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diff --git a/old/frain10.txt b/old/frain10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92c05bc --- /dev/null +++ b/old/frain10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7164 @@ +***The Project Gutenberg Etext of At the Foot of the Rainbow*** +#5 in our series by Gene Stratton-Porter + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +At the Foot of the Rainbow + +by Gene Stratton-Porter + + + + +"And the bow shall be set in the cloud; and I will look upon it, +that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and +every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." +--GENESIS, ix-16. + + + + +Contents +I. THE RAT-CATCHERS OF THE WABASH +II. RUBEN O'KHAYAM AND THE MILK PAIL +III. THE FIFTY COONS OF THE CANOPER +IV. WHEN THE KINGFISHER AND THE BLACK BASS CAME HOME +V. WHEN THE RAINBOW SET ITS ARCH IN THE SKY +VI. THE HEART OF MARY MALONE +VII. THE APPLE OF DISCORD BECOMES A JOINTED ROD +VIII. WHEN THE BLACK BASS STRUCK +IX. WHEN JIMMY MALONE CAME TO CONFESSION +X. DANNIE'S RENUNCIATION +XI. THE POT OF GOLD + + + + + +GENE STRATTON-PORTER + +A LITTLE STORY OF HER LIFE AND WORK + + +For several years Doubleday, Page & Company have been receiving +repeated requests for information about the life and books of +Gene Stratton-Porter. Her fascinating nature work with bird, +flower, and moth, and the natural wonders of the Limberlost +Swamp, made famous as the scene of her nature romances, all have +stirred much curiosity among readers everywhere. + +Mrs. Porter did not possess what has been called "an aptitude for +personal publicity." Indeed, up to the present, she has +discouraged quite successfully any attempt to stress the personal +note. It is practically impossible, however, to do the kind of +work she has done--to make genuine contributions to natural +science by her wonderful field work among birds, insects, and +flowers, and then, through her romances, to bring several hundred +thousands of people to love and understand nature in a way they +never did before-- without arousing a legitimate interest in her +own history, her ideals, her methods of work, and all that +underlies the structure of her unusual achievement. + +Her publishers have felt the pressure of this growing interest +and it was at their request that she furnished the data for a +biographical sketch that was to be written of her. But when this +actually came to hand, the present compiler found that the author +had told a story so much more interesting than anything he could +write of her, that it became merely a question of how little need +be added. + +The following pages are therefore adapted from what might be +styled the personal record of Gene Stratton-Porter. This will +account for the very intimate picture of family life in the +Middle West for some years following the Civil War. + +Mark Stratton, the father of Gene Stratton-Porter, described his +wife, at the time of their marriage, as a "ninety-pound bit of +pink porcelain, pink as a wild rose, plump as a partridge, +having a big rope of bright brown hair, never ill a day in her +life, and bearing the loveliest name ever given a woman--Mary." +He further added that "God fashioned her heart to be gracious, +her body to be the mother of children, and as her especial gift +of Grace, he put Flower Magic into her fingers." Mary Stratton +was the mother of twelve lusty babies, all of whom she reared +past eight years of age, losing two a little over that, through +an attack of scarlet fever with whooping cough; too ugly a +combination for even such a wonderful mother as she. With this +brood on her hands she found time to keep an immaculate house, to +set a table renowned in her part of the state, to entertain with +unfailing hospitality all who came to her door, to beautify her +home with such means as she could command, to embroider and +fashion clothing by hand for her children; but her great gift +was conceded by all to be the making of things to grow. At that +she was wonderful. She started dainty little vines and climbing +plants from tiny seeds she found in rice and coffee. Rooted +things she soaked in water, rolled in fine sand, planted +according to habit, and they almost never failed to justify her +expectations. She even grew trees and shrubs from slips and +cuttings no one else would have thought of trying to cultivate, +her last resort being to cut a slip diagonally, insert the lower +end in a small potato, and plant as if rooted. And it nearly +always grew! + +There is a shaft of white stone standing at her head in a +cemetery that belonged to her on a corner of her husband's land; +but to Mrs. Porter's mind her mother's real monument is a cedar +of Lebanon which she set in the manner described above. The cedar +tops the brow of a little hill crossing the grounds. She carried +two slips from Ohio, where they were given to her by a man who +had brought the trees as tiny things from the holy Land. She +planted both in this way, one in her dooryard and one in her +cemetery. The tree on the hill stands thirty feet tall now, +topping all others, and has a trunk two feet in circumference. + +Mrs. Porter's mother was of Dutch extraction, and like all Dutch +women she worked her special magic with bulbs, which she favoured +above other flowers. Tulips, daffodils, star flowers, lilies, +dahlias, little bright hyacinths, that she called "blue bells," +she dearly loved. From these she distilled exquisite perfume by +putting clusters, & time of perfect bloom, in bowls lined with +freshly made, unsalted butter, covering them closely, and cutting +the few drops of extract thus obtained with alcohol. "She could +do more different things," says the author, "and finish them all +in a greater degree of perfection than any other woman I have +ever known. If I were limited to one adjective in describing her, +`capable' would be the word." + +The author's father was descended from a long line of ancestors +of British blood. he was named for, and traced his origin to, +that first Mark Stratton who lived in New York, married the +famous beauty, Anne Hutchinson, and settled on Stratton Island, +afterward corrupted to Staten, according to family tradition. +From that point back for generations across the sea he followed +his line to the family of Strattons of which the Earl of +Northbrooke is the present head. To his British traditions and +the customs of his family, Mark Stratton clung with rigid +tenacity, never swerving from his course a particle under the +influence of environment or association. All his ideas were +clear-cut; no man could influence him against his better +judgment. He believed in God, in courtesy, in honour, and +cleanliness, in beauty, and in education. He used to say that he +would rather see a child of his the author of a book of which he +could be proud, than on the throne of England, which was the +strongest way he knew to express himself. His very first earnings +he spent for a book; when other men rested, he read; all his life +he was a student of extraordinarily tenacious memory. He +especially loved history: Rollands, Wilson's Outlines, Hume, +Macauley, Gibbon, Prescott, and Bancroft, he could quote from all +of them paragraphs at a time contrasting the views of different +writers on a given event, and remembering dates with unfailing +accuracy. "He could repeat the entire Bible," says Mrs. +Stratton-Porter, "giving chapters and verses, save the books of +Generations; these he said `were a waste of gray matter to +learn.' I never knew him to fail in telling where any verse +quoted to him was to be found in the Bible." And she adds: "I was +almost afraid to make these statements, although there are many +living who can corroborate them, until John Muir published the +story of his boyhood days, and in it I found the history of such +rearing as was my father's, told of as the customary thing among +the children of Muir's time; and I have referred many inquirers +as to whether this feat were possible, to the Muir book." + +All his life, with no thought of fatigue or of inconvenience to +himself, Mark Stratton travelled miles uncounted to share what he +had learned with those less fortunately situated, by delivering +sermons, lectures, talks on civic improvement and politics. To +him the love of God could be shown so genuinely in no other way +as in the love of his fellowmen. He worshipped beauty: beautiful +faces, souls, hearts, beautiful landscapes, trees, animals, +flowers. He loved colour: rich, bright colour, and every +variation down to the faintest shadings. He was especially fond +of red, and the author carefully keeps a cardinal silk +handkerchief that he was carrying when stricken with apoplexy at +the age of seventy-eight. "It was so like him," she comments, "to +have that scrap of vivid colour in his pocket. He never was too +busy to fertilize a flower bed or to dig holes for the setting of +a tree or bush. A word constantly on his lips was `tidy.' It +applied equally to a woman, a house, a field, or a barn lot. He +had a streak of genius in his make-up: the genius of large +appreciation. Over inspired Biblical passages, over great books, +over sunlit landscapes, over a white violet abloom in deep shade, +over a heroic deed of man, I have seen his brow light up, his +eyes shine." + +Mrs. Porter tells us that her father was constantly reading aloud +to his children and to visitors descriptions of the great deeds +of men. Two "hair-raisers" she especially remembers with +increased heart-beats to this day were the story of John Maynard, +who piloted a burning boat to safety while he slowly roasted at +the wheel. She says the old thrill comes back when she recalls +the inflection of her father's voice as he would cry in imitation +of the captain: "John Maynard!" and then give the reply. "Aye, +aye, sir!" His other until it sank to a mere gasp: favourite was +the story of Clemanthe, and her lover's immortal answer to her +question: "Shall we meet again?" + +To this mother at forty-six, and this father at fifty, each at +intellectual top-notch, every faculty having been stirred for +years by the dire stress of Civil War, and the period immediately +following, the author was born. From childhood she recalls +"thinking things which she felt should be saved," and frequently +tugging at her mother's skirts and begging her to "set down" what +the child considered stories and poems. Most of these were some +big fact in nature that thrilled her, usually expressed in +Biblical terms; for the Bible was read twice a day before the +family and helpers, and an average of three services were +attended on Sunday. + +Mrs. Porter says that her first all-alone effort was printed in +wabbly letters on the fly-leaf of an old grammar. It was +entitled: "Ode to the Moon." "Not," she comments, "that I had an +idea what an `ode' was, other than that I had heard it discussed +in the family together with different forms of poetic expression. +The spelling must have been by proxy: but I did know the words I +used, what they meant, and the idea I was trying to convey. + +"No other farm was ever quite so lovely as the one on which I was +born after this father and mother had spent twenty-five years +beautifying it," says the author. It was called "Hopewell" after +the home of some of her father's British ancestors. The natural +location was perfect, the land rolling and hilly, with several +flowing springs and little streams crossing it in three +directions, while plenty of forest still remained. The days of +pioneer struggles were past. The roads were smooth and level as +floors, the house and barn commodious; the family rode abroad in +a double carriage trimmed in patent leather, drawn by a matched +team of gray horses, and sometimes the father "speeded a little" +for the delight of the children. "We had comfortable clothing," +says Mrs. Porter, "and were getting our joy from life without +that pinch of anxiety which must have existed in the beginning, +although I know that father and mother always held steady, and +took a large measure of joy from life in passing." + +Her mother's health, which always had been perfect, broke about +the time of the author's first remembrance due to typhoid fever +contracted after nursing three of her children through it. She +lived for several years, but with continual suffering, amounting +at times to positive torture. + +So it happened, that led by impulse and aided by an escape from +the training given her sisters, instead of "sitting on a cushion +and sewing a fine seam"--the threads of the fabric had to be +counted and just so many allowed to each stitch!--this youngest +child of a numerous household spent her waking hours with the +wild. She followed her father and the boys afield, and when tired +out slept on their coats in fence corners, often awaking with shy +creatures peering into her face. She wandered where she pleased, +amusing herself with birds, flowers, insects, and plays she +invented. "By the day," writes the author, "I trotted from one +object which attracted me to another, singing a little song of +made-up phrases about everything I saw while I waded catching +fish, chasing butterflies over clover fields, or following a bird +with a hair in its beak; much of the time I carried the +inevitable baby for a woman-child, frequently improvised from an +ear of corn in the silk, wrapped in catalpa leaf blankets." + +She had a corner of the garden under a big Bartlett pear tree for +her very own, and each spring she began by planting radishes and +lettuce when the gardening was done; and before these had time to +sprout she set the same beds full of spring flowers, and so +followed out the season. She made special pets of the birds, +locating nest after nest, and immediately projecting herself into +the daily life of the occupants. "No one," she says, "ever taught +me more than that the birds were useful, a gift of God for our +protection from insect pests on fruit and crops; and a gift of +Grace in their beauty and music, things to be rigidly protected. +From this cue I evolved the idea myself that I must be extremely +careful, for had not my father tied a 'kerchief over my mouth +when he lifted me for a peep into the nest of the humming-bird, +and did he not walk softly and whisper when he approached the +spot? So I stepped lightly, made no noise, and watched until I +knew what a mother bird fed her young before I began dropping +bugs, worms, crumbs, and fruit into little red mouths that opened +at my tap on the nest quite as readily as at the touch of the +feet of the mother bird." + +In the nature of this child of the out-of-doors there ran a fibre +of care for wild things. It was instinct with her to go slowly, +to touch lightly, to deal lovingly with every living thing: +flower, moth, bird, or animal. She never gathered great handfuls +of frail wild flowers, carried them an hour and threw them away. +If she picked any, she took only a few, mostly to lay on her +mother's pillow--for she had a habit of drawing comfort from a +cinnamon pink or a trillium laid where its delicate fragrance +reached her with every breath. "I am quite sure," Mrs. Porter +writes, "that I never in my life, in picking flowers, dragged up +the plant by the roots, as I frequently saw other people do. I +was taught from infancy to CUT a bloom I wanted. My regular habit +was to lift one plant of each kind, especially if it were a +species new to me, and set it in my wild-flower garden." + +To the birds and flowers the child added moths and butterflies, +because she saw them so frequently, the brilliance of colour in +yard and garden attracting more than could be found elsewhere. So +she grew with the wild, loving, studying, giving all her time. "I +fed butterflies sweetened water and rose leaves inside the screen +of a cellar window," Mrs. Porter tells us; "doctored all the sick +and wounded birds and animals the men brought me from afield; +made pets of the baby squirrels and rabbits they carried in for +my amusement; collected wild flowers; and as I grew older, +gathered arrow points and goose quills for sale in Fort Wayne. So +I had the first money I ever earned." + +Her father and mother had strong artistic tendencies, although +they would have scoffed at the idea themselves, yet the manner in +which they laid off their fields, the home they built, the +growing things they preserved, the way they planted, the life +they led, all go to prove exactly that thing. Their bush--and +vine-covered fences crept around the acres they owned in a strip +of gaudy colour; their orchard lay in a valley, a square of apple +trees in the centre widely bordered by peach, so that it appeared +at bloom time like a great pink-bordered white blanket on the +face of earth. Swale they might have drained, and would not, made +sheets of blue flag, marigold and buttercups. From the home you +could not look in any direction without seeing a picture of +beauty. + +"Last spring," the author writes in a recent letter, "I went back +with my mind fully made up to buy that land at any reasonable +price, restore it to the exact condition in which I knew it as a +child, and finish my life there. I found that the house had been +burned, killing all the big trees set by my mother's hands +immediately surrounding it. The hills were shorn and ploughed +down, filling and obliterating the creeks and springs. Most of +the forest had been cut, and stood in corn. My old catalpa in the +fence corner beside the road and the Bartlett pear under which I +had my wild-flower garden were all that was left of the dooryard, +while a few gnarled apple trees remained of the orchard, which +had been reset in another place. The garden had been moved, also +the lanes; the one creek remaining out of three crossed the +meadow at the foot of the orchard. It flowed a sickly current +over a dredged bed between bare, straight banks. The whole place +seemed worse than a dilapidated graveyard to me. All my love and +ten times the money I had at command never could have put back +the face of nature as I knew it on that land." + +As a child the author had very few books, only three of her own +outside of school books. "The markets did not afford the miracles +common with the children of today," she adds. "Books are now so +numerous, so cheap, and so bewildering in colour and make-up, +that I sometimes think our children are losing their perspective +and caring for none of them as I loved my few plain little ones +filled with short story and poem, almost no illustration. I had a +treasure house in the school books of my elders, especially the +McGuffey series of Readers from One to Six. For pictures I was +driven to the Bible, dictionary, historical works read by my +father, agricultural papers, and medical books about cattle and +sheep. + +"Near the time of my mother's passing we moved from Hopewell to +the city of Wabash in order that she might have constant medical +attention, and the younger children better opportunities for +schooling. Here we had magazines and more books in which I was +interested. The one volume in which my heart was enwrapt was a +collection of masterpieces of fiction belonging to my eldest +sister. It contained `Paul and Virginia,' `Undine,' `Picciola,' +`The Vicar of Wakefield,' `Pilgrim's Progress,' and several +others I soon learned by heart, and the reading and rereading of +those exquisitely expressed and conceived stories may have done +much in forming high conceptions of what really constitutes +literature and in furthering the lofty ideals instilled by my +parents. One of these stories formed the basis of my first +publicly recognized literary effort." + +Reared by people who constantly pointed out every natural beauty, +using it wherever possible to drive home a precept, the child +lived out-of-doors with the wild almost entirely. If she reported +promptly three times a day when the bell rang at meal time, with +enough clothing to constitute a decent covering, nothing more was +asked until the Sabbath. To be taken from such freedom, her feet +shod, her body restricted by as much clothing as ever had been +worn on Sunday, shut up in a schoolroom, and set to droning over +books, most of which she detested, was the worst punishment ever +inflicted upon her she declares. She hated mathematics in any +form and spent all her time on natural science, language, and +literature. "Friday afternoon," writes Mrs. Porter, "was always +taken up with an exercise called `rhetoricals,' a misnomer as a +rule, but let that pass. Each week pupils of one of the four +years furnished entertainment for the assembled high school and +faculty. Our subjects were always assigned, and we cordially +disliked them. This particular day I was to have a paper on +`Mathematical Law.' + +"I put off the work until my paper had been called for several +times, and so came to Thursday night with excuses and not a line. +I was told to bring my work the next morning without fail. I went +home in hot anger. Why in all this beautiful world, would they +not allow me to do something I could do, and let any one of four +members of my class who revelled in mathematics do my subject? +That evening I was distracted. `I can't do a paper on +mathematics, and I won't!' I said stoutly; `but I'll do such a +paper on a subject I can write about as will open their foolish +eyes and make them see how wrong they are.'" + +Before me on the table lay the book I loved, the most wonderful +story in which was `Picciola' by Saintine. Instantly I began to +write. Breathlessly I wrote for hours. I exceeded our limit ten +times over. The poor Italian Count, the victim of political +offences, shut by Napoleon from the wonderful grounds, mansion, +and life that were his, restricted to the bare prison walls of +Fenestrella, deprived of books and writing material, his one +interest in life became a sprout of green, sprung, no doubt, from +a seed dropped by a passing bird, between the stone flagging of +the prison yard before his window. With him I had watched over it +through all the years since I first had access to the book; with +him I had prayed for it. I had broken into a cold sweat of fear +when the jailer first menaced it; I had hated the wind that bent +it roughly, and implored the sun. I had sung a paean of joy at +its budding, and worshipped in awe before its thirty perfect +blossoms. The Count had named it `Picciola'--the little one--to +me also it was a personal possession. That night we lived the +life of our `little one' over again, the Count and I, and never +were our anxieties and our joys more poignant. + +"Next morning," says Mrs. Porter, "I dared my crowd to see how +long they could remain on the grounds, and yet reach the assembly +room before the last toll of the bell. This scheme worked. +Coming in so late the principal opened exercises without +remembering my paper. Again, at noon, I was as late as I dared +be, and I escaped until near the close of the exercises, through +which I sat in cold fear. When my name was reached at last the +principal looked at me inquiringly and then announced my +inspiring mathematical subject. I arose, walked to the front, and +made my best bow. Then