motionless on the mare that was the pride of his heart, the boy broke into a run.
"Oh, Mr.McLean!" he cried.