I said: `I waited until yesterday because +I knew absolutely nothing about my subject'--the audience +laughed--`and I could find nothing either here or in the library +at home, so last night I reviewed Saintine's masterpiece, +"Picciola."' + +"Then instantly I began to read. I was almost paralyzed at my +audacity, and with each word I expected to hear a terse little +interruption. Imagine my amazement when I heard at the end of the +first page: `Wait a minute!' Of course I waited, and the +principal left the room. A moment later she reappeared +accompanied by the superintendent of the city schools. `Begin +again,' she said. `Take your time.' + +"I was too amazed to speak. Then thought came in a rush. My paper +was good. It was as good as I had believed it. It was better than +I had known. I did go on! We took that assembly room and the +corps of teachers into our confidence, the Count and I, and told +them all that was in our hearts about a little flower that sprang +between the paving stones of a prison yard. The Count and I were +free spirits. From the book I had learned that. He got into +political trouble through it, and I had got into mathematical +trouble, and we told our troubles. One instant the room was in +laughter, the next the boys bowed their heads, and the girls who +had forgotten their handkerchiefs cried in their aprons. For +almost sixteen big foolscap pages I held them, and I was eager to +go on and tell them more about it when I reached the last line. +Never again was a subject forced upon me." + +After this incident of her schooldays, what had been inclination +before was aroused to determination and the child neglected her +lessons to write. A volume of crude verse fashioned after the +metre of Meredith's "Lucile," a romantic book in rhyme, and two +novels were the fruits of this youthful ardour. Through the +sickness and death of a sister, the author missed the last three +months of school, but, she remarks, "unlike my schoolmates, I +studied harder after leaving school than ever before and in a +manner that did me real good. The most that can be said of what +education I have is that it is the very best kind in the world +for me; the only possible kind that would not ruin a person of my +inclinations. The others of my family had been to college; I +always have been too thankful for words that circumstances +intervened which saved my brain from being run through a groove +in company with dozens of others of widely different tastes and +mentality. What small measure of success I have had has come +through preserving my individual point of view, method of +expression, and following in after life the Spartan regulations +of my girlhood home. Whatever I have been able to do, has been +done through the line of education my father saw fit to give me, +and through his and my mother's methods of rearing me. + +"My mother went out too soon to know, and my father never saw one +of the books; but he knew I was boiling and bubbling like a yeast +jar in July over some literary work, and if I timidly slipped to +him with a composition, or a faulty poem, he saw good in it, and +made suggestions for its betterment. When I wanted to express +something in colour, he went to an artist, sketched a design for +an easel, personally superintended the carpenter who built it, +and provided tuition. On that same easel I painted the water +colours for `Moths of the Limberlost,' and one of the most +poignant regrets of my life is that he was not there to see them, +and to know that the easel which he built through his faith in me +was finally used in illustrating a book. + +"If I thought it was music through which I could express myself, +he paid for lessons and detected hidden ability that should be +developed. Through the days of struggle he stood fast; firm in +his belief in me. He was half the battle. It was he who demanded +a physical standard that developed strength to endure the rigours +of scientific field and darkroom work, and the building of ten +books in ten years, five of which were on nature subjects, having +my own illustrations, and five novels, literally teeming with +natural history, true to nature. It was he who demanded of me +from birth the finishing of any task I attempted and who taught +me to cultivate patience to watch and wait, even years, if +necessary, to find and secure material I wanted. It was he who +daily lived before me the life of exactly such a man as I +portrayed in `The Harvester,' and who constantly used every atom +of brain and body power to help and to encourage all men to do +the same." + +Marriage, a home of her own, and a daughter for a time filled the +author's hands, but never her whole heart and brain. The book +fever lay dormant a while, and then it became a compelling +influence. It dominated the life she lived, the cabin she +designed for their home, and the books she read. When her +daughter was old enough to go to school, Mrs. Porter's time came. +Speaking of this period, she says: "I could not afford a maid, +but I was very strong, vital to the marrow, and I knew how to +manage life to make it meet my needs, thanks to even the small +amount I had seen of my mother. I kept a cabin of fourteen rooms, +and kept it immaculate. I made most of my daughter's clothes, I +kept a conservatory in which there bloomed from three to six +hundred bulbs every winter, tended a house of canaries and +linnets, and cooked and washed dishes besides three times a day. +In my spare time (mark the word, there was time to spare else the +books never would have been written and the pictures made) I +mastered photography to such a degree that the manufacturers of +one of our finest brands of print paper once sent the manager of +their factory to me to learn how I handled it. He frankly said +that they could obtain no such results with it as I did. He +wanted to see my darkroom, examine my paraphernalia, and have me +tell him exactly how I worked. As I was using the family bathroom +for a darkroom and washing negatives and prints on turkey +platters in the kitchen, I was rather put to it when it came to +giving an exhibition. It was scarcely my fault if men could not +handle the paper they manufactured so that it produced the +results that I obtained, so I said I thought the difference might +lie in the chemical properties of the water, and sent this man on +his way satisfied. Possibly it did. But I have a shrewd suspicion +it lay in high-grade plates, a careful exposure, judicious +development, with self-compounded chemicals straight from the +factory, and C.P. I think plates swabbed with wet cotton before +development, intensified if of short exposure, and thoroughly +swabbed again before drying, had much to do with it; and paper +handled in the same painstaking manner had more. I have hundreds +of negatives in my closet made twelve years ago, in perfect +condition for printing from to-day, and I never have lost a plate +through fog from imperfect development and hasty washing; so my +little mother's rule of `whatsoever thy hands find to do, do it +with thy might,' held good in photography." + +Thus had Mrs. Porter made time to study and to write, and editors +began to accept what she sent them with little if any changes. +She began by sending photographic and natural history hints to +Recreation, and with the first installment was asked to take +charge of the department and furnish material each month for +which she was to be paid at current prices in high-grade +photographic material. We can form some idea of the work she did +under this arrangement from the fact that she had over one +thousand dollars' worth of equipment at the end of the first +year. The second year she increased this by five hundred, and +then accepted a place on the natural history staff of Outing, +working closely with Mr. Casper Whitney. After a year of this +helpful experience Mrs. Porter began to turn her attention to +what she calls "nature studies sugar coated with fiction." Mixing +some childhood fact with a large degree of grown-up fiction, she +wrote a little story entitled "Laddie, the Princess, and the +Pie." + +"I was abnormally sensitive," says the author, "about trying to +accomplish any given thing and failing. I had been taught in my +home that it was black disgrace to undertake anything and fail. +My husband owned a drug and book store that carried magazines, +and it was not possible to conduct departments in any of them and +not have it known; but only a few people in our locality read +these publications, none of them were interested in nature +photography, or natural science, so what I was trying to do was +not realized even by my own family. + +"With them I was much more timid than with the neighbours. Least +of all did I want to fail before my man Person and my daughter +and our respective families; so I worked in secret, sent in my +material, and kept as quiet about it as possible. On Outing I had +graduated from the camera department to an illustrated article +each month, and as this kept up the year round, and few +illustrations could be made in winter, it meant that I must +secure enough photographs of wild life in summer to last during +the part of the year when few were to be had. + +"Every fair day I spent afield, and my little black horse and +load of cameras, ropes, and ladders became a familiar sight to +the country folk of the Limberlost, in Rainbow Bottom, the +Canoper, on the banks of the Wabash, in woods and thickets and +beside the roads; but few people understood what I was trying to +do, none of them what it would mean were I to succeed. Being so +afraid of failure and the inevitable ridicule in a community +where I was already severly criticised on account of my ideas of +housekeeping, dress, and social customs, I purposely kept +everything I did as quiet as possible. It had to be known that I +was interested in everything afield, and making pictures; also +that I was writing field sketches for nature publications, but +little was thought of it, save as one more, peculiarity, in me. +So when my little story was finished I went to our store and +looked over the magazines. I chose one to which we did not +subscribe, having an attractive cover, good type, and paper, and +on the back of an old envelope, behind the counter, I scribbled: +Perriton Maxwell, 116 Nassau Street, New York, and sent my story +on its way. + +"Then I took a bold step, the first in my self-emancipation. +Money was beginning to come in, and I had some in my purse of my +very own that I had earned when no one even knew I was working. I +argued that if I kept my family so comfortable that they missed +nothing from their usual routine, it was my right to do what I +could toward furthering my personal ambitions in what time I +could save from my housework. And until I could earn enough to +hire capable people to take my place, I held rigidly to that +rule. I who waded morass, fought quicksands, crept, worked from +ladders high in air, and crossed water on improvised rafts +without a tremor, slipped with many misgivings into the +postoffice and rented a box for myself, so that if I met with +failure my husband and the men in the bank need not know what I +had attempted. That was early May; all summer I waited. I had +heard that it required a long time for an editor to read and to +pass on matter sent him; but my waiting did seem out of all +reason. I was too busy keeping my cabin and doing field work to +repine; but I decided in my own mind that Mr. Maxwell was a `mean +old thing' to throw away my story and keep the return postage. +Besides, I was deeply chagrined, for I had thought quite well of +my effort myself, and this seemed to prove that I did not know +even the first principles of what would be considered an +interesting story. + +"Then one day in September I went into our store on an errand and +the manager said to me: `I read your story in the Metropolitan +last night. It was great! Did you ever write any fiction before?' + +"My head whirled, but I had learned to keep my own counsels, so I +said as lightly as I could, while my heart beat until I feared he +could hear it: `No. Just a simple little thing! Have you any +spare copies? My sister might want one.' + +"He supplied me, so I hurried home, and shutting myself in the +library, I sat down to look my first attempt at fiction in the +face. I quite agreed with the manager that it was `great.' Then I +wrote Mr. Maxwell a note telling him that I had seen my story in +his magazine, and saying that I was glad he liked it enough to +use it. I had not known a letter could reach New York and bring a +reply so quickly as his answer came. It was a letter that warmed +the deep of my heart. Mr. Maxwell wrote that he liked my story +very much, but the office boy had lost or destroyed my address +with the wrappings, so after waiting a reasonable length of time +to hear from me, he had illustrated it the best he could, and +printed it. He wrote that so many people had spoken to him of a +new, fresh note in it, that he wished me to consider doing him +another in a similar vein for a Christmas leader and he enclosed +my very first check for fiction. + +"So I wrote: `How Laddie and the Princess Spelled Down at the +Christmas Bee.' Mr. Maxwell was pleased to accept that also, with +what I considered high praise, and to ask me to furnish the +illustrations. He specified that he wanted a frontispiece, head +and tail pieces, and six or seven other illustrations. Counting +out the time for his letter to reach me, and the material to +return, I was left with just ONE day in which to secure the +pictures. They had to be of people costumed in the time of the +early seventies and I was short of print paper and chemicals. +First, I telephoned to Fort Wayne for the material I wanted to be +sent without fail on the afternoon train. Then I drove to the +homes of the people I wished to use for subjects and made +appointments for sittings, and ransacked the cabin for costumes. +The letter came on the eight A.M. train. At ten o'clock I was +photographing Colonel Lupton beside my dining-room fireplace for +the father in the story. At eleven I was dressing and posing Miss +Lizzie Huart for the princess. At twelve I was picturing in one +of my bed rooms a child who served finely for Little Sister, and +an hour later the same child in a cemetery three miles in the +country where I used mounted butterflies from my cases, and +potted plants carried from my conservatory, for a graveyard +scene. The time was early November, but God granted sunshine that +day, and short focus blurred the background. At four o'clock I +was at the schoolhouse, and in the best-lighted room with five or +six models, I was working on the spelling bee scenes. By six I +was in the darkroom developing and drying these plates, every one +of which was good enough to use. I did my best work with +printing-out paper, but I was compelled to use a developing +paper in this extremity, because it could be worked with much +more speed, dried a little between blotters, and mounted. At +three o'clock in the morning I was typing the quotations for the +pictures, at four the parcel stood in the hall for the six +o'clock train, and I realized that I wanted a drink, food, and +sleep, for I had not stopped a second for anything from the time +of reading Mr. Maxwell's letter until his order was ready to +mail. For the following ten years I was equally prompt in doing +all work I undertook, whether pictures or manuscript, without a +thought of consideration for self; and I disappointed the +confident expectations of my nearest and dearest by remaining +sane, normal, and almost without exception the healthiest woman +they knew." + +This story and its pictures were much praised, and in the +following year the author was asked for several stories, and even +used bird pictures and natural history sketches, quite an +innovation for a magazine at that time. With this encouragement +she wrote and illustrated a short story of about ten thousand +words, and sent it to the Century. Richard Watson Gilder advised +Mrs. Porter to enlarge it to book size, which she did. This book +is "The Cardinal." Following Mr. Gilder's advice, she recast the +tale and, starting with the mangled body of a cardinal some +marksman had left in the road she was travelling, in a fervour of +love for the birds and indignation at the hunter, she told the +Cardinal's life history in these pages. + +The story was promptly accepted and the book was published with +very beautiful half-tones, and cardinal buckram cover. +Incidentally, neither the author's husband nor daughter had the +slightest idea she was attempting to write a book until work had +progressed to that stage where she could not make a legal +contract without her husband's signature. During the ten years of +its life this book has gone through eight different editions, +varying in form and make-up from the birds in exquisite colour, +as colour work advanced and became feasible, to a binding of +beautiful red morocco, a number of editions of differing design +intervening. One was tried in gray binding, the colour of the +female cardinal, with the red male used as an inset. Another was +woodsgreen with the red male, and another red with a wild rose +design stamped in. There is a British edition published by Hodder +and Stoughton. All of these had the author's own illustrations +which authorities agree are the most complete studies of the home +life and relations of a pair of birds ever published. + +The story of these illustrations in "The Cardinal" and how the +author got them will be a revelation to most readers. Mrs. Porter +set out to make this the most complete set of bird illustrations +ever secured, in an effort to awaken people to the wonder and +beauty and value of the birds. She had worked around half a dozen +nests for two years and had carried a lemon tree from her +conservatory to the location of one nest, buried the tub, and +introduced the branches among those the birds used in +approaching their home that she might secure proper illustrations +for the opening chapter, which was placed in the South. When the +complete bird series was finished, the difficult work over, and +there remained only a few characteristic Wabash River studies of +flowers, vines, and bushes for chapter tail pieces to be secured, +the author "met her Jonah," and her escape was little short of a +miracle. + +After a particularly strenuous spring afield, one teeming day in +early August she spent the morning in the river bottom beside the +Wabash. A heavy rain followed by August sun soon had her dripping +while she made several studies of wild morning glories, but she +was particularly careful to wrap up and drive slowly going home, +so that she would not chill. In the afternoon the author went to +the river northeast of town to secure mallow pictures for another +chapter, and after working in burning sun on the river bank until +exhausted, she several times waded the river to examine bushes on +the opposite bank. On the way home she had a severe chill, and +for the following three weeks lay twisted in the convulsions of +congestion, insensible most of the time. Skilled doctors and +nurses did their best, which they admitted would have availed +nothing if the patient had not had a constitution without a flaw +upon which to work. + +"This is the history," said Mrs. Porter, "of one little tail +piece among the pictures. There were about thirty others, none so +strenuous, but none easy, each having a living, fighting history +for me. If I were to give in detail the story of the two years' +work required to secure the set of bird studies illustrating `The +Cardinal,' it would make a much larger book than the life of the +bird." + +"The Cardinal" was published in June of 1903. On the 20th of +October, 1904, "Freckles" appeared. Mrs. Porter had been delving +afield with all her heart and strength for several years, and in +the course of her work had spent every other day for three months +in the Limberlost swamp, making a series of studies of the nest +of a black vulture. Early in her married life she had met a +Scotch lumberman, who told her of the swamp and of securing fine +timber there for Canadian shipbuilders, and later when she had +moved to within less than a mile of its northern boundary, she +met a man who was buying curly maple, black walnut, golden oak, +wild cherry, and other wood extremely valuable for a big +furniture factory in Grand Rapids. There was one particular +woman, of all those the author worked among, who exercised +herself most concerning her. She never failed to come out if she +saw her driving down the lane to the woods, and caution her to be +careful. If she felt that Mrs. Porter had become interested and +forgotten that it was long past meal time, she would send out +food and water or buttermilk to refresh her. She had her family +posted, and if any of them saw a bird with a straw or a hair in +its beak, they followed until they found its location. It was her +husband who drove the stake and ploughed around the killdeer nest +in the cornfield to save it for the author; and he did many other +acts of kindness without understanding exactly what he was doing +or why. "Merely that I wanted certain things was enough for those +people," writes Mrs. Porter. "Without question they helped me in +every way their big hearts could suggest to them, because they +loved to be kind, and to be generous was natural with them. The +woman was busy keeping house and mothering a big brood, and +every living creature that came her way, besides. She took me in, +and I put her soul, body, red head, and all, into Sarah Duncan. +The lumber and furniture man I combined in McLean. Freckles was a +composite of certain ideals and my own field experiences, merged +with those of Mr. Bob Burdette Black, who, at the expense of much +time and careful work, had done more for me than any other ten +men afield. The Angel was an idealized picture of my daughter. + +"I dedicated the book to my husband, Mr. Charles Darwin Porter, +for several reasons, the chiefest being that he deserved it. When +word was brought me by lumbermen of the nest of the Black Vulture +in the Limberlost, I hastened to tell my husband the wonderful +story of the big black bird, the downy white baby, the pale blue +egg, and to beg back a rashly made promise not to work in the +Limberlost. Being a natural history enthusiast himself, he agreed +that I must go; but he qualified the assent with the proviso that +no one less careful of me than he, might accompany me there. His +business had forced him to allow me to work alone, with hired +guides or the help of oilmen and farmers elsewhere; but a +Limberlost trip at that time was not to be joked about. It had +not been shorn, branded, and tamed. There were most excellent +reasons why I should not go there. Much of it was impenetrable. +Only a few trees had been taken out; oilmen were just invading +it. In its physical aspect it was a treacherous swamp and +quagmire filled with every plant, animal, and human danger known +in the worst of such locations in the Central States. + +"A rod inside the swamp on a road leading to an oil well we mired +to the carriage hubs. I shielded my camera in my arms and before +we reached the well I thought the conveyance would be torn to +pieces and the horse stalled. At the well we started on foot, Mr. +Porter in kneeboots, I in waist-high waders. The time was late +June; we forced our way between steaming, fetid pools, through +swarms of gnats, flies, mosquitoes, poisonous insects, keeping a +sharp watch for rattlesnakes. We sank ankle deep at every step, +and logs we thought solid broke under us. Our progress was a +steady succession of prying and pulling each other to the +surface. Our clothing was wringing wet, and the exposed parts of +our bodies lumpy with bites and stings. My husband found the +tree, cleared the opening to the great prostrate log, traversed +its unspeakable odours for nearly forty feet to its farthest +recess, and brought the baby and egg to the light in his +leaf-lined hat. + +"We could endure the location only by dipping napkins in +deodorant and binding them over our mouths and nostrils. Every +third day for almost three months we made this trip, until Little +Chicken was able to take wing. Of course we soon made a road to +the tree, grew accustomed to the disagreeable features of the +swamp and contemptuously familiar with its dangers, so that I +worked anywhere in it I chose with other assistance; but no trip +was so hard and disagreeable as the first. Mr. Porter insisted +upon finishing the Little Chicken series, so that `deserve' is a +poor word for any honour that might accrue to him for his part in +the book." + +This was the nucleus of the book, but the story itself originated +from the fact that one day, while leaving the swamp, a big +feather with a shaft over twenty inches long came spinning and +swirling earthward and fell in the author's path. Instantly she +looked upward to locate the bird, which from the size and +formation of the quill could have been nothing but an eagle; her +eyes, well trained and fairly keen though they were, could not +see the bird, which must have been soaring above range. Familiar +with the life of the vulture family, the author changed the bird +from which the feather fell to that described in "Freckles." Mrs. +Porter had the old swamp at that time practically untouched, and +all its traditions to work upon and stores of natural history +material. This falling feather began the book which in a few days +she had definitely planned and in six months completely written. +Her title for it was "The Falling Feather," that tangible thing +which came drifting down from Nowhere, just as the boy came, and +she has always regretted the change to "Freckles." John Murray +publishes a British edition of this book which is even better +liked in Ireland and Scotland than in England. + +As "The Cardinal" was published originally not by Doubleday, Page +& Company, but by another firm, the author had talked over with +the latter house the scheme of "Freckles" and it had been agreed +to publish the story as soon as Mrs. Porter was ready. How the +book finally came to Doubleday, Page & Company she recounts as +follows: + +"By the time `Freckles' was finished, I had exercised my woman's +prerogative and `changed my mind'; so I sent the manuscript to +Doubleday, Page & Company, who accepted it. They liked it well +enough to take a special interest in it and to bring it out with +greater expense than it was at all customary to put upon a novel +at that time; and this in face of the fact that they had +repeatedly warned me that the nature work in it would kill fully +half its chances with the public. Mr. F.N. Doubleday, starting on +a trip to the Bahamas, remarked that he would like to take a +manuscript with him to read, and the office force decided to put +`Freckles' into his grip. The story of the plucky young chap won +his way to the heart of the publishers, under a silk cotton tree, +'neath bright southern skies, and made such a friend of him that +through the years of its book-life it has been the object of +special attention. Mr. George Doran gave me a photograph which +Mr. Horace MacFarland made of Mr. Doubleday during this reading +of the Mss. of `Freckles' which is especially interesting." + +That more than 2,000,000 readers have found pleasure and profit +in Mrs. Porter's books is a cause for particular gratification. +These stories all have, as a fundamental reason of their +existence, the author's great love of nature. To have imparted +this love to others--to have inspired many hundreds of thousands +to look for the first time with seeing eyes at the pageant of the +out-of-doors--is a satisfaction that must endure. For the part of +the publishers, they began their business by issuing "Nature +Books" at a time when the sale of such works was problematical. +As their tastes and inclinations were along the same lines which +Mrs. Porter loved to follow, it gave them great pleasure to be +associated with her books which opened the eyes of so great a +public to new and worthy fields of enjoyment. + +The history of "Freckles" is unique. The publishers had inserted +marginal drawings on many pages, but these, instead of attracting +attention to the nature charm of the book, seemed to have exactly +a contrary effect. The public wanted a novel. The illustrations +made it appear to be a nature book, and it required three long +slow years for "Freckles" to pass from hand to hand and prove +that there really was a novel between the covers, but that it was +a story that took its own time and wound slowly toward its end, +stopping its leisurely course for bird, flower, lichen face, blue +sky, perfumed wind, and the closest intimacies of the daily life +of common folk. Ten years have wrought a great change in the +sentiment against nature work and the interest in it. Thousands +who then looked upon the world with unobserving eyes are now +straining every nerve to accumulate enough to be able to end life +where they may have bird, flower, and tree for daily companions. + +Mrs. Porter's account of the advice she received at this time is +particularly interesting. Three editors who read "Freckles" +before it was published offered to produce it, but all of them +expressed precisely the same opinion: "The book will never sell +well as it is. If you want to live from the proceeds of your +work, if you want to sell even moderately, you must CUT OUT THE +NATURE STUFF." "Now to PUT IN THE NATURE STUFF," continues the +author, "was the express purpose for which the book had been +written. I had had one year's experience with `The Song of the +Cardinal,' frankly a nature book, and from the start I realized +that I never could reach the audience I wanted with a book on +nature alone. To spend time writing a book based wholly upon +human passion and its outworking I would not. So I compromised on +a book into which I put all the nature work that came naturally +within its scope, and seasoned it with little bits of imagination +and straight copy from the lives of men and women I had known +intimately, folk who lived in a simple, common way with which I +was familiar. So I said to my publishers: `I will write the books +exactly as they take shape in my mind. You publish them. I know +they will sell enough that you will not lose. If I do not make +over six hundred dollars on a book I shall never utter a +complaint. Make up my work as I think it should be and leave it +to the people as to what kind of book they will take into their +hearts and homes.' I altered `Freckles' slightly, but from that +time on we worked on this agreement. + +"My years of nature work have not been without considerable +insight into human nature, as well," continues Mrs. Porter. "I +know its failings, its inborn tendencies, its weaknesses, its +failures, its depth of crime; and the people who feel called upon +to spend their time analyzing, digging into, and uncovering these +sources of depravity have that privilege, more's the pity! If I +had my way about it, this is a privilege no one could have in +books intended for indiscriminate circulation. I stand squarely +for book censorship, and I firmly believe that with a few more +years of such books, as half a dozen I could mention, public +opinion will demand this very thing. My life has been fortunate +in one glad way: I have lived mostly in the country and worked in +the woods. For every bad man and woman I have ever known, I have +met, lived with, and am intimately acquainted with an +overwhelming number of thoroughly clean and decent people who +still believe in God and cherish high ideals, and it is UPON THE +LIVES OF THESE THAT I BASE WHAT I WRITE. To contend that this +does not produce a picture true to life is idiocy. It does. It +produces a picture true to ideal life; to the best that good men +and good women can do at level best. + +"I care very little for the magazine or newspaper critics who +proclaim that there is no such thing as a moral man, and that my +pictures of life are sentimental and idealized. They are! And I +glory in them! They are straight, living pictures from the lives +of men and women of morals, honour, and loving kindness. They +form `idealized pictures of life' because they are copies from +life where it touches religion, chastity, love, home, and hope of +heaven ultimately. None of these roads leads to publicity and the +divorce court. They all end in the shelter and seclusion of a +home. + +"Such a big majority of book critics and authors have begun to +teach, whether they really believe it or not, that no book is +TRUE TO LIFE unless it is true to the WORST IN LIFE, that the +idea has infected even the women." + +In 1906, having seen a few of Mrs. Porter's studies of bird life, +Mr. Edward Bok telegraphed the author asking to meet him in +Chicago. She had a big portfolio of fine prints from plates for +which she had gone to the last extremity of painstaking care, and +the result was an order from Mr. Bok for a six months' series in +the Ladies' Home Journal of the author's best bird studies +accompanied by descriptions of how she secured them. This +material was later put in book form under the title, "What I Have +Done with Birds," and is regarded as authoritative on the subject +of bird photography and bird life, for in truth it covers every +phase of the life of the birds described, and contains much of +other nature subjects. + +By this time Mrs. Porter had made a contract with her publishers +to alternate her books. She agreed to do a nature book for love, +and then, by way of compromise, a piece of nature work spiced +with enough fiction to tempt her class of readers. In this way +she hoped that they would absorb enough of the nature work while +reading the fiction to send them afield, and at the same time +keep in their minds her picture of what she considers the only +life worth living. She was still assured that only a straight +novel would "pay," but she was living, meeting all her expenses, +giving her family many luxuries, and saving a little sum for a +rainy day she foresaw on her horoscope. To be comfortably +clothed and fed, to have time and tools for her work, is all she +ever has asked of life. + +Among Mrs. Porter's readers "At the Foot of the Rainbow" stands +as perhaps the author's strongest piece of fiction. + +In August of 1909 two books on which the author had been working +for years culminated at the same time: a nature novel, and a +straight nature book. The novel was, in a way, a continuation of +"Freckles," filled as usual with wood lore, but more concerned +with moths than birds. Mrs. Porter had been finding and picturing +exquisite big night flyers during several years of field work +among the birds, and from what she could have readily done with +them she saw how it would be possible for a girl rightly +constituted and environed to make a living, and a good one, at +such work. So was conceived "A Girl of the Limberlost." "This +comes fairly close to my idea of a good book," she writes. "No +possible harm can be done any one in reading it. The book can, +and does, present a hundred pictures that will draw any reader in +closer touch with nature and the Almighty, my primal object in +each line I write. The human side of the book is as close a +character study as I am capable of making. I regard the character +of Mrs. Comstock as the best thought-out and the cleanest-cut +study of human nature I have so far been able to do. Perhaps the +best justification of my idea of this book came to me recently +when I received an application from the President for permission +to translate it into Arabic, as the first book to be used in an +effort to introduce our methods of nature study into the College +of Cairo." + +Hodder and Stoughton of London published the British edition of +this work. + +At the same time that "A Girl of the Limberlost" was published +there appeared the book called "Birds of the Bible." This volume +took shape slowly. The author made a long search for each bird +mentioned in the Bible, how often, where, why; each quotation +concerning it in the whole book, every abstract reference, why +made, by whom, and what it meant. Then slowly dawned the sane and +true things said of birds in the Bible compared with the amazing +statements of Aristotle, Aristophanes, Pliny, and other writers +of about the same period in pagan nations. This led to a search +for the dawn of bird history and for the very first pictures +preserved of them. On this book the author expended more work +than on any other she has ever written. + +In 1911 two more books for which Mrs. Porter had gathered +material for long periods came to a conclusion on the same date: +"Music of the Wild" and "The Harvester." The latter of these was +a nature novel; the other a frank nature book, filled with all +outdoors--a special study of the sounds one hears in fields and +forests, and photographic reproductions of the musicians and +their instruments. + +The idea of "The Harvester" was suggested to the author by an +editor who wanted a magazine article, with human interest in it, +about the ginseng diggers in her part of the country. Mr. Porter +had bought ginseng for years for a drug store he owned; there +were several people he knew still gathering it for market, and +growing it was becoming a good business all over the country. +Mrs. Porter learned from the United States Pharmacopaeia and from +various other sources that the drug was used mostly by the +Chinese, and with a wholly mistaken idea of its properties. The +strongest thing any medical work will say for ginseng is that it +is "A VERY MILD AND SOOTHING DRUG." It seems that the Chinese buy +and use it in enormous quantities, in the belief that it is a +remedy for almost every disease to which humanity is heir; that +it will prolong life, and that it is a wonderful stimulant. +Ancient medical works make this statement, laying special +emphasis upon its stimulating qualities. The drug does none of +these things. Instead of being a stimulant, it comes closer to a +sedative. This investigation set the author on the search for +other herbs that now are or might be grown as an occupation. Then +came the idea of a man who should grow these drugs +professionally, and of the sick girl healed by them. "I could +have gone to work and started a drug farm myself," remarks Mrs. +Porter, "with exactly the same profit and success as the +Harvester. I wrote primarily to state that to my personal +knowledge, clean, loving men still exist in this world, and that +no man is forced to endure the grind of city life if he wills +otherwise. Any one who likes, with even such simple means as +herbs he can dig from fence corners, may start a drug farm that +in a short time will yield him delightful work and independence. +I WROTE THE BOOK AS I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN, TO PROVE MY +POINTS AND ESTABLISH MY CONTENTIONS. I THINK IT DID. MEN THE +GLOBE AROUND PROMPTLY WROTE ME THAT THEY ALWAYS HAD OBSERVED THE +MORAL CODE; OTHERS THAT THE SUBJECT NEVER IN ALL THEIR LIVES HAD +BEEN PRESENTED TO THEM FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, BUT NOW THAT IT HAD +BEEN, THEY WOULD CHANGE AND DO WHAT THEY COULD TO INFLUENCE ALL +MEN TO DO THE SAME" + +Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton publish a British edition of "The +Harvester," there is an edition in Scandinavian, it was running +serially in a German magazine, but for a time at least the German +and French editions that were arranged will be stopped by this +war, as there was a French edition of "The Song of the Cardinal." + +After a short rest, the author began putting into shape a book +for which she had been compiling material since the beginning of +field work. From the first study she made of an exquisite big +night moth, Mrs. Porter used every opportunity to secure more and +representative studies of each family in her territory, and +eventually found the work so fascinating that she began hunting +cocoons and raising caterpillars in order to secure life +histories and make illustrations with fidelity to life. "It +seems," comments the author, "that scientists and lepidopterists +from the beginning have had no hesitation in describing and using +mounted moth and butterfly specimens for book text and +illustration, despite the fact that their colours fade rapidly, +that the wings are always in unnatural positions, and the bodies +shrivelled. I would quite as soon accept the mummy of any +particular member of the Rameses family as a fair representation +of the living man, as a mounted moth for a live one." + +When she failed to secure the moth she wanted in a living and +perfect specimen for her studies, the author set out to raise +one, making photographic studies from the eggs through the entire +life process. There was one June during which she scarcely slept +for more than a few hours of daytime the entire month. She turned +her bedroom into a hatchery, where were stored the most precious +cocoons; and if she lay down at night it was with those she +thought would produce moths before morning on her pillow, where +she could not fail to hear them emerging. At the first sound she +would be up with notebook in hand, and by dawn, busy with +cameras. Then she would be forced to hurry to the darkroom and +develop her plates in order to be sure that she had a perfect +likeness, before releasing the specimen, for she did release all +she produced except one pair of each kind, never having sold a +moth, personally. Often where the markings were wonderful and +complicated, as soon as the wings were fully developed Mrs. +Porter copied the living specimen in water colours for her +illustrations, frequently making several copies in order to be +sure that she laid on the colour enough BRIGHTER than her subject +so that when it died it would be exactly the same shade. + +"Never in all my life," writes the author, "have I had such +exquisite joy in work as I had in painting the illustrations for +this volume of `Moths of the Limberlost.' Colour work had +advanced to such a stage that I knew from the beautiful +reproductions in Arthur Rackham's `Rheingold and Valkyrie' and +several other books on the market, that time so spent would not +be lost. Mr. Doubleday had assured me personally that I might +count on exact reproduction, and such details of type and paper +as I chose to select. I used the easel made for me when a girl, +under the supervision of my father, and I threw my whole heart +into the work of copying each line and delicate shading on those +wonderful wings, `all diamonded with panes of quaint device, +innumerable stains and splendid dyes,' as one poet describes +them. There were times, when in working a mist of colour over +another background, I cut a brush down to three hairs. Some of +these illustrations I sent back six and seven times, to be worked +over before the illustration plates were exact duplicates of the +originals, and my heart ached for the engravers, who must have +had Job-like patience; but it did not ache enough to stop me +until I felt the reproduction exact. This book tells its own +story of long and patient waiting for a specimen, of watching, of +disappointments, and triumphs. I love it especially among my +book children because it represents my highest ideals in the +making of a nature book, and I can take any skeptic afield and +prove the truth of the natural history it contains." + +In August of 1913 the author's novel "Laddie" was published in +New York, London, Sydney and Toronto simultaneously. This book +contains the same mixture of romance and nature interest as the +others, and is modelled on the same plan of introducing nature +objects peculiar to the location, and characters, many of whom +are from life, typical of the locality at a given period. The +first thing many critics said of it was that "no such people ever +existed, and no such life was ever lived." In reply to this the +author said: "Of a truth, the home I described in this book I +knew to the last grain of wood in the doors, and I painted, it +with absolute accuracy; and many of the people I described I knew +more intimately than I ever have known any others. TAKEN AS A +WHOLE IT REPRESENTS A PERFECTLY FAITHFUL PICTURE OF HOME LIFE, IN +A FAMILY WHO WERE REARED AND EDUCATED EXACTLY AS THIS BOOK +INDICATES. There was such a man as Laddie, and he was as much +bigger and better than my description of him as a real thing is +always better than its presentment. The only difference, barring +the nature work, between my books and those of many other +writers, is that I prefer to describe and to perpetuate the BEST +I have known in life; whereas many authors seem to feel that +they have no hope of achieving a high literary standing unless +they delve in and reproduce the WORST. + +"To deny that wrong and pitiful things exist in life is folly, +but to believe that these things are made better by promiscuous +discussion at the hands of writers who FAIL TO PROVE BY THEIR +BOOKS that their viewpoint is either right, clean, or helpful, is +close to insanity. If there is to be any error on either side in +a book, then God knows it is far better that it should be upon +the side of pure sentiment and high ideals than upon that of a +too loose discussion of subjects which often open to a large part +of the world their first knowledge of such forms of sin, +profligate expenditure, and waste of life's best opportunities. +There is one great beauty in idealized romance: reading it can +make no one worse than he is, while it may help thousands to a +cleaner life and higher inspiration than they ever before have +known." + +Mrs. Porter has written ten books, and it is not out of place +here to express her attitude toward them. Each was written, she +says, from her heart's best impulses. They are as clean and +helpful as she knew how to make them, as beautiful and +interesting. She has never spared herself in the least degree, +mind or body, when it came to giving her best, and she has never +considered money in relation to what she was writing. + +During the hard work and exposure of those early years, during +rainy days and many nights in the darkroom, she went straight +ahead with field work, sending around the globe for books and +delving to secure material for such books as "Birds of the +Bible," "Music of the Wild," and "Moths of the Limberlost." Every +day devoted to such work was "commercially" lost, as publishers +did not fail to tell her. But that was the work she could do, and +do with exceeding joy. She could do it better pictorially, on +account of her lifelong knowledge of living things afield, than +any other woman had as yet had the strength and nerve to do it. +It was work in which she gloried, and she persisted. "Had I been +working for money," comments the author, "not one of these nature +books ever would have been written, or an illustration made." + +When the public had discovered her and given generous approval to +"A Girl of the Limberlost," when "The Harvester" had established +a new record, that would have been the time for the author to +prove her commercialism by dropping nature work, and plunging +headlong into books it would pay to write, and for which many +publishers were offering alluring sums. Mrs. Porter's answer was +the issuing of such books as "Music of the Wild" and "Moths of +the Limberlost." No argument is necessary. Mr. Edward Shuman, +formerly critic of the Chicago Record-Herald, was impressed by +this method of work and pointed it out in a review. It appealed +to Mr. Shuman, when "Moths of the Limberlost" came in for review, +following the tremendous success of "The Harvester," that had the +author been working for money, she could have written half a +dozen more "Harvesters" while putting seven years of field work, +on a scientific subject, into a personally illustrated work. + +In an interesting passage dealing with her books, Mrs. Porter +writes: "I have done three times the work on my books of fiction +that I see other writers putting into a novel, in order to make +all natural history allusions accurate and to write them in such +fashion that they will meet with the commendation of high +schools, colleges, and universities using what I write as text +books, and for the homes that place them in their libraries. I am +perfectly willing to let time and the hearts of the people set my +work in its ultimate place. I have no delusions concerning it. + +"To my way of thinking and working the greatest service a piece +of fiction can do any reader is to leave him with a higher ideal +of life than he had when he began. If in one small degree it +shows him where he can be a gentler, saner, cleaner, kindlier +man, it is a wonder-working book. If it opens his eyes to one +beauty in nature he never saw for himself, and leads him one step +toward the God of the Universe, it is a beneficial book, for one +step into the miracles of nature leads to that long walk, the +glories of which so strengthen even a boy who thinks he is dying, +that he faces his struggle like a gladiator." + +During the past ten years thousands of people have sent the +author word that through her books they have been led afield and +to their first realization of the beauties of nature her mail +brings an average of ten such letters a day, mostly from +students, teachers, and professional people of our largest +cities. It can probably be said in all truth of her nature books +and nature novels, that in the past ten years they have sent more +people afield than all the scientific writings of the same +period. That is a big statement, but it is very likely pretty +close to the truth. Mrs. Porter has been asked by two London and +one Edinburgh publishers for the privilege of bringing out +complete sets of her nature books, but as yet she has not felt +ready to do this. + +In bringing this sketch of Gene Stratton-Porter to a close it +will be interesting to quote the author's own words describing +the Limberlost Swamp, its gradual disappearance under the +encroachments of business, and her removal to a new field even +richer in natural beauties. She says: "In the beginning of the +end a great swamp region lay in northeastern Indiana. Its head +was in what is now Noble and DeKalb counties; its body in Allen +and Wells, and its feet in southern Adams and northern Jay The +Limberlost lies at the foot and was, when I settled near it, +EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN MY BOOKS. The process of dismantling it +was told in, Freckles, to start with, carried on in `A Girl of +the Limberlost,' and finished in `Moths of the Limberlost.' Now +it has so completely fallen prey to commercialism through the +devastation of lumbermen, oilmen, and farmers, that I have been +forced to move my working territory and build a new cabin about +seventy miles north, at the head of the swamp in Noble county, +where there are many lakes, miles of unbroken marsh, and a far +greater wealth of plant and animal life than existed during my +time in the southern part. At the north end every bird that +frequents the Central States is to be found. Here grow in +profusion many orchids, fringed gentians, cardinal flowers, +turtle heads, starry campions, purple gerardias, and grass of +Parnassus. In one season I have located here almost every flower +named in the botanies as native to these regions and several that +I can find in no book in my library. + +"But this change of territory involves the purchase of fifteen +acres of forest and orchard land, on a lake shore in marsh +country. It means the building of a permanent, all-year-round +home, which will provide the comforts of life for my family and +furnish a workshop consisting of a library, a photographic +darkroom and negative closet, and a printing room for me. I could +live in such a home as I could provide on the income from my +nature work alone; but when my working grounds were cleared, +drained and ploughed up, literally wiped from the face of the +earth, I never could have moved to new country had it not been +for the earnings of the novels, which I now spend, and always +have spent, in great part UPON MY NATURE WORK. Based on this plan +of work and life I have written ten books, and `please God I live +so long,' I shall write ten more. Possibly every one of them will +be located in northern Indiana. Each one will be filled with all +the field and woods legitimately falling to its location and +peopled with the best men and women I have known." + + + +Chapter 1 + +THE RAT-CATCHERS OF THE WABASH + + +"Hey, you swate-scented little heart-warmer!" cried Jimmy Malone, +as he lifted his tenth trap, weighted with a struggling muskrat, +from the Wabash. "Varmint you may be to all the rist of +creation, but you mane a night at Casey's to me." + +Jimmy whistled softly as he reset the trap. For the moment he +forgot that he was five miles from home, that it was a mile +farther to the end of his line at the lower curve of Horseshoe +Bend, that his feet and fingers were almost freezing, and that +every rat of the ten now in the bag on his back had made him +thirstier. He shivered as the cold wind sweeping the curves of +the river struck him; but when an unusually heavy gust dropped +the ice and snow from a branch above him on the back of his +head, he laughed, as he ducked and cried: "Kape your snowballing +till the Fourth of July, will you!" + +"Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!" remarked a tiny gray bird on the tree +above him. Jimmy glanced up. "Chickie, Chickie, Chickie," he +said. "I can't till by your dress whether you are a hin or a +rooster. But I can till by your employmint that you are working +for grub. Have to hustle lively for every worm you find, don't +you, Chickie? Now me, I'm hustlin' lively for a drink, and I be +domn if it seems nicessary with a whole river of drinkin' stuff +flowin' right under me feet. But the old Wabash ain't runnin +"wine and milk and honey" not by the jug-full. It seems to be +compounded of aquil parts of mud, crude ile, and rain water. If +'twas only runnin' Melwood, be gorry, Chickie, you'd see a +mermaid named Jimmy Malone sittin' on the Kingfisher Stump, +combin' its auburn hair with a breeze, and scoopin' whiskey down +its gullet with its tail fin. No, hold on, Chickie, you wouldn't +either. I'm too flat-chisted for a mermaid, and I'd have no time +to lave off gurglin' for the hair-combin' act, which, Chickie, to +me notion is as issential to a mermaid as the curves. I'd be a +sucker, the biggest sucker in the Gar-hole, Chickie bird. I'd be +an all-day sucker, be gobs; yis, and an all- night sucker, too. +Come to think of it, Chickie, be domn if I'd be a sucker at all. +Look at the mouths of thim! Puckered up with a drawstring! Oh, +Hell on the Wabash, Chickie, think of Jimmy Malone lyin' at the +bottom of a river flowin' with Melwood, and a puckerin'-string +mouth! Wouldn't that break the heart of you? I know what I'd be. +I'd be the Black Bass of Horseshoe Bend, Chickie, and I'd locate +just below the shoals headin' up stream, and I'd hold me mouth +wide open till I paralyzed me jaws so I couldn't shut thim. I'd +just let the pure stuff wash over me gills constant, world +without end. Good-by, Chickie. Hope you got your grub, and pretty +soon I'll have enough drink to make me feel like I was the Bass +for one night, anyway." + +Jimmy hurried to his next trap, which was empty, but the one +after that contained a rat, and there were footprints in the +snow. "That's where the porrage-heart of the Scotchman comes in," +said Jimmy, as he held up the rat by one foot, and gave it a +sharp rap over the head with the trap to make sure it was dead. +"Dannie could no more hear a rat fast in one of me traps and not +come over and put it out of its misery, than he could dance a +hornpipe. And him only sicond hand from hornpipe land, too! But +his feet's like lead. Poor Dannie! He gets just about half the +rats I do. He niver did have luck." + +Jimmy's gay face clouded for an instant. The twinkle faded from +his eyes, and a look of unrest swept into them. He muttered +something, and catching up his bag, shoved in the rat. As he +reset the trap, a big crow dropped from branch to branch on a +sycamore above him, and his back scarcely was turned before it +alighted on the ice, and ravenously picked at three drops of +blood purpling there. + +Away down the ice-sheeted river led Dannie's trail, showing +plainly across the snow blanket. The wind raved through the +trees, and around the curves of the river. The dark earth of the +banks peeping from under overhanging ice and snow, looked like +the entrance to deep mysterious caves. Jimmy's superstitious soul +readily peopled them with goblins and devils. He shuddered, and +began to talk aloud to cheer himself. "Elivin muskrat skins, +times fifteen cints apiece, one dollar sixty-five. That will buy +more than I can hold. Hagginy! Won't I be takin' one long fine +gurgle of the pure stuff! And there's the boys! I might do the +grand for once. One on me for the house! And I might pay +something on my back score, but first I'll drink till I swell +like a poisoned pup. And I ought to get Mary that milk pail she's +been kickin' for this last month. Women and cows are always +kickin'! If the blarsted cow hadn't kicked a hole in the pail, +there'd be no need of Mary kicking for a new one. But dough IS +dubious soldering. Mary says it's bad enough on the dish pan, but +it positively ain't hilthy about the milk pail, and she is right. +We ought to have a new pail. I guess I'll get it first, and fill +up on what's left. One for a quarter will do. And I've several +traps yet, I may get a few more rats." + +The virtuous resolve to buy a milk pail before he quenched the +thirst which burned him, so elated Jimmy with good opinion of +himself that he began whistling gayly as he strode toward his +next trap. And by that token, Dannie Macnoun, resetting an empty +trap a quarter of a mile below, knew that Jimmy was coming, and +that as usual luck was with him. Catching his blood and water +dripping bag, Dannie dodged a rotten branch that came crashing +down under the weight of its icy load, and stepping out on the +river, he pulled on his patched wool-lined mittens as he waited +for Jimmy. + +"How many, Dannie?" called Jimmy from afar. + +"Seven," answered Dannie. "What for ye?" + +"Elivin," replied Jimmy, with a bit of unconscious swagger. "I am +havin' poor luck to-day." + +"How mony wad satisfy ye?" asked Dannie sarcastically. + +"Ain't got time to figure that," answered Jimmy, working in a +double shuffle as he walked. "Thrash around a little, Dannie. It +will warm you up." + +"I am no cauld," answered Dannie. + +"No cauld!" imitated Jimmy. "No cauld! Come to observe you +closer, I do detect symptoms of sunstroke in the ridness of your +face, and the whiteness about your mouth; but the frost on your +neck scarf, and the icicles fistooned around the tail of your +coat, tell a different story. + +"Dannie, you remind me of the baptizin' of Pete Cox last winter. +Pete's nothin' but skin and bone, and he niver had a square meal +in his life to warm him. It took pushin' and pullin' to get him +in the water, and a scum froze over while he was under. Pete came +up shakin' like the feeder on a thrashin' machine, and whin he +could spake at all, `Bless Jasus,' says he, `I'm jist as +wa-wa-warm as I wa-wa-want to be.' So are you, Dannie, but +there's a difference in how warm folks want to be. For meself, +now, I could aisily bear a little more hate." + +"It's honest, I'm no cauld," insisted Dannie; and he might have +added that if Jimmy would not fill his system with Casey's +poisons, that degree of cold would not chill and pinch him +either. But being Dannie, he neither thought nor said it. `"Why, +I'm frozen to me sowl!" cried Jimmy, as he changed the rat bag to +his other hand, and beat the empty one against his leg." Say, +Dannie, where do you think the Kingfisher is wintering?" + +"And the Black Bass," answered Dannie. "Where do ye suppose the +Black Bass is noo?" + +"Strange you should mintion the Black Bass," said Jimmy. "I was +just havin' a little talk about him with a frind of mine named +Chickie-dom, no, Chickie-dee, who works a grub stake back there. + +The Bass might be lyin' in the river bed right under our feet. +Don't you remimber the time whin I put on three big cut-worms, +and skittered thim beyond the log that lays across here, and he +lept from the water till we both saw him the best we ever did, +and nothin' but my old rotten line ever saved him? Or he might be +where it slumps off just below the Kingfisher stump. But I know +where he is all right. He's down in the Gar-hole, and he'll come +back here spawning time, and chase minnows when the Kingfisher +comes home. But, Dannie, where the nation do you suppose the +Kingfisher is?" + +"No' so far away as ye might think," replied Dannie. "Doc Hues +told me that coming on the train frae Indianapolis on the +fifteenth of December, he saw one fly across a little pond juist +below Winchester. I believe they go south slowly, as the cold +drives them, and stop near as they can find guid fishing. Dinna +that stump look lonely wi'out him?" + +"And sound lonely without the Bass slashing around! I am going to +have that Bass this summer if I don't do a thing but fish!" vowed +Jimmy. + +"I'll surely have a try at him," answered Dannie, with a twinkle +in his gray eyes. "We've caught most everything else in the +Wabash, and our reputation fra taking guid fish is ahead of any +one on the river, except the Kingfisher. Why the Diel dinna one +of us haul out that Bass?" + +"Ain't I just told you that I am going to hook him this summer?" +shivered Jimmy. + +"Dinna ye hear me mention that I intended to take a try at him +mysel'?" questioned Dannie. "Have ye forgotten that I know how to +fish?" + +"'Nough breeze to-day without starting a Highlander," interposed +Jimmy hastily. "I believe I hear a rat in my next trap. That will +make me twilve, and it's good and glad of it I am for I've to +walk to town when my line is reset. There's something Mary +wants." + +"If Mary wants ye to go to town, why dinna ye leave me to finish +your traps, and start now?" asked Dannie. "It's getting dark, and +if ye are so late ye canna see the drifts, ye never can cut +across the fields; fra the snow is piled waist high, and it's a +mile farther by the road." + +"I got to skin my rats first, or I'll be havin' to ask credit +again," replied Jimmy. + +"That's easy," answered Dannie. "Turn your rats over to me richt +noo. I'll give ye market price fra them in cash." + +"But the skinnin' of them," objected Jimmy for decency sake, +though his eyes were beginning to shine and his fingers to +tremble. + +"Never ye mind about that," retorted Dannie. "I like to take my +time to it, and fix them up nice. Elivin, did ye say?" + +"Elivin," answered Jimmy, breaking into a jig, supposedly to keep +his feet warm, in reality because he could not stand quietly +while Dannie pulled off his mittens, got out and unstrapped his +wallet, and carefully counted out the money. "Is that all ye +need?" he asked. + +For an instant Jimmy hesitated. Missing a chance to get even a +few cents more meant a little shorter time at Casey's. "That's +enough, I think," he said. "I wish I'd staid out of matrimony, +and then maybe I could iver have a cint of me own. You ought to +be glad you haven't a woman to consume ivery penny you earn +before it reaches your pockets, Dannie Micnoun." + +"I hae never seen Mary consume much but calico and food," Dannie +said dryly. + +"Oh, it ain't so much what a woman really spinds," said Jimmy, +peevishly, as he shoved the money into his pocket, and pulled on +his mittens. "It's what you know she would spind if she had the +chance." + +"I dinna think ye'll break up on that," laughed Dannie. + +And that was what Jimmy wanted. So long as he could set Dannie +laughing, he could mold him. + +"No, but I'll break down," lamented Jimmy in sore self-pity, as +he remembered the quarter sacred to the purchase of the milk +pail. + +"Ye go on, and hurry," urged Dannie. "If ye dinna start home by +seven, I'll be combing the drifts fra ye before morning." + +"Anything I can do for you?" asked Jimmy, tightening his old red +neck scarf. + +"Yes," answered Dannie. "Do your errand and start straight home, +your teeth are chattering noo. A little more exposure, and the +rheumatism will be grinding ye again. Ye will hurry, Jimmy?" + +"Sure!" cried Jimmy, ducking under a snow slide, and breaking +into a whistle as he turned toward the road. + +Dannie's gaze followed Jimmy's retreating figure until he climbed +the bank, and was lost in the woods, and the light in his eyes +was the light of love. He glanced at the sky, and hurried down +the river. First across to Jimmy's side to gather his rats and +reset his traps, then to his own. But luck seemed to have turned, +for all the rest of Dannie's were full, and all of Jimmy's were +empty. But as he was gone, it was not necessary for Dannie to +slip across and fill them, as was his custom when they worked +together. He would divide the rats at skinning time, so that +Jimmy would have just twice as many as he, because Jimmy had a +wife to support. The last trap of the line lay a little below the +curve of Horseshoe Bend, and there Dannie twisted the tops of the +bags together, climbed the bank, and struck across Rainbow +Bottom. He settled his load to his shoulders, and glanced ahead +to choose the shortest route. He stopped suddenly with a quick +intake of breath. + +"God!" he cried reverently. "Hoo beautifu' are Thy works." + +The ice-covered Wabash circled Rainbow Bottom like a broad white +frame, and inside it was a perfect picture wrought in crystal +white and snow shadows. The blanket on the earth lay smoothly in +even places, rose with knolls, fell with valleys, curved over +prostrate logs, heaped in mounds where bushes grew thickly, and +piled high in drifts where the wind blew free. In the shelter of +the bottom the wind had not stripped the trees of their loads as +it had those along the river. The willows, maples, and soft woods +bent almost to earth with their shining burden; but the stout, +stiffly upstanding trees, the oaks, elms, and cottonwoods defied +the elements to bow their proud heads. While the three mighty +trunks of the great sycamore in the middle looked white as the +snow, and dwarfed its companions as it never had in summer; its +wide-spreading branches were sharply cut against the blue +background, and they tossed their frosted balls in the face of +Heaven. The giant of Rainbow Bottom might be broken, but it never +would bend. Every clambering vine, every weed and dried leaf wore +a coat of lace-webbed frostwork. The wind swept a mist of tiny +crystals through the air, and from the shelter of the deep woods +across the river a Cardinal whistled gayly. + +The bird of Good Cheer, whistling no doubt on an empty crop, made +Dannie think of Jimmy, and his unfailing fountain of mirth. Dear +Jimmy! Would he ever take life seriously? How good he was to +tramp to town and back after five miles on the ice. He thought of +Mary with almost a touch of impatience. What did the woman want +that was so necessary as to send a man to town after a day on +the ice? Jimmy would be dog tired when he got home. Dannie +decided to hurry, and do the feeding and get in the wood before +he began to skin the rats. + +He found walking uncertain. He plunged into unsuspected hollows, +and waded drifts, so that he was panting when he reached the +lane. From there he caught the gray curl of smoke against the sky +from one of two log cabins side by side at the top of the +embankment, and he almost ran toward them. Mary might think they +were late at the traps, and be out doing the feeding, and it +would be cold for a woman. + +On reaching his own door, he dropped the rat bags inside, and +then hurried to the yard of the other cabin. He gathered a big +load of wood in his arms, and stamping the snow from his feet, +called "Open!" at the door. Dannie stepped inside and filled the +empty box. With smiling eyes he turned to Mary, as he brushed the +snow and moss from his sleeves. + +"Nothing but luck to-day," he said. "Jimmy took elivin fine skins +frae his traps before he started to town, and I got five more +that are his, and I hae eight o' my own." + +Mary looked such a dream to Dannie, standing there all pink and +warm and tidy in her fresh blue dress, that he blinked and +smiled, half bewildered. + +"What did Jimmy go to town for?" she asked. + +"Whatever it was ye wanted," answered Dannie. + +"What was it I wanted?" persisted Mary. + +"He dinna tell me," replied Dannie, and the smile wavered. + +"Me, either," said Mary, and she stooped and picked up her +sewing. + +Dannie went out and gently closed the door. He stood for a second +on the step, forcing himself to take an inventory of the work. +There were the chickens to feed, and the cows to milk, feed, and +water. Both the teams must be fed and bedded, a fire in his own +house made, and two dozen rats skinned, and the skins put to +stretch and cure. And at the end of it all, instead of a bed and +rest, there was every probability that he must drive to town +after Jimmy; for Jimmy could get helpless enough to freeze in a +drift on a dollar sixty-five. + +"Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy!" muttered Dannie. "I wish ye wadna." And he +was not thinking of himself, but of the eyes of the woman inside. + +So Dannie did all the work, and cooked his supper, because he +never ate in Jimmy's cabin when Jimmy was not there. Then he +skinned rats, and watched the clock, because if Jimmy did not +come by eleven, it meant he must drive to town and bring him +home. No wonder Jimmy chilled at the trapping when he kept his +blood on fire with whiskey. At half-past ten, Dannie, with +scarcely half the rats finished, went out into the storm and +hitched to the single buggy. Then he tapped at Mary Malone's +door, quite softly, so that he would not disturb her if she had +gone to bed. She was not sleeping, however, and the loneliness of +her slight figure, as she stood with the lighted room behind her, +struck Dannie forcibly, so that his voice trembled with pity as +he said: "Mary, I've run out o' my curing compound juist in the +midst of skinning the finest bunch o' rats we've taken frae the +traps this winter. I am going to drive to town fra some more +before the stores close, and we will be back in less than an +hour. I thought I'd tell ye, so if ye wanted me ye wad know why I +dinna answer. Ye winna be afraid, will ye?" + +"No," replied Mary, "I won't be afraid." + +"Bolt the doors, and pile on plenty of wood to keep ye warm," +said Dannie as he turned away. + +Just for a minute Mary stared out into the storm. Then a gust of +wind nearly swept her from her feet, and she pushed the door +shut, and slid the heavy bolt into place. For a little while she +leaned and listened to the storm outside. She was a clean, neat, +beautiful Irish woman. Her eyes were wide and blue, her cheeks +pink, and her hair black and softly curling about her face and +neck. The room in which she stood was neat as its keeper. The +walls were whitewashed, and covered with prints, pictures, and +some small tanned skins. Dried grasses and flowers filled the +vases on the mantle. The floor was neatly carpeted with a striped +rag carpet, and in the big open fireplace a wood fire roared. In +an opposite corner stood a modern cooking stove, the pipe passing +through a hole in the wall, and a door led into a sleeping room +beyond. + +As her eyes swept the room they rested finally on a framed +lithograph of the Virgin, with the Infant in her arms. Slowly +Mary advanced, her gaze fast on the serene pictured face of the +mother clasping her child. Before it she stood staring. Suddenly +her breast began to heave, and the big tears brimmed from her +eyes and slid down her cheeks. + +"Since you look so wise, why don't you tell me why?" she +demanded. "Oh, if you have any mercy, tell me why!" + +Then before the steady look in the calm eyes, she hastily made +the sign of the cross, and slipping to the floor, she laid her +head on a chair, and sobbed aloud. + + + +Chapter II + +RUBEN O'KHAYAM AND THE MILK PAIL + + +Jimmy Malone, carrying a shinning tin milk pail, stepped into +Casey's saloon and closed the door behind him. + +"E' much as wine has played the Infidel, +And robbed me of my robe of Honor--well, +I wonder what the Vinters buy +One-half so precious as the stuff they sell." + +Jimmy stared at the back of a man leaning against the bar, and +gazing lovingly at a glass of red wine, as he recited in mellow, +swinging tones. Gripping the milk pail, Jimmy advanced a step. +The man stuck a thumb in the belt of his Norfolk jacket, and the +verses flowed on: + + +"The grape that can with logic absolute +The two and seventy jarring sects confute: +The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice +Life's leaden metal into Gold transmute." + + +Jimmy's mouth fell open, and he slowly nodded indorsement of the +sentiment. The man lifted his glass. + + +"Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend, +Before we too into the Dust descend; +Yesterday this Day's Madness did prepare; +To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Despair: +Drink! for you know not whence you came nor why: +Drink! for you know not why you go nor where." + + +Jimmy set the milk pail on the bar and faced the man. + +"'Fore God, that's the only sensible word I ever heard on my side +of the quistion in all me life. And to think that it should come +from the mouth of a man wearing such a Go-to-Hell coat!" + +Jimmy shoved the milk pail in front of the stranger. "In the name +of humanity, impty yourself of that," he said. "Fill me pail with +the stuff and let me take it home to Mary. She's always got the +bist of the argumint, but I'm thinkin' that would cork her. You +won't?" questioned Jimmy resentfully. "Kape it to yoursilf, thin, +like you did your wine." He shoved the bucket toward the +barkeeper, and emptied his pocket on the bar. "There, Casey, you +be the Sovereign Alchemist, and transmute that metal into Melwood +pretty quick, for I've not wet me whistle in three days, and the +belly of me is filled with burnin' autumn leaves. Gimme a loving +cup, and come on boys, this is on me while it lasts." + +The barkeeper swept the coin into the till, picked up the bucket, +and started back toward a beer keg. + +"Oh, no you don't!" cried Jimmy. "Come back here and count that +`leaden metal,' and then be transmutin' it into whiskey straight, +the purest gold you got. You don't drown out a three-days' +thirst with beer. You ought to give me 'most two quarts for +that." + +The barkeeper was wise. He knew that what Jimmy started would go +on with men who could pay, and he filled the order generously. + +Jimmy picked up the pail. He dipped a small glass in the liquor, +and held near an ounce aloft. + + +"I wonder what the Vinters buy +One-half so precious as the stuff they sell?" + + +he quoted. "Down goes!" and he emptied the glass at a draft. +Then he walked to the group at the stove, and began dipping a +drink for each. + +When Jimmy came to a gray-haired man, with a high forehead and an +intellectual face, he whispered: "Take your full time, Cap. Who's +the rhymin' inkybator?" + +"Thread man, Boston," mouthed the Captain, as he reached for the +glass with trembling fingers. Jimmy held on. "Do you know that +stuff he's giving off?" The Captain nodded, and rose to his feet. +He always declared he could feel it farther if he drank standing. + +"What's his name?" whispered Jimmy, releasing the glass. +"Rubaiyat, Omar Khayyam," panted the Captain, and was lost. Jimmy +finished the round of his friends, and then approached the bar. + +His voice was softening. "Mister Ruben O'Khayam," he said, "it's +me private opinion that ye nade lace-trimmed pantalettes and a +sash to complate your costume, but barrin' clothes, I'm entangled +in the thrid of your discourse. Bein' a Boston man meself, it +appeals to me, that I detict the refinemint of the East in yer +voice. Now these, me frinds, that I've just been tratin', are men +of these parts; but we of the middle East don't set up to equal +the culture of the extreme East. So, Mr. O'Khayam, solely for the +benefit you might be to us, I'm askin' you to join me and me +frinds in the momenchous initiation of me new milk pail." + +Jimmy lifted a brimming glass, and offered it to the Thread Man. +"Do you transmute?" he asked. Now if the Boston man had looked +Jimmy in the eye, and said "I do," this book would not have been +written. But he did not. He looked at the milk pail, and the +glass, which had passed through the hands of a dozen men in a +little country saloon away out in the wilds of Indiana, and said: +"I do not care to partake of further refreshment; if I can be of +intellectual benefit, I might remain for a time." + +For a flash Jimmy lifted the five feet ten of his height to six; +but in another he shrank below normal. What appeared to the +Thread Man to be a humble, deferential seeker after wisdom, led +him to one of the chairs around the big coal base burner. But the +boys who knew Jimmy were watching the whites of his eyes, as they +drank the second round. At this stage Jimmy was on velvet. How +long he remained there depended on the depth of Melwood in the +milk pail between his knees. He smiled winningly on the Thread +Man. + +"Ye know, Mister O'Khayam," he said, "at the present time you are +located in one of the wooliest parts of the wild East. I don't +suppose anything woolier could be found on the plains of Nebraska +where I am reliably informed they've stuck up a pole and labeled +it the cinter of the United States. Being a thousand miles closer +that pole than you are in Boston, naturally we come by that +distance closer to the great wool industry. Most of our wool here +grows on our tongues, and we shear it by this transmutin' +process, concerning which you have discoursed so beautiful. But +barrin' the shearin' of our wool, we are the mildest, most +sheepish fellows you could imagine. I don't reckon now there is a +man among us who could be induced to blat or to butt, under the +most tryin' circumstances. My Mary's got a little lamb, and all +the rist of the boys are lambs. But all the lambs are waned, and +clusterin' round the milk pail. Ain't that touchin'? Come on, +now, Ruben, ile up and edify us some more!" + +"On what point do you seek enlightenment?" inquired the Thread +Man. + +Jimmy stretched his long legs, and spat against the stove in pure +delight. + +"Oh, you might loosen up on the work of a man," he suggested. +"These lambs of Casey's fold may larn things from you to help +thim in the striss of life. Now here's Jones, for instance, he's +holdin' togither a gang of sixty gibbering Atalyans; any wan of +thim would cut his throat and skip in the night for a dollar, but +he kapes the beast in thim under, and they're gettin' out gravel +for the bed of a railway. Bingham there is oil. He's punchin' the +earth full of wan thousand foot holes, and sendin' off two +hundred quarts of nitroglycerine at the bottom of them, and +pumpin' the accumulation across continents to furnish folks light +and hate. York here is runnin' a field railway between Bluffton +and Celina, so that I can get to the river and the resurvoir to +fish without walkin'. Haines is bossin' a crew of forty Canadians +and he's takin' the timber from the woods hereabouts, and sending +it to be made into boats to carry stuff across sea. Meself, and +me partner, Dannie Micnoun, are the lady-likest lambs in the +bunch. We grow grub to feed folks in summer and trap for skins to +cover 'em in winter. Corn is our great commodity. Plowin' and +hoein' it in summer, and huskin' it in the fall is sich lamb-like +work. But don't mintion it in the same brith with tendin' our +four dozen fur traps on a twenty-below-zero day. Freezing hands +and fate, and fallin' into air bubbles, and building fires to +thaw out our frozen grub. Now here among us poor little, +transmutin', lambs you come, a raging lion, ripresentin' the +cultour and rayfinement of the far East. By the pleats on your +breast you show us the style. By the thrid case in your hand you +furnish us material so that our women can tuck their petticoats +so fancy, and by the book in your head you teach us your +sooperiority. By the same token, I wish I had that book in me +head, for I could just squelch Dannie and Mary with it complate. +Say, Mister O'Khayam, next time you come this way bring me a +copy. I'm wantin' it bad. I got what you gave off all secure, but +I take it there's more. No man goin' at that clip could shut off +with thim few lines. Do you know the rist?" + +The Thread Man knew the most of it, and although he was very +uncomfortable, he did not know just how to get away, so he +recited it. The milk pail was empty now, and Jimmy had almost +forgotten that it was a milk pail, and seemed inclined to resent +the fact that it had gone empty. He beat time on the bottom of +it, and frequently interrupted the Thread Man to repeat a couplet +which particularly suited him. By and by he got to his feet and +began stepping off a slow dance to a sing-song repetition of +lines that sounded musical to him, all the time marking the +measures vigorously on the pail. When he tired of a couplet, he +pounded the pail over the bar, stove, or chairs in encore, until +the Thread Man could think up another to which he could dance. + + +"Wine! Wine! Wine! Red Wine! +The Nightingale cried to the rose," + + +chanted Jimmy, thumping the pail in time, and stepping off the +measures with feet that scarcely seemed to touch the floor. He +flung his hat to the barkeeper, and his coat on a chair, ruffled +his fingers through his thick auburn hair, and holding the pail +under one arm, he paused, panting for breath and begging for +more. The Thread Man sat on the edge of his chair, and the eyes +he fastened on Jimmy were beginning to fill with interest. + +"Come fill the Cup and in the fire of Spring +Your Winter-Garment of Repentance fling. +The bird of time has but a little way to flutter +And the bird is on the wing." + +Smash came the milk pail across the bar. "Hooray!" shouted +Jimmy. "Besht yet!" Bang! Bang! He was off." Bird ish on the +wing," he chanted, and his feet flew. "Come fill the cup, and in +the firesh of spring--Firesh of Spring, Bird ish on the Wing!" +Between the music of the milk pail, the brogue of the panted +verses, and the grace of Jimmy's flying feet, the Thread Man was +almost prostrate. It suddenly came to him that here might be a +chance to have a great time. + +"More!" gasped Jimmy. "Me some more!" The Thread Man wiped his +eyes. + + +"Wether the cup with sweet or bitter run, +The wine of life keeps oozing drop by drop, +The leaves of life keep falling one by one." + +Away went Jimmy. + + +"Swate or bitter run, +Laves of life kape falling one by one." + + +Bang! Bang! sounded a new improvision on the sadly battered +pail, and to a new step Jimmy flashed back and forth the length +of the saloon. At last he paused to rest a second. "One more! +Just one more!" he begged. + + +"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, +A jug of wine, a Loaf of Bread and Thou +Beside me singing in the Wilderness. +Oh, wilderness were Paradise enough!" + + +Jimmy's head dropped an instant. His feet slowly shuffled in +improvising a new step, and then he moved away, thumping the milk +pail and chanting: + + +"A couple of fish poles underneath a tree, +A bottle of Rye and Dannie beside me +A fishing in the Wabash. +Were the Wabash Paradise? HULLY GEE! + + +"Tired out, he dropped across a chair facing the back and folded +his arms. He regained breath to ask the Thread Man: "Did you iver +have a frind?" + +He had reached the confidential stage. + +The Boston man was struggling to regain his dignity. He retained +the impression that at the wildest of the dance he had yelled and +patted time for Jimmy. + +"I hope I have a host of friends," he said, settling his pleated +coat. + +"Damn hosht!" said Jimmy. "Jisht in way. Now I got one frind, +hosht all by himself. Be here pretty soon now. Alwaysh comesh +nights like thish." + +"Comes here?" inquired the Thread Man. "Am I to meet another +interesting character?" + +"Yesh, comesh here. Comesh after me. Comesh like the clock +sthriking twelve. Don't he, boys?" inquired Jimmy. "But he ain't +no interesting character. Jisht common man, Dannie is. Honest +man. Never told a lie in his life. Yesh, he did, too. I forgot. +He liesh for me. Jish liesh and liesh. Liesh to Mary. Tells her +any old liesh to keep me out of schrape. You ever have frind hish +up and drive ten milesh for you night like thish, and liesh to +get you out of schrape?" + +"I never needed any one to lie and get me out of a scrape," +answered the Thread Man. + +Jimmy sat straight and solemnly batted his eyes. "Gee! You musht +misshed mosht the fun!" he said. "Me, I ain't ever misshed any. +Always in schrape. But Dannie getsh me out. Good old Dannie. Jish +like dog. Take care me all me life. See? Old folks come on same +boat. Women get thick. Shettle beside. Build cabinsh together. +Work together, and domn if they didn't get shmall pox and die +together. Left me and Dannie. So we work together jish shame, and +we fallsh in love with the shame girl. Dannie too slow. I got +her." Jimmy wiped away great tears. + +"How did you get her, Jimmy?" asked a man who remembered a story. + +"How the nation did I get her?" Jimmy scratched his head, and +appealed to the Thread Man. "Dannie besht man. Milesh besht man! +Never lie--'cept for me. Never drink--'cept for me. Alwaysh save +his money--'cept for me. Milesh besht man! Isn't he besht man, +Spooley?" + +"Ain't it true that you served Dannie a mean little trick?" asked +the man who remembered. + +Jimmy wasn't quite drunk enough, and the violent exercise of the +dance somewhat sobered him. He glared at the man. "Whatsh you +talkin' about?" he demanded. + +"I'm just asking you," said the man, "why, if you played straight +with Dannie about the girl, you never have had the face to go to +confession since you married her." + +"Alwaysh send my wife," said Jimmy grandly. "Domsh any woman that +can't confiss enough for two!" + +Then he hitched his chair closer to the Thread Man, and grew more +confidential. "Shee here," he said. "Firsht I see your pleated +coat, didn't like. But head's all right. Great head! Sthuck on +frillsh there! Want to be let in on something? Got enough city, +clubsh, an' all that? Want to taste real thing? Lesh go coon +huntin'. Theysh tree down Canoper, jish short pleashant walk, got +fify coons in it! Nobody knowsh the tree but me, shee? Been good +to ush boys. Sat on same kind of chairs we do. Educate ush up +lot. Know mosht that poetry till I die, shee? `Wonner wash +vinters buy, halfsh precious ash sthuff shell,' shee? I got it! +Let you in on real thing. Take grand big coon skinch back to +Boston with you. Ringsh on tail. Make wife fine muff, or fur +trimmingsh. Good to till boysh at club about, shee?" + +"Are you asking me to go on a coon hunt with you?" demanded the +Thread Man. "When? Where?" + +"Corshally invited," answered Jimmy. "To-morrow night. Canoper. +Show you plashe. Bill Duke's dogs. My gunsh. Moonsh shinin'. Dogs +howlin'. Shnow flying! Fify coonsh rollin' out one hole! Shoot +all dead! Take your pick! Tan skin for you myself! Roaring big +firesh warm by. Bag finesh sandwiches ever tasted. Milk pail pure +gold drink. No stop, slop out going over bridge. Take jug. Big +jug. Toss her up an' let her gurgle. Dogsh bark. Fire pop. Guns +bang. Fifty coons drop. Boysh all go. Want to get more education. +Takes culture to get woolsh off. Shay, will you go? " + +"I wouldn't miss it for a thousand dollars," said the Thread Man. +"But what will I say to my house for being a day late?" + +"Shay gotter grip," suggested Jimmy. "Never too late to getter +grip. Will you all go, boysh?" + +There were not three men in the saloon who knew of a tree that +had contained a coon that winter, but Jimmy was Jimmy, and to be +trusted for an expedition of that sort; and all of them agreed to +be at the saloon ready for the hunt at nine o'clock the next +night. The Thread Man felt that he was going to see Life. He +immediately invited the boys to the bar to drink to the success +of the hunt. + +"You shoot own coon yourself," offered the magnanimous Jimmy. +"You may carrysh my gunsh, take first shot. First shot to Missher +O'Khayam, boysh, 'member that. Shay, can you hit anything? Take a +try now." Jimmy reached behind him, and shoved a big revolver +into the hand of the Thread Man. "Whersh target?" he demanded. + +As he turned from the bar, the milk pail which he still carried +under his arm caught on an iron rod. Jimmy gave it a jerk, and +ripped the rim from the bottom. "Thish do," he said. "Splendid +marksh. Shinesh jish like coon's eyesh in torch light." + +He carried the pail to the back wall and hung it over a nail. The +nail was straight, and the pail flaring. The pail fell. Jimmy +kicked it across the room, and then gathered it up, and drove a +dent in it with his heel that would hold over the nail. Then he +went back to the Thread Man." Theresh mark, Ruben. Blash away!" +he said. + +The Boston man hesitated. "Whatsh the matter? Cansh shoot off +nothing but your mouth?" demanded Jimmy. He caught the revolver +and fired three shots so rapidly that the sounds came almost as +one. Two bullets pierced the bottom of the pail, and the other +the side as it fell. + +The door opened, and with the rush of cold air Jimmy gave just +one glance toward it, and slid the revolver into his pocket, +reached for his hat, and started in the direction of his coat. +"Glad to see you, Micnoun," he said. "If you are goingsh home, +I'll jish ride out with you. Good night, boysh. Don't forgetsh +the coon hunt," and Jimmy was gone. + +A minute later the door opened again, and this time a man of +nearly forty stepped inside. He had a manly form, and a manly +face, was above the average in looks, and spoke with a slight +Scotch accent. + +"Do any of ye boys happen to know what it was Jimmy had with him +when he came in here?" + +A roar of laughter greeted the query. The Thread Man picked up +the pail. As he handed it to Dannie, he said: "Mr. Malone said he +was initiating a new milk pail, but I am afraid he has overdone +the job." + +"Thank ye," said Dannie, and taking the battered thing, he went +out into the night. + +Jimmy was asleep when he reached the buggy. Dannie had long since +found it convenient to have no fence about his dooryard. He drove +to the door, dragged Jimmy from the buggy, and stabled the horse. +By hard work he removed Jimmy's coat and boots, laid him across +the bed, and covered him. Then he grimly looked at the light in +the next cabin. "Why doesna she go to bed?" he said. He summoned +courage, and crossing the space between the two buildings, he +tapped on the window. "It's me, Mary," he called. "The skins are +only half done, and Jimmy is going to help me finish. He will +come over in the morning. Ye go to bed. Ye needna be afraid. We +will hear ye if ye even snore." There was no answer, but by a +movement in the cabin Dannie knew that Mary was still dressed and +waiting. He started back, but for an instant, heedless of the +scurrying snow and biting cold, he faced the sky. + +"I wonder if ye have na found a glib tongue and light feet the +least part o' matrimony," he said. "Why in God's name couldna ye +have married me? I'd like to know why." + +As he closed the door, the cold air roused Jimmy. + +"Dannie," he said, "donsh forget the milk pail. All 'niciate good +now." + + + +Chapter III + +THE FIFTY COONS OF THE CANOPER + + +Near noon of the next day, Jimmy opened his eyes and stretched +himself on Dannie's bed. It did not occur to him that he was +sprawled across it in such a fashion that if Dannie had any sleep +that night, he had taken it on chairs before the fireplace. At +first Jimmy decided that he had a head on him, and would turn +over and go back where he came from. Then he thought of the coon +hunt, and sitting on the edge of the bed he laughed, as he looked +about for his boots. + +"I am glad ye are feeling so fine," said Dannie at the door, in a +relieved voice. "I had a notion that ye wad be crosser than a +badger when ye came to." + +Jimmy laughed on. + +"What's the fun?" inquired Dannie. + +Jimmy thought hard a minute. Here was one instance where the +truth would serve better than any invention, so he virtuously +told Dannie all about it. Dannie thought of the lonely little +woman next door, and rebelled. + +"But, Jimmy!" he cried, "ye canna be gone all nicht again. It's +too lonely fra Mary, and there's always a chance I might sleep +sound and wadna hear if she should be sick or need ye." + +"Then she can just yell louder, or come after you, or get well, +for I am going, see? He was a thrid peddler in a dinky little +pleated coat, Dannie. He laid up against the counter with his +feet crossed at a dancing-girl angle. But I will say for him that +he was running at the mouth with the finest flow of language I +iver heard. I learned a lot of it, and Cap knows the stuff, and +I'm goin' to have him get you the book. But, Dannie, he wouldn't +drink with us, but he stayed to iducate us up a little. That +little spool man, Dannie, iducatin' Jones of the gravel gang, and +Bingham of the Standard, and York of the 'lectric railway, and +Haines of the timber gang, not to mintion the champeen +rat-catcher of the Wabash." + +Jimmy hugged himself, and rocked on the edge of the bed. + +"Oh, I can just see it, Dannie," he cried. "I can just see it +now! I was pretty drunk, but I wasn't too drunk to think of it, +and it came to me sudden like." + +Dannie stared at Jimmy wide-eyed, while he explained the details, +and then he too began to laugh, and the longer he laughed the +funnier it grew. + +"I've got to start," said Jimmy. "I've an awful afternoon's work. +I must find him some rubber boots. He's to have the inestimable +privilege of carryin' me gun, Dannie, and have the first shot at +the coons, fifty, I'm thinkin' I said. And if I don't put some +frills on his cute little coat! Oh, Dannie, it will break the +heart of me if he don't wear that pleated coat!" + +Dannie wiped his eyes. + +"Come on to the kitchen," he said, "I've something ready fra ye +to eat. Wash, while I dish it." + +"I wish to Heaven you were a woman, Dannie," said Jimmy. "A +fellow could fall in love with you, and marry you with some +satisfaction. Crimminy, but I'm hungry!" + +Jimmy ate greedily, and Dannie stepped about setting the cabin to +rights. It lacked many feminine touches that distinguished +Jimmy's as the abode of a woman; but it was neat and clean, and +there seemed to be a place where everything belonged. + +"Now, I'm off," said Jimmy, rising. "I'll take your gun, because +I ain't goin' to see Mary till I get back." + +"Oh, Jimmy, dinna do that!" pleaded Dannie. "I want my gun. Go +and get your own, and tell her where ye are going and what ye are +going to do. She'd feel less lonely." + +"I know how she would feel better than you do," retorted Jimmy. +"I am not going. If you won't give me your gun, I'll borrow one; +or have all my fun spoiled." + +Dannie took down the shining gun and passed it over. Jimmy +instantly relented. He smiled an old boyish smile, that always +caught Dannie in his softest spot. + +"You are the bist frind I have on earth, Dannie," he said +winsomely. "You are a man worth tying to. By gum, there's NOTHING +I wouldn't do for you! Now go on, like the good fellow you are, +and fix it up with Mary." + +So Dannie started for the wood pile. In summer he could stand +outside and speak through the screen. In winter he had to enter +the cabin for errands like this, and as Jimmy's wood box was as +heavily weighted on his mind as his own, there was nothing +unnatural in his stamping snow on Jimmy's back stoop, and calling +"Open!" to Mary at any hour of the day he happened to be passing +the wood pile. + +He stood at a distance, and patiently waited until a gray and +black nut-hatch that foraged on the wood covered all the new +territory discovered by the last disturbance of the pile. From +loosened bark Dannie watched the bird take several good-sized +white worms and a few dormant ants. As it flew away he gathered +an armload of wood. He was very careful to clean his feet on the +stoop, place the wood without tearing the neat covering of wall +paper, and brush from his coat the snow and moss so that it fell +in the box. He had heard Mary tell the careless Jimmy to do all +these things, and Dannie knew that they saved her work. There was +a whiteness on her face that morning that startled him, and long +after the last particle of moss was cleaned from his sleeve he +bent over the box trying to get something said. The cleaning took +such a length of time that the glint of a smile crept into the +grave eyes of the woman, and the grim line of her lips softened. + +"Don't be feeling so badly about it, Dannie," she said. "I could +have told you when you went after him last night that he would go +back as soon as he wakened to-day. I know he is gone. I watched +him lave." + +Dannie brushed the other sleeve, on which there had been nothing +at the start, and answered: "Noo, dinna ye misjudge him, Mary. +He's goin' to a coon hunt to-nicht. Dinna ye see him take my +gun?" + +This evidence so bolstered Dannie that he faced Mary with +confidence. + +"There's a traveling man frae Boston in town, Mary, and he was +edifying the boys a little, and Jimmy dinna like it. He's going +to show him a little country sport to-nicht to edify him." + +Dannie outlined the plan of Jimmy's campaign. Despite +disapproval, and a sore heart, Mary Malone had to smile--perhaps +as much over Dannie's eagerness in telling what was contemplated +as anything. + +"Why don't you take Jimmy's gun and go yoursilf?" she asked. "You +haven't had a day off since fishing was over." + +"But I have the work to do," replied Dannie, "and I couldna +leave--" He broke off abruptly, but the woman supplied the word. + +"Why can't you lave me, if Jimmy can? I'm not afraid. The snow +and the cold will furnish me protiction to-night. There'll be no +one to fear. Why should you do Jimmy's work, and miss the sport, +to guard the thing he holds so lightly?" + +The red flushed Dannie's cheeks. Mary never before had spoken +like that. He had to say something for Jimmy quickly, and +quickness was not his forte. His lips opened, but nothing came; +for as Jimmy had boasted, Dannie never lied, except for him, and +at those times he had careful preparation before he faced Mary. +Now, he was overtaken unawares. He looked so boyish in his +confusion, the mother in Mary's heart was touched. + +"I'll till you what we'll do, Dannie," she said. "You tind the +stock, and get in wood enough so that things won't be frazin' +here; and then you hitch up and I'll go with you to town, and +stay all night with Mrs. Dolan. You can put the horse in my +sister's stable, and whin you and Jimmy get back, you'll be tired +enough that you'll be glad to ride home. A visit with Katie will +be good for me; I have been blue the last few days, and I can see +you are just aching to go with the boys. Isn't that a fine plan?" + +"I should say that IS a guid plan," answered the delighted +Dannie. Anything to save Mary another night alone was good, and +then--that coon hunt did sound alluring. + +And that was how it happened that at nine o'clock that night, +just as arrangements were being completed at Casey's, Dannie +Macnoun stepped into the group and said to the astonished Jimmy: +"Mary wanted to come to her sister's over nicht, so I fixed +everything, and I'm going to the coon hunt, too, if you boys want +me." + +The crowd closed around Dannie, patted his back and cheered him, +and he was introduced to Mister O'Khayam, of Boston, who tried to +drown the clamor enough to tell what his name really was, "in +case of accident"; but he couldn't be heard for Jimmy yelling +that a good old Irish name like O'Khayam couldn't be beat in case +of anything. And Dannie took a hasty glance at the Thread Man, to +see if he wore that hated pleated coat, which lay at the bottom +of Jimmy's anger. + +Then they started. Casey's wife was to be left in charge of the +saloon, and the Thread Man half angered Casey by a whispered +conversation with her in a corner. Jimmy cut his crowd as low as +he possibly could, but it numbered fifteen men, and no one +counted the dogs. Jimmy led the way, the Thread Man beside him, +and the crowd followed. The walking would be best to follow the +railroad to the Canoper, and also they could cross the railroad +bridge over the river and save quite a distance. + +Jimmy helped the Thread Man into a borrowed overcoat and mittens, +and loaded him with a twelve-pound gun, and they started. Jimmy +carried a torch, and as torch bearer he was a rank failure, for +he had a careless way of turning it and flashing it into people's +faces that compelled them to jump to save themselves. Where the +track lay clear and straight ahead the torch seemed to light it +like day; but in dark places it was suddenly lowered or wavering +somewhere else. It was through this carelessness of Jimmy's that +at the first cattle-guard north of the village the torch +flickered backward, ostensibly to locate Dannie, and the Thread +Man went crashing down between the iron bars, and across the gun. +Instantly Jimmy sprawled on top of him, and the next two men +followed suit. The torch plowed into the snow and went out, and +the yells of Jimmy alarmed the adjoining village. + +He was hurt the worst of all, and the busiest getting in marching +order again. "Howly smoke!" he panted. "I was havin' the time of +me life, and plum forgot that cow-kitcher. Thought it was a +quarter of a mile away yet. And liked to killed meself with me +carelessness. But that's always the way in true sport. You got to +take the knocks with the fun." No one asked the Thread Man if he +was hurt, and he did not like to seem unmanly by mentioning a +skinned shin, when Jimmy Malone seemed to have bursted most of +his inside; so he shouldered his gun and limped along, now +slightly in the rear of Jimmy. The river bridge was a serious +matter with its icy coat, and danger of specials, and the +torches suddenly flashed out from all sides; and the Thread Man +gave thanks for Dannie Macnoun, who reached him a steady hand +across the ties. The walk was three miles, and the railroad lay +at from twenty to thirty feet elevation along the river and +through the bottom land. The Boston man would have been thankful +for the light, but as the last man stepped from the ties of the +bridge all the torches went out save one. Jimmy explained they +simply had to save them so that they could see where the coon +fell when they began to shake the coon tree. + +Just beside the water tank, and where the embankment was twenty +feet sheer, Jimmy was cautioning the Boston man to look out, when +the hunter next behind him gave a wild yell and plunged into his +back. Jimmy's grab for him seemed more a push than a pull, and +the three rolled to the bottom, and half way across the flooded +ditch. The ditch was frozen over, but they were shaken, and +smothered in snow. The whole howling party came streaming down +the embankment. Dannie held aloft his torch and discovered Jimmy +lying face down in a drift, making no effort to rise, and the +Thread Man feebly tugging at him and imploring some one to come +and help get Malone out. Then Dannie slunk behind the others and +yelled until he was tired. + +By and by Jimmy allowed himself to be dragged out. + +"Who the thunder was that come buttin' into us?" he blustered. "I +don't allow no man to butt into me when I'm on an imbankmint. +Send the fool back here till I kill him." + +The Thread Man was pulling at Jimmy's arm. "Don't mind, Jimmy," +he gasped. "It was an accident! The man slipped. This is an awful +place. I will be glad when we reach the woods. I'll feel safer +with ground that's holding up trees under my feet. Come on, now! +Are we not almost there? Should we not keep quiet from now on? +Will we not alarm the coons?" + +"Sure," said Jimmy. "Boys, don't hollo so much. Every blamed coon +will be scared out of its hollow!" + +"Amazing!" said the Thread Man. "How clever! Came on the spur of +the moment. I must remember that to tell the Club. Do not hollo. +Scare the coon out of its hollow!" + +"Oh, I do miles of things like that," said Jimmy dryly, "and +mostly I have to do thim before the spur of the moment; because +our moments go so domn fast out here mighty few of thim have time +to grow their spurs before they are gone. Here's where we turn. +Now, boys, they've been trying to get this biler across the +tracks here, and they've broke the ice. The water in this ditch +is three feet deep and freezing cold. They've stuck getting the +biler over, but I wonder if we can't cross on it, and hit the +wood beyond. Maybe we can walk it." + +Jimmy set a foot on the ice-covered boiler, howled, and fell back +on the men behind him. "Jimminy crickets, we niver can do that!" +he yelled. "It's a glare of ice and roundin'. Let's crawl through +it! The rist of you can get through if I can. We'd better take +off our overcoats, to make us smaller. We can roll thim into a +bundle, and the last man can pull it through behind him." + +Jimmy threw off his coat and entered the wrecked oil engine. He +knew how to hobble through on his toes, but the pleated coat of +the Boston man, who tried to pass through by stooping, got almost +all Jimmy had in store for it. Jimmy came out all right with a +shout. The Thread Man did not step half so far, and landed knee +deep in the icy oil-covered slush of the ditch. That threw him +off his balance, and Jimmy let him sink one arm in the pool, and +then grabbed him, and scooped oil on his back with the other hand +as he pulled. During the excitement and struggles of Jimmy and +the Thread Man, the rest of the party jumped the ditch and +gathered about, rubbing soot and oil on the Boston man, and he +did not see how they crossed. + +Jimmy continued to rub oil and soot into the hated coat +industriously. The dogs leaped the ditch, and the instant they +struck the woods broke away baying over fresh tracks. The men +yelled like mad. Jimmy struggled into his overcoat, and helped +the almost insane Boston man into his and then they hurried after +the dogs. + +The scent was so new and clear the dogs simply raged. The Thread +Man was wild, Jimmy was wilder, and the thirteen contributed all +they could for laughing. Dannie forgot to be ashamed of himself +and followed the example of the crowd. Deeper and deeper into the +wild, swampy Canoper led the chase. With a man on either side to +guide him into the deepest holes and to shove him into bushy +thickets, the skinned, soot-covered, oil-coated Boston man toiled +and sweated. He had no time to think, the excitement was so +intense. He scrambled out of each pitfall set for him, and +plunged into the next with such uncomplaining bravery that Dannie +very shortly grew ashamed, and crowding up beside him he took the +heavy gun and tried to protect him all he could without falling +under the eye of Jimmy, who was keeping close watch on the Boston +man. + +Wild yelling told that the dogs had treed, and with shaking +fingers the Thread Man pulled off the big mittens he wore and +tried to lift the gun. Jimmy flashed a torch, and sure enough, in +the top of a medium hickory tree, the light was reflected in +streams from the big shining eyes of a coon. "Treed!" yelled +Jimmy frantically. "Treed! and big as an elephant. Company's +first shot. Here, Mister O'Khayam, here's a good place to stand. +Gee, what luck! Coon in sight first thing, and Mellen's food coon +at that! Shoot, Mister O'Khayam, shoot!" + +The Thread Man lifted the wavering gun, but it was no use. + +"Tell you what, Ruben," said Jimmy. "You are too tired to shoot +straight. Let's take a rist, and ate our lunch. Then we'll cut +down the tree and let the dogs get cooney. That way there won't +be any shot marks in his skin. What do you say? Is that a good +plan?" + +They all said that was the proper course, so they built a fire, +and placed the Thread Man where he could see the gleaming eyes of +the frightened coon, and where all of them could feast on his +soot and oil-covered face. Then they opened the bag and passed +the sandwiches. + +"I really am hungry," said the weary Thread Man, biting into his +with great relish. His jaws moved once or twice experimentally, +and then he lifted his handkerchief to his lips. + +"I wish 'twas as big as me head," said Jimmy, taking a great +bite, and then he began to curse uproariously. + +"What ails the things?" inquired Dannie, ejecting a mouthful. And +then all of them began to spit birdshot, and started an inquest +simultaneously. Jimmy raged. He swore some enemy had secured the +bag and mined the feast; but the boys who knew him laughed until +it seemed the Thread Man must suspect. He indignantly declared it +was a dirty trick. By the light of the fire he knelt and tried +to free one of the sandwiches from its sprinkling of birdshot, so +that it would be fit for poor Jimmy, who had worked so hard to +lead them there and tree the coon. For the first time Jimmy +looked thoughtful. + +But the sight of the Thread Man was too much for him, and a +second later he was thrusting an ax into the hands accustomed to +handling a thread case. Then he led the way to the tree, and +began chopping at the green hickory. It was slow work, and soon +the perspiration streamed. Jimmy pulled off his coat and threw it +aside. He assisted the Thread Man out of his and tossed it behind +him. The coat alighted in the fire, and was badly scorched before +it was rescued. But the Thread Man was game. Fifty times that +night it had been said that he was to have the first coon, of +course he should work for it. So with the ax with which Casey +chopped ice for his refrigerator, the Boston man banged against +the hickory, and swore to himself because he could not make the +chips fly as Jimmy did. + +"Iverybody clear out!" cried Jimmy. "Number one is coming down. +Get the coffee sack ready. Baste cooney over the head and shove +him in before the dogs tear the skin. We want a dandy big pelt +out of this!" + +There was a crack, and the tree fell with a crash. All the Boston +man could see was that from a tumbled pile of branches, dogs, and +men, some one at last stepped back, gripping a sack, and cried: +"Got it all right, and it's a buster." + +"Now for the other forty-nine!" shouted Jimmy, straining into his +coat. + +"Come on, boys, we must secure a coon for every one," cried the +Thread Man, heartily as any member of the party might have said +it. But the rest of the boys suddenly grew tired. They did not +want any coons, and after some persuasion the party agreed to go +back to Casey's to warm up. The Thread Man got into his scorched, +besooted, oil-smeared coat, and the overcoat which had been +loaned him, and shouldered the gun. Jimmy hesitated. But Dannie +came up to the Boston man and said: "There's a place in my +shoulder that gun juist fits, and it's lonesome without it. Pass +it over." Only the sorely bruised and strained Thread Man knew +how glad he was to let it go. + +It was Dannie, too, who whispered to the Thread Man to keep close +behind him; and when the party trudged back to Casey's it was so +surprising how much better he knew the way going back than Jimmy +had known it coming out, that the Thread Man did remark about it. +But Jimmy explained that after one had been out a few hours their +eyes became accustomed to the darkness and they could see better. +That was reasonable, for the Thread Man knew it was true in his +own experience. + +So they got back to Casey's, and found a long table set, and a +steaming big oyster supper ready for them; and that explained the +Thread Man's conference with Mrs. Casey. He took the head of the +table, with his back to the wall, and placed Jimmy on his right +and Dannie on his left. Mrs. Casey had furnished soap and towels, +and at least part of the Boston man's face was clean. The oysters +were fine, and well cooked. The Thread Man recited more of the +wonderful poem for Dannie's benefit, and told jokes and stories. +They laughed until they were so weak they could only pound the +table to indicate how funny it was. And at the close, just as +they were making a movement to rise, Casey proposed that he bring +in the coon, and let all of them get a good look at their night's +work. The Thread Man applauded, and Casey brought in the bag and +shook it bottom up over the floor. Therefrom there issued a poor, +frightened, maltreated little pet coon of Mrs. Casey's, and it +dexterously ran up Casey's trouser leg and hid its nose in his +collar, its chain dragging behind. And that was so funny the boys +doubled over the table, and laughed and screamed until a sudden +movement brought them to their senses. + +The Thread Man was on his feet, and his eyes were no laughing +matter. He gripped his chair back, and leaned toward Jimmy. "You +walked me into that cattle-guard on purpose!" he cried. + +Silence. + +"You led me into that boiler, and fixed the oil at the end!" + +No answer. + +"You mauled me all over the woods, and loaded those sandwiches +yourself, and sored me for a week trying to chop down a tree with +a pet coon chained in it! You----! You----! What had I done to +you?" + +"You wouldn't drink with me, and I didn't like the domned, dinky, +little pleated coat you wore," answered Jimmy. + +One instant amazement held sway on the Thread Man's face; the +next, "And damned if I like yours!" he cried, and catching up a +bowl half filled with broth he flung it squarely into Jimmy's +face. + +Jimmy, with a great oath, sprang at the Boston man. But once in +his life Dannie was quick. For the only time on record he was +ahead of Jimmy, and he caught the uplifted fist in a grip that +Jimmy's use of whiskey and suffering from rheumatism had made his +master. + +"Steady--Jimmy, wait a minute," panted Dannie. "This mon is na +even wi' ye yet. When every muscle in your body is strained, and +every inch of it bruised, and ye are daubed wi' soot, and +bedraggled in oil, and he's made ye the laughin' stock fra +strangers by the hour, ye will be juist even, and ready to talk +to him. Every minute of the nicht he's proved himself a mon, and +right now he's showed he's na coward. It's up to ye, Jimmy. Do it +royal. Be as much of a mon as he is. Say ye are sorry!" + +One tense instant the two friends faced each other. + +Then Jimmy's fist unclenched, and his arms dropped. Dannie +stepped back, trying to breathe lightly, and it was between Jimmy +and the Thread Man. + +"I am sorry," said Jimmy. "I carried my objictions to your +wardrobe too far. If you'll let me, I'll clean you up. If you'll +take it, I'll raise you the price of a new coat, but I'll be domn +if I'll hilp put such a man as you are into another of the +fiminine ginder." + +The Thread Man laughed, and shook Jimmy's hand; and then Jimmy +proved why every one liked him by turning to Dannie and taking +his hand. "Thank you, Dannie," he said. "You sure hilped me to +mesilf that time. If I'd hit him, I couldn't have hild up me head +in the morning." + + + +Chapter IV + +WHEN THE KINGFISHER AND THE BLACK BASS CAME HOME + + +"Crimminy, but you are slow." Jimmy made the statement, not as +one voices a newly discovered fact, but as one iterates a +time-worn truism. He sat on a girder of the Limberlost bridge, +and scraped the black muck from his boots in a little heap. Then +he twisted a stick into the top of his rat sack, preparatory to +his walk home. The ice had broken on the river, and now the +partners had to separate at the bridge, each following his own +line of traps to the last one, and return to the bridge so that +Jimmy could cross to reach home. Jimmy was always waiting, after +the river opened, and it was a remarkable fact to him that as +soon as the ice was gone his luck failed him. This evening the +bag at his feet proved by its bulk that it contained just about +one-half the rats Dannie carried. + +"I must set my traps in my own way," answered Dannie calmly. "If +I stuck them into the water ony way and went on, so would the +rats. A trap is no a trap unless it is concealed." + +"That's it! Go on and give me a sarmon!" urged Jimmy derisively. +"Who's got the bulk of the rats all winter? The truth is that my +side of the river is the best catching in the extrame cold, and +you get the most after the thaws begin to come. The rats seem to +have a lot of burrows and shift around among thim. One time I'm +ahead, and the nixt day they go to you: But it don't mane that +you are any better TRAPPER than I am. I only got siven to-night. +That's a sweet day's work for a whole man. Fifteen cints apace +for sivin rats. I've a big notion to cut the rat business, and +compete with Rocky in ile." + +Dannie laughed. "Let's hurry home, and get the skinning over +before nicht," he said. "I think the days are growing a little +longer. I seem to scent spring in the air to-day." + +Jimmy looked at Dannie's mud-covered, wet clothing, his blood- +stained mittens and coat back, and the dripping bag he had rested +on the bridge. "I've got some music in me head, and some action +in me feet," he said, "but I guess God forgot to put much +sintimint into me heart. The breath of spring niver got so strong +with me that I could smell it above a bag of muskrats and me +trappin' clothes." + +He arose, swung his bag to his shoulder, and together they left +the bridge, and struck the road leading to Rainbow Bottom. It was +late February. The air was raw,and the walking heavy. Jimmy saw +little around him, and there was little Dannie did not see. To +him, his farm, the river, and the cabins in Rainbow Bottom meant +all there was of life, for all he loved on earth was there. But +loafing in town on rainy days, when Dannie sat with a book; +hearing the talk at Casey's, at the hotel, and on the streets, +had given Jimmy different views of life, and made his lot seem +paltry compared with that of men who had greater possessions. On +days when Jimmy's luck was bad, or when a fever of thirst burned +him, he usually discoursed on some sort of intangible experience +that men had, which he called "seeing life." His rat bag was +unusually light that night, and in a vague way he connected it +with the breaking up of the ice. When the river lay solid he +usually carried home just twice the rats Dannie had, and as he +had patronized Dannie all his life, it fretted Jimmy to be +behind even one day at the traps. + +"Be Jasus, I get tired of this!" he said. "Always and foriver the +same thing. I kape goin' this trail so much that I've got a +speakin' acquaintance with meself. Some of these days I'm goin' +to take a trip, and have a little change. I'd like to see +Chicago, and as far west as the middle, anyway." + +"Well, ye canna go," said Dannie. "Ye mind the time when ye were +married, and I thought I'd be best away, and packed my trunk? +When ye and Mary caught me, ye got mad as fire, and she cried, +and I had to stay. Just ye try going, and I'll get mad, and Mary +will cry, and ye will stay at home, juist like I did." + +There was a fear deep in Dannie's soul that some day Jimmy would +fulfill this long-time threat of his. "I dinna think there is ony +place in all the world so guid as the place ye own," Dannie said +earnestly. "I dinna care a penny what anybody else has, probably +they have what they want. What _I_ want is the land that my +feyther owned before me, and the house that my mither kept. And +they'll have to show me the place they call Eden before I'll give +up that it beats Rainbow Bottom--Summer, Autumn, or Winter. I +dinna give twa hoops fra the palaces men rig up, or the thing +they call `landscape gardening'. When did men ever compete with +the work of God? All the men that have peopled the earth since +time began could have their brains rolled into one, and he would +stand helpless before the anatomy of one of the rats in these +bags. The thing God does is guid enough fra me." + +"Why don't you take a short cut to the matin'-house?" inquired +Jimmy. + +"Because I wad have nothing to say when I got there," retorted +Dannie. "I've a meetin'-house of my ain, and it juist suits me; +and I've a God, too, and whether He is spirit or essence, He +suits me. I dinna want to be held to sharper account than He +faces me up to, when I hold communion with mesel'. I dinna want +any better meetin'-house than Rainbow Bottom. I dinna care for +better talkin' than the `tongues in the trees'; sounder preachin' +than the `sermons in the stones'; finer readin' than the books in +the river; no, nor better music than the choir o' the birds, each +singin' in its ain way fit to burst its leetle throat about the +mate it won, the nest they built, and the babies they are +raising. That's what I call the music o' God, spontaneous, and +the soul o' joy. Give it me every time compared with notes frae a +book. And all the fine places that the wealth o' men ever evolved +winna begin to compare with the work o' God, and I've got that +around me every day." + +"But I want to see life," wailed Jimmy. + +"Then open your eyes, mon, fra the love o' mercy, open your eyes! +There's life sailing over your heid in that flock o' crows going +home fra the night. Why dinna ye, or some other mon, fly like +that? There's living roots, and seeds, and insects, and worms by +the million wherever ye are setting foot. Why dinna ye creep into +the earth and sleep through the winter, and renew your life with +the spring? The trouble with ye, Jimmy, is that ye've always +followed your heels. If ye'd stayed by the books, as I begged ye, +there now would be that in your heid that would teach ye that the +old story of the Rainbow is true. There is a pot of gold, of the +purest gold ever smelted, at its foot, and we've been born, and +own a good living richt there. An' the gold is there; that I +know, wealth to shame any bilious millionaire, and both of us +missing the pot when we hold the location. Ye've the first +chance, mon, fra in your life is the great prize mine will +forever lack. I canna get to the bottom of the pot, but I'm going +to come close to it as I can; and as for ye, empty it! Take it +all! It's yours! It's fra the mon who finds it, and we own the +location." + +"Aha! We own the location," repeated Jimmy. "I should say we do! +Behold our hotbed of riches! I often lay awake nights thinkin' +about my attachmint to the place. + + +"How dear to me heart are the scanes of me childhood, +Fondly gaze on the cabin where I'm doomed to dwell, +Those chicken-coop, thim pig-pen, these highly piled-wood +Around which I've always raised Hell." + + +Jimmy turned in at his own gate, while Dannie passed to the +cabin beyond. He entered, set the dripping rat bag in a tub, +raked open the buried fire and threw on a log. He always ate at +Jimmy's when Jimmy was at home, so there was no supper to get. He +went out to the barn, wading mud ankle deep, fed and bedded his +horses, and then went over to Jimmy's barn, and completed his +work up to milking. Jimmy came out with the pail, and a very +large hole in the bottom of it was covered with dried dough. +Jimmy looked at it disapprovingly. + +"I bought a new milk pail the other night. I know I did," he +said. "Mary was kicking for one a month ago, and I went after it +the night I met Ruben O'Khayam. Now what the nation did I do with +that pail?" + +"I have wondered mysel'," answered Dannie, as he leaned over and +lifted a strange looking object from a barrel. "This is what ye +brought home, Jimmy." + +Jimmy stared at the shining, battered, bullet-punctured pail in +amazement. Slowly he turned it over and around, and then he +lifted bewildered eyes to Dannie. + +"Are you foolin'?" he asked. "Did I bring that thing home in that +shape?" + +"Honest!" said Dannie. + +"I remember buyin' it," said Jimmy slowly. "I remember hanging on +to it like grim death, for it was the wan excuse I had for goin', +but I don't just know how--!" Slowly he revolved the pail, and +then he rolled over in the hay and laughed until he was tired. +Then he sat up and wiped his eyes. "Great day! What a lot of fun +I must have had before I got that milk pail into that shape," he +said. "Domned if I don't go straight to town and buy another one; +yes, bedad! I'll buy two!" + +In the meantime Dannie milked, fed and watered the cattle, and +Jimmy picked up the pail of milk and carried it to the house. +Dannie came by the wood pile and brought in a heavy load. Then +they washed, and sat down to supper. + +"Seems to me you look unusually perky," said Jimmy to his wife. +"Had any good news?" + +"Splendid!" said Mary. "I am so glad! And I don't belave you two +stupids know!" + +"You niver can tell by lookin' at me what I know," said Jimmy. +"Whin I look the wisest I know the least. Whin I look like a +fool, I'm thinkin' like a philosopher." + +"Give it up," said Dannie promptly. You would not catch him +knowing anything it would make Mary's eyes shine to tell. + +"Sap is running!" announced Mary. + +"The Divil you say!" cried Jimmy. + +"It is!" beamed Mary. "It will be full in three days. Didn't you +notice how green the maples are? I took a little walk down to the +bottom to-day. I niver in all my life was so tired of winter, and +the first thing I saw was that wet look on the maples, and on the +low land, where they are sheltered and yet get the sun, several +of them are oozing!" + +"Grand!" cried Dannie. "Jimmy, we must peel those rats in a +hurry, and then clean the spiles, and see how mony new ones we +will need. To-morrow we must come frae the traps early and look +up our troughs." + +"Oh, for pity sake, don't pile up work enough to kill a horse," +cried Jimmy. "Ain't you ever happy unless you are workin'?" + +"Yes," said Dannie. "Sometimes I find a book that suits me, and +sometimes the fish bite, and sometimes it's in the air." + +"Git the condinser" said Jimmy. "And that reminds me, Mary, +Dannie smelled spring in the air to-day." + +"Well, what if he did?" questioned Mary. "I can always smell it. +A little later, when the sap begins to run in all the trees, and +the buds swell, and the ice breaks up, and the wild geese go +over, I always scent spring; and when the catkins bloom, then it +comes strong, and I just love it. Spring is my happiest time. I +have more news, too!" + +"Don't spring so much at wance!" cried Jimmy, "you'll spoil my +appetite." + +"I guess there's no danger," replied Mary. + +"There is," said Jimmy. "At laste in the fore siction. `Appe' is +Frinch, and manes atin'. `Tite' is Irish, and manes drinkin'. +Appetite manes atin' and drinkin' togither. `Tite' manes drinkin' +without atin', see?" + +"I was just goin' to mintion it meself," said Mary, "it's where +you come in strong. There's no danger of anybody spoilin' your +drinkin', if they could interfere with your atin'. You guess, +Dannie." + +"The dominick hen is setting," ventured Dannie, and Mary's face +showed that he had blundered on the truth. + +"She is," affirmed Mary, pouring the tea, "but it is real mane of +you to guess it, when I've so few new things to tell. She has +been setting two days, and she went over fifteen fresh eggs +to-day. In just twinty-one days I will have fiftane the +cunningest little chickens you ever saw, and there is more yet. I +found the nest of the gray goose, and there are three big eggs in +it, all buried in feathers. She must have stripped her breast +almost bare to cover them. And I'm the happiest I've been all +winter. I hate the long, lonely, shut-in time. I am going on a +delightful spree. I shall help boil down sugar-water and make +maple syrup. I shall set hins, and geese, and turkeys. I shall +make soap, and clane house, and plant seed, and all my flowers +will bloom again. Goody for summer; it can't come too soon to +suit me." + +"Lord! I don't see what there is in any of those things," said +Jimmy. "I've got just one sign of spring that interests me. If +you want to see me caper, somebody mention to me the first rattle +of the Kingfisher. Whin he comes home, and house cleans in his +tunnel in the embankment, and takes possession of his stump in +the river, the nixt day the Black Bass locates in the deep water +below the shoals. THIN you can count me in. There is where +business begins for Jimmy boy. I am going to have that Bass this +summer, if I don't plant an acre of corn." + +"I bet you that's the truth!" said Mary, so quickly that both men +laughed. + +"Ahem!" said Dannie. "Then I will have to do my plowing by a +heidlicht, so I can fish as much as ye do in the day time. I +hereby make, enact, and enforce a law that neither of us is to +fish in the Bass hole when the other is not there to fish also. +That is the only fair way. I've as much richt to him as ye have." + +"Of course!" said Mary. "That is a fair way. Make that a rule, +and kape it. If you both fish at once, it's got to be a fair +catch for the one that lands it; but whoever catches it, _I_ +shall ate it, so it don't much matter to me." + +"You ate it!" howled Jimnmy. "I guess not. Not a taste of that +fish, when he's teased me for years? He's as big as a whale. If +Jonah had had the good fortune of falling in the Wabash, and +being swallowed by the Black Bass, he could have ridden from Peru +to Terre Haute, and suffered no inconvanience makin' a landin'. +Siven pounds he'll weigh by the steelyard I'll wager you." + +"Five, Jimmy, five," corrected Dannie. + +"Siven!" shouted Jimmy. " Ain't I hooked him repeated? Ain't I +seen him broadside? I wonder if thim domn lines of mine have gone +and rotted." + +He left his supper, carrying his chair, and standing on it he +began rummaging the top shelf of the cupboard for his box of +tackle. He knocked a bottle from the shelf, but caught it in +mid-air with a dexterous sweep. + +"Spirits are movin'," cried Jimmy, as he restored the camphor to +its place. He carried the box to the window, and became so deeply +engrossed in its contents that he did not notice when Dannie +picked up his rat bag and told him to come on and help skin their +day's catch. Mary tried to send him, and he was going in a +minute, but the minute stretched and stretched, and both of them +were surprised when the door opened and Dannie entered with an +armload of spiles, and the rat-skinning was all over. So Jimmy +went on unwinding lines, and sharpening hooks, and talking fish; +while Dannie and Mary cleaned the spiles, and figured on how many +new elders must be cut and prepared for more on the morrow; and +planned the sugar making. + +When it was bedtime, and Dannie had gone an Jimmy and Mary closed +their cabin for the night, Mary stepped to the window that looked +on Dannie's home to see if his light was burning. It was, and +clear in its rays stood Dannie, stripping yard after yard of fine +line through his fingers, and carefully examining it. Jimmy came +and stood beside her as she wondered. + +"Why, the domn son of the Rainbow," he cried, "if he ain't +testing his fish lines!" + +The next day Mary Malone was rejoicing when the men returned from +trapping, and gathering and cleaning the sugar-water troughs. +There had been a robin at the well. + +"Kape your eye on, Mary" advised Jimmy. "If she ain't watched +close from this time on, she'll be settin' hins in snowdrifts, +and pouring biling water on the daffodils to sprout them." + +On the first of March, five killdeers flew over in a flock, and a +half hour later one straggler crying piteously followed in their +wake. + +"Oh, the mane things!" almost sobbed Mary. "Why don't they wait +for it?" + +She stood by a big kettle of boiling syrup at the sugar camp, +almost helpless in Jimmy's boots and Dannie's great coat. Jimmy +cut and carried wood, and Dannie hauled sap. All the woods were +stirred by the smell of the curling smoke and the odor of the +boiling sap, fine as the fragrance of flowers. Bright-eyed deer +mice peeped at her from under old logs, the chickadees, +nuthatches, and jays started an investigating committee to learn +if anything interesting to them was occurring. One gayly-dressed +little sapsucker hammered a tree near by and scolded vigorously. + +"Right you are!" said Mary. "It's a pity you're not big enough to +drive us from the woods, for into one kittle goes enough sap to +last you a lifetime." + +The squirrels were sure it was an intrusion, and raced among the +branches overhead, barking loud defiance. At night the three rode +home on the sled, with the syrup jugs beside them, and Mary's +apron was filled with big green rolls of pungent woolly-dog moss. + +Jimmy built the fires, Dannie fed the stock, and Mary cooked the +supper. When it was over, while the men warmed chilled feet and +fingers by the fire, Mary poured some syrup into a kettle, and +just as it "sugared off" she dipped streams of the amber +sweetness into cups of water. All of them ate it like big +children, and oh, but it was good! Two days more of the same work +ended sugar making, but for the next three days Dannie gathered +the rapidly diminishing sap for the vinegar barrel. + +Then there were more hens ready to set, water must be poured +hourly into the ash hopper to start the flow of lye for soap +making, and the smoke house must be gotten ready to cure the hams +and pickled meats, so that they would keep during warm weather. +The bluebells were pushing through the sod in a race with the +Easter and star flowers. One morning Mary aroused Jimmy with a +pull at his arm. + +"Jimmy, Jimmy," she cried. "Wake up!" + +"Do you mane, wake up, or get up?" asked Jimmy sleepily. + +"Both," cried Mary. "The larks are here!" + +A little later Jimmy shouted from the back door to the barn: +"Dannie, do you hear the larks?" + +"Ye bet I do," answered Dannie. "Heard ane goin' over in the +nicht. How long is it now till the Kingfisher comes?" + +"Just a little while," said Jimmy. "If only these March storms +would let up 'stid of down! He can't come until he can fish, you +know. He's got to have crabs and minnies to live on." + +A few days later the green hylas began to pipe in the swamps, the +bullfrogs drummed among the pools in the bottom, the doves cooed +in the thickets, and the breath of spring was in the nostrils of +all creation, for the wind was heavy with the pungent odor of +catkin pollen. The spring flowers were two inches high. The +peonies and rhubarb were pushing bright yellow and red cones +through the earth. The old gander, leading his flock along the +Wabash, had hailed passing flocks bound northward until he was +hoarse; and the Brahma rooster had threshed the yellow dorkin +until he took refuge under the pig pen, and dare not stick out +his unprotected head. + +The doors had stood open at supper time, and Dannie staid up +late, mending and oiling the harness. Jimmy sat by cleaning his +gun, for to his mortification he had that day missed killing a +crow which stole from the ash hopper the egg with which Mary +tested the strength of the lye. In a basket behind the kitchen +stove fifteen newly hatched yellow chickens, with brown stripes +on their backs, were peeping and nestling; and on wing the +killdeers cried half the night. At two o'clock in the morning +came a tap on the Malone's bedroom window. + +"Dannie?" questioned Mary, half startled. + +"Tell Jimmy!" cried Dannie's breathless voice outside. "Tell him +the Kingfisher has juist struck the river!" + +Jimmy sat straight up in bed. + +"Then glory be!" he cried. "To-morrow the Black Bass comes home!" + + + +Chapter V + +WHEN THE RAINBOW SET ITS ARCH IN THE SKY + + +"Where did Jimmy go?" asked Mary. + +Jimmy had been up in time to feed the chickens and carry in the +milk, but he disappeared shortly after breakfast. + +Dannie almost blushed as he answered: "He went to take a peep at +the river. It's going down fast. When it gets into its regular +channel, spawning will be over and the fish will come back to +their old places. We figure that the Black Bass will be home +to-day." + +"When you go digging for bait," said Mary, "I wonder if the two +of you could make it convanient to spade an onion bed. If I had +it spaded I could stick the sets mesilf." + +"Now, that amna fair, Mary," said Dannie. "We never went fishing +till the garden was made, and the crops at least wouldna suffer. +We'll make the beds, of course, juist as soon as they can be +spaded, and plant the seed, too." + +"I want to plant the seeds mesilf," said Mary. + +"And we dinna want ye should," replied Dannie. "All we want ye to +do, is to boss." + +"But I'm going to do the planting mesilf," Mary was emphatic. "It +will be good for me to be in the sunshine, and I do enjoy working +in the dirt, so that for a little while I'm happy." + +"If ye want to put the onions in the highest place, I should +think I could spade ane bed now, and enough fra lettuce and +radishes." + +Dannie went after a spade, and Mary Malone laughed softly as she +saw that he also carried an old tin can. He tested the earth in +several places, and then called to her: "All right, Mary! Ground +in prime shape. Turns up dry and mellow. We will have the garden +started in no time." + +He had spaded but a minute when Mary saw him run past the window, +leap the fence, and go hurrying down the path to the river. She +went to the door. At the head of the lane stood Jimmy, waving his +hat, and the fresh morning air carried his cry clearly: "Gee, +Dannie! Come hear him splash!" + +Just why that cry, and the sight of Dannie Macnoun racing toward +the river, his spade lying on the upturned earth of her scarcely +begun onion bed, should have made her angry, it would be hard to +explain. He had no tackle or bait, and reason easily could have +told her that he would return shortly, and finish anything she +wanted done; but when was a lonely, disappointed woman ever +reasonable? + +She set the dish water on the stove, wiped her hands on her +apron, and walking to the garden, picked up the spade and began +turning great pieces of earth. She had never done rough farm +work, such as women all about her did; she had little exercise +during the long, cold winter, and the first half dozen spadefuls +tired her until the tears of self-pity rolled. + +"I wish there was a turtle as big as a wash tub in the river" she +sobbed, "and I wish it would eat that old Black Bass to the last +scale. And I'm going to take the shotgun, and go over to the +embankment, and poke it into the tunnel, and blow the old +Kingfisher through into the cornfield. Then maybe Dannie won't go +off too and leave me. I want this onion bed spaded right away, so +I do." + +"Drop that! Idjit! What you doing?" yelled Jimmy. + +"Mary, ye goose!" panted Dannie, as he came hurrying across the +yard. "Wha' do ye mean? Ye knew I'd be back in a minute! Jimmy +juist called me to hear the Bass splash. I was comin' back. Mary, +this amna fair." + +Dannie took the spade from her hand, and Mary fled sobbing to the +house. + +"What's the row?" demanded Jimmy of the suffering Dannie. + +"I'd juist started spadin' this onion bed," explained Dannie. "Of +course, she thought we were going to stay all day." + +"With no poles, and no bait, and no grub? She didn't think any +such a domn thing," said Jimmy. "You don't know women! She just +got to the place where it's her time to spill brine, and raise a +rumpus about something, and aisy brathin' would start her. Just +let her bawl it out, and thin--we'll get something dacent for +dinner." + +Dannie turned a spadeful of earth and broke it open, and Jimmy +squatted by the can, and began picking out the angle worms. + +"I see where we dinna fish much this summer," said Dannie, as he +waited. "And where we fish close home when we do, and where all +the work is done before we go." + +"Aha, borrow me rose-colored specks!" cried Jimmy. "I don't see +anything but what I've always seen. I'll come and go as I please, +and Mary can do the same. I don't throw no `jeminy fit' every +time a woman acts the fool a little, and if you'd lived with one +fiftane years you wouldn't either. Of course we'll make the +garden. Wish to goodness it was a beer garden! Wouldn't I like to +plant a lot of hop seed and see rows of little green beer bottles +humpin' up the dirt. Oh, my! What all does she want done?" + +Dannie turned another spadeful of earth and studied the premises, +while Jimmy gathered the worms. + +"Palins all on the fence?" asked Dannie. + +"Yep," said Jimmy. + +"Well, the yard is to be raked." + +"Yep." + +"The flooer beds spaded." + +"Yep." + +"Stones around the peonies, phlox, and hollyhocks raised and +manure worked in. All the trees must be pruned, the bushes and +vines trimmed, and the gooseberries, currants, and raspberries +thinned. The strawberry bed must be fixed up, and the rhubarb and +asparagus spaded around and manured. This whole garden must be +made----" + +"And the road swept, and the gate sandpapered, and the barn +whitewashed! Return to grazing, Nebuchadnezzar," said Jimmy. "We +do what's raisonable, and then we go fishin'. See?" + +Three beds spaded, squared, and ready for seeding lay in the warm +spring sunshine before noon. Jimmy raked the yard, and Dannie +trimmed the gooseberries. Then he wheeled a barrel of swamp loam +for a flower bed by the cabin wall, and listened intently between +each shovelful he threw. He could not hear a sound. What was +more, he could not bear it. He went to Jimmy. + +"Say, Jimmy," he said. "Dinna ye have to gae in fra a drink?" + +"House or town?" inquired Jimmy sweetly. + +"The house!" exploded Dannie. "I dinna hear a sound yet. Ye gae +in fra a drink, and tell Mary I want to know where she'd like the +new flooer bed she's been talking about." + +Jimmy leaned the rake against a tree, and started. + +"And Jimmy," said Dannie. "If she's quit crying, ask her what was +the matter. I want to know." + +Jimmy vanished. Presently he passed Dannie where he worked. + +"Come on," whispered Jimmy. + +The bewildered Dannie followed. Jimmy passed the wood pile, and +pig pen, and slunk around behind the barn, where he leaned +against the logs and held his sides. Dannie stared at him. + +"She says," wheezed Jimmy, "that she guesses SHE wanted to go and +hear the Bass splash, too!" + +Dannie's mouth fell open, and then closed with a snap. + +"Us fra the fool killer!" he said. "Ye dinna let her see ye +laugh?" + +"Let her see me laugh!" cried Jimmy. "Let her see me laugh! I +told her she wasn't to go for a few days yet, because we were +sawin' the Kingfisher's stump up into a rustic sate for her, and +we were goin' to carry her out to it, and she was to sit there +and sew, and umpire the fishin', and whichiver bait she told the +Bass to take, that one of us would be gettin' it. And she was +pleased as anything, me lad, and now it's up to us to rig up some +sort of a dacint sate, and tag a woman along half the time. You +thick-tongued descindint of a bagpipe baboon, what did you sind +me in there for?" + +"Maybe a little of it will tire her," groaned Dannie. + +"It will if she undertakes to follow me," Jimmy said. "I know +where horse-weeds grow giraffe high." + +Then they went back to work, and presently many savory odors +began to steal from the cabin. Whereat Jimmy looked at Dannie, +and winked an `I-told-you-so' wink. A garden grows fast under the +hands of two strong men really working, and by the time the first +slice of sugar-cured ham from the smoke house for that season +struck the sizzling skillet, and Mary very meekly called from the +back door to know if one of them wanted to dig a little horse +radish, the garden was almost ready for planting. Then they went +into the cabin and ate fragrant, thick slices of juicy fried ham, +seasoned with horse radish; fried eggs, freckled with the ham fat +in which they were cooked; fluffy mashed potatoes, with a little +well of melted butter in the center of the mound overflowing the +sides; raisin pie, soda biscuit, and their own maple syrup. + +"Ohumahoh!" said Jimmy. "I don't know as I hanker for city life +so much as I sometimes think I do. What do you suppose the +adulterated stuff we read about in papers tastes like?" + +"I've often wondered," answered Dannie. "Look at some of the hogs +and cattle that we see shipped from here to city markets. The +folks that sell them would starve before they'd eat a bit o' +them, yet somebody eats them, and what do ye suppose maple syrup +made from hickory bark and brown sugar tastes like?" + +"And cold-storage eggs, and cotton-seed butter, and even horse +radish half turnip," added Mary. "Bate up the cream a little +before you put it in your coffee, or it will be in lumps. Whin +the cattle are on clover it raises so thick." + +Jimmy speared a piece of salt-rising bread crust soaked in ham +gravy made with cream, and said: "I wish I could bring that Thrid +Man home with me to one meal of the real thing nixt time he +strikes town. I belave he would injoy it. May I, Mary?" + +Mary's face flushed slightly. "Depends on whin he comes, she +said. "Of course, if I am cleaning house, or busy with something +I can't put off----" + +"Sure!" cried Jimmy. "I'd ask you before I brought him, because +I'd want him to have something spicial. Some of this ham, and +horse radish, and maple syrup to begin with, and thin your fried +spring chicken and your stewed squirrel is a drame, Mary. Nobody +iver makes turtle soup half so rich as yours, and your green peas +in cream, and asparagus on toast is a rivilation--don't you +rimimber 'twas Father Michael that said it? I ought to be able to +find mushrooms in a few weeks, and I can taste your rhubarb pie +over from last year. Gee! But I wish he'd come in strawberrying! +Berries from the vines, butter in the crust, crame you have to +bate to make it smooth--talk about shortcake!" + +"What's wrong wi' cherry cobbler?" asked Dannie. + +"Or blackberry pie?" + +"Or greens cooked wi' bacon?" + +"Or chicken pie?" + +"Or catfish, rolled in cornmeal and fried in ham fat?" + +"Or guineas stewed in cream, with hard-boiled eggs in the gravy?" + +"Oh, stop!" cried the delighted Mary. "It makes me dead tired +thinkin' how I'll iver be cookin' all you'll want. Sure, have him +come, and both of you can pick out the things you like the best, +and I'll fix thim for him. Pure, fresh stuff might be a trate to +a city man. When Dolan took sister Katie to New York with him, +his boss sent them to a five-dollar-a-day house, and they thought +they was some up. By the third day poor Katie was cryin' for a +square male. She couldn't touch the butter, the eggs made her +sick, and the cold-storage meat and chicken never got nearer her +stomach than her nose. So she just ate fish, because they were +fresh, and she ate, and she ate, till if you mintion New York to +poor Katie she turns pale, and tastes fish. She vows and declares +that she feeds her chickens and hogs better food twice a day than +people fed her in New York." + +"I'll bet my new milk pail the grub we eat ivery day would be a +trate that would raise him," said Jimmy. "Provided his taste +ain't so depraved with saltpeter and chalk he don't know fresh, +pure food whin he tastes it. I understand some of the victims +really don't." + +"Your new milk pail?" questioned Mary. + +"That's what!" said Jimmy." The next time I go to town I'm goin' +to get you two." + +"But I only need one," protested Mary. "Instead of two, get me a +new dishpan. Mine leaks, and smears the stove and table." + +"Be Gorry!" sighed Jimmy. "There goes me tongue, lettin' me in +for it again. I'll look over the skins, and if any of thim are +ripe, I'll get you a milk pail and a dishpan the nixt time I go +to town. And, by gee! If that dandy big coon hide I got last fall +looks good, I'm going to comb it up, and work the skin fine, and +send it to the Thrid Man, with me complimints. I don't feel right +about him yet. Wonder what his name railly is, and where he +lives, or whether I killed him complate." + +"Any dry goods man in town can tell ye," said Dannie. + +"Ask the clerk in the hotel," suggested Mary. + +"You've said it," cried Jimmy. "That's the stuff! And I can find +out whin he will be here again." + +Two hours more they faithfully worked on the garden, and then +Jimmy began to grow restless. + +"Ah, go on!" cried Mary. "You have done all that is needed just +now, and more too. There won't any fish bite to-day, but you can +have the pleasure of stringin' thim poor sufferin' worms on a +hook and soaking thim in the river." + +"`Sufferin' worms!' Sufferin' Job!" cried Jimmy. "What nixt? Go +on, Dannie, get your pole!" + +Dannie went. As he came back Jimmy was sprinkling a thin layer of +earth over the bait in the can. "Why not come along, Mary?" he +suggested. + +"I'm not done planting my seeds," she answered. "I'll be tired +when I am, and I thought that place wasn't fixed for me yet." + +"We can't fix that till a little later," said Jimmy. "We can't +tell where it's going to be grassy and shady yet, and the wood is +too wet to fix a sate." + +"Any kind of a sate will do," said Mary. "I guess you better not +try to make one out of the Kingfisher stump. If you take it out +it may change the pool and drive away the Bass." + +"Sure!" cried Jimmy. "What a head you've got! We'll have to find +some other stump for a sate." + +"I don't want to go until it gets dry under foot, and warmer" +said Mary. "You boys go on. I'll till you whin I am riddy to go." + +"There!" said Jimmy, when well on the way to the river. "What did +I tell you? Won't go if she has the chance! Jist wants to be +ASKED." + +"I dinna pretend to know women," said Dannie gravely. "But +whatever Mary does is all richt with me." + +"So I've obsarved," remarked Jimmy. "Now, how will we get at this +fishin' to be parfectly fair?" + +"Tell ye what I think," said Dannie. "I think we ought to pick +out the twa best places about the Black Bass pool, and ye take +ane fra yours and I'll take the ither fra mine, and then we'll +each fish from his own place." + +"Nothing fair about that," answered Jimmy. "You might just happen +to strike the bed where he lays most, and be gettin' bites all +the time, and me none; or I might strike it and you be left out. +And thin there's days whin the wind has to do, and the light. We +ought to change places ivery hour." + +"There's nothing fair in that either," broke in Dannie. "I might +have him tolled up to my place, and juist be feedin' him my bait, +and here you'd come along and prove by your watch that my time +was up, and take him when I had him all ready to bite." + +"That's so for you!" hurried in Jimmy. "I'll be hanged if I'd +leave a place by the watch whin I had a strike!" + +"Me either," said Dannie. "'Tis past human nature to ask it. I'll +tell ye what we'll do. We'll go to work and rig up a sort of a +bridge where it's so narrow and shallow, juist above Kingfisher +shoals, and then we'll toss up fra sides. Then each will keep to +his side. With a decent pole either of us can throw across the +pool, and both of us can fish as we please. Then each fellow can +pick his bait, and cast or fish deep as he thinks best. What d'ye +say to that?" + +"I don't see how anything could be fairer than that," said Jimmy. +"I don't want to fish for anything but the Bass. I'm goin' back +and get our rubber boots, and you be rollin' logs, and we'll +build that crossing right now." + +"All richt," said Dannie. + +So they laid aside their poles and tackle, and Dannie rolled logs +and gathered material for the bridge, while Jimmy went back after +their boots. Then both of them entered the water and began +clearing away drift and laying the foundations. As the first log +of the crossing lifted above the water Dannie paused. + +"How about the Kingfisher?" he asked. "Winna this scare him +away?" + +"Not if he ain't a domn fool," said Jimmy; "and if he is, let him +go!" + +"Seems like the river would no be juist richt without him," said +Dannie, breaking off a spice limb and nibbling the fragrant buds. +"Let's only use what we bare need to get across. And where will +we fix fra Mary?" + +"Oh, git out!" said Jimmy. "I ain't goin' to fool with that." + +"Well, we best fix a place. Then we can tell her we fixed it, and +it's all ready." + +"Sure!" cried Jimmy. "You are catchin' it from your neighbor. +Till her a place is all fixed and watin', and you couldn't drag +her here with a team of oxen. Till her you are GOING to fix it +soon, and she'll come to see if you've done it, if she has to be +carried on a stritcher." + +So they selected a spot that they thought would be all right for +Mary, and not close enough to disturb the Bass and the +Kingfisher, rolled two logs, and fished a board that had been +carried by a freshet from the water and laid it across them, and +decided that would have to serve until they could do better. + +Then they sat astride the board, Dannie drew out a coin, and they +tossed it to see which was heads and tails. Dannie won heads. +Then they tossed to see which bank was heads or tails, and the +right, which was on Rainbow side, came heads. So Jimmy was to use +the bridge. Then they went home, and began the night work. The +first thing Jimmy espied was the barrel containing the milk pail. +He fished out the pail, and while Dannie fed the stock, shoveled +manure, and milked, Jimmy pounded out the dents, closed the +bullet holes, emptied the bait into it, half filled it with +mellow earth, and went to Mary for some corn meal to sprinkle on +the top to feed the worms. + +At four o'clock the next morning, Dannie was up feeding, milking, +scraping plows, and setting bolts. After breakfast they piled +their implements on a mudboat, which Dannie drove, while Jimmy +rode one of his team, and led the other, and opened the gates. +They began on Dannie's field, because it was closest, and for the +next two weeks, unless it were too rainy to work, they plowed, +harrowed, lined off, and planted the seed. + +The blackbirds followed along the furrows picking up grubs, the +crows cawed from high tree tops, the bluebirds twittered about +hollow stumps and fence rails, the wood thrushes sang out their +souls in the thickets across the river, and the King Cardinal of +Rainbow Bottom whistled to split his throat from the giant +sycamore. Tender greens were showing along the river and in the +fields, and the purple of red-bud mingled with the white of wild +plum all along the Wabash. + +The sunny side of the hill that sloped down to Rainbow Bottom was +a mass of spring beauties, anemones, and violets; thread-like +ramps rose rank to the scent among them, and round ginger leaves +were thrusting their folded heads through the mold. The +Kingfisher was cleaning his house and fishing from his favorite +stump in the river, while near him, at the fall of every luckless +worm that missed its hold on a blossom-whitened thorn tree, came +the splash of the great Black Bass. Every morning the Bass took a +trip around Horseshoe Bend food hunting, and the small fry raced +for life before his big, shear-like jaws. During the heat of noon +he lay in the deep pool below the stump, and rested; but when +evening came he set out in search of supper, and frequently he +felt so good that he leaped clear of the water, and fell back +with a splash that threw shining spray about him, or lashed out +with his tail and sent widening circles of waves rolling from his +lurking place. Then the Kingfisher rattled with all his might, +and flew for the tunnel in the embankment. + +Some of these days the air was still, the earth warmed in the +golden sunshine, and murmured a low song of sleepy content. Some +days the wind raised, whirling dead leaves before it, and +covering the earth with drifts of plum, cherry, and apple bloom, +like late falling snow. Then great black clouds came sweeping +across the sky, and massed above Rainbow Bottom. The lightning +flashed as if the heavens were being cracked open, and the +rolling thunder sent terror to the hearts of man and beast. When +the birds flew for shelter, Dannie and Jimmy unhitched their +horses, and raced for the stables to escape the storm, and to be +with Mary, whom electricity made nervous. + +They would sit on the little front porch, and watch the greedy +earth drink the downpour. They could almost see the grass and +flowers grow. When the clouds scattered, the thunder grew +fainter; and the sun shone again between light sprinkles of rain. +Then a great, glittering rainbow set its arch in the sky, and it +planted one of its feet in Horseshoe Bend, and the other so far +away they could not even guess where. + +If it rained lightly, in a little while Dannie and Jimmy could go +back to their work afield. If the downpour was heavy, and made +plowing impossible, they pulled weeds, and hoed in the garden. +Dannie discoursed on the wholesome freshness of the earth, and +Jimmy ever waited a chance to twist his words, and ring in a +laugh on him. He usually found it. Sometimes, after a rain, they +took their bait cans, and rods, and went down to the river to +fish. + +If one could not go, the other religiously refrained from casting +bait into the pool where the Black Bass lay. Once, when they were +fishing together, the Bass rose to a white moth, skittered over +the surface by Dannie late in the evening, and twice Jimmy had +strikes which he averred had taken the arm almost off him, but +neither really had the Bass on his hook. They kept to their own +land, and fished when they pleased, for game laws and wardens +were unknown to them. + +Truth to tell, neither of them really hoped to get the Bass +before fall. The water was too high in the spring. Minnows were +plentiful, and as Jimmy said, "It seemed as if the domn plum tree +just rained caterpillars." So they bided their time, and the +signs prohibiting trespass on all sides of their land were many +and emphatic, and Mary had instructions to ring the dinner bell +if she caught sight of any strangers. + +The days grew longer, and the sun was insistent. Untold miles +they trudged back and forth across their land, guiding their +horses, jerked about with plows, their feet weighted with the +damp, clinging earth, and their clothing pasted to their wet +bodies. Jimmy was growing restless. Never in all his life had he +worked so faithfully as that spring, and never had his visits to +Casey's so told on him. No matter where they started, or how hard +they worked, Dannie was across the middle of the field, and +helping Jimmy before the finish. It was always Dannie who plowed +on, while Jimmy rode to town for the missing bolt or buckle, and +he generally rolled from his horse into a fence corner, and +slept the remainder of the day on his return. + +The work and heat were beginning to tire him, and his trips to +Casey's had been much less frequent than he desired. He grew to +feel that between them Dannie and Mary were driving him, and a +desire to balk at slight cause, gathered in his breast. He +deliberately tied his team in a fence corner, lay down, and fell +asleep. The clanging of the supper bell aroused him. He opened +his eyes, and as he rose, found that Dannie had been to the barn, +and brought a horse blanket to cover him. Well as he knew +anything, Jimmy knew that he had no business sleeping in fence +corners so early in the season. With candor he would have +admitted to himself that a part of his brittle temper came from +aching bones and rheumatic twinges. Some way, the sight of Dannie +swinging across the field, looking as fresh as in the early +morning, and the fact that he had carried a blanket to cover him, +and the further fact that he was wild for drink, and could think +of no excuse on earth for going to town, brought him to a +fighting crisis. + +Dannie turned his horses at Jimmy's feet. + +"Come on, Jimmy, supper bell has rung," he cried. "We mustn't +keep Mary waiting. She wants us to help her plant the sweet +potatoes to-nicht." + +Jimmy rose, and his joints almost creaked. The pain angered him. +He leaned forward and glared at Dannie. + +"Is there one minute of the day whin you ain't thinkin' about my +wife?" he demanded, oh, so slowly, and so ugly! + +Dannie met his hateful gaze squarely. "Na a minute," he answered, +"excepting when I am thinking about ye." + +"The Hell you say!" exploded the astonished Jimmy. + +Dannie stepped out of the furrow, and came closer. "See here, +Jimmy Malone," he said. "Ye ain't forgot the nicht when I told ye +I loved Mary, with all my heart, and that I'd never love another +woman. I sent ye to tell her fra me, and to ask if I might come +to her. And ye brought me her answer. It's na your fault that she +preferred ye. Everybody did. But it IS your fault that I've +stayed on here. I tried to go, and ye wouldna let me. So for +fifteen years, ye have lain with the woman I love, and I have +lain alone in a few rods of ye. If that ain't Man-Hell, try some +other on me, and see if it will touch me! I sent ye to tell her +that I loved her; have I ever sent ye to tell her that I've quit? +I should think you'd know, by this time, that I'm na quitter. +Love her! Why, I love her till I can see her standin' plain +before me, when I know she's a mile away. Love her! Why, I can +smell her any place I am, sweeter than any flower I ever held to +my face. Love her! Till the day I dee I'll love her. But it ain't +any fault of yours, and if ye've come to the place where I worry +ye, that's the place where I go, as I wanted to on the same day +ye brought Mary to Rainbow Bottom." + +Jimmy's gray jaws fell open. Jimmy's sullen eyes cleared. He +caught Dannie by the arm. + +"For the love of Hivin, what did I say, Dannie?" he panted. "I +must have been half asleep. Go! You go! You leave Rainbow Bottom! +Thin, by God, I go too! I won't stay here without you, not a day. +If I had to take my choice between you, I'd give up Mary before +I'd give up the best frind I iver had. Go! I guess not, unless I +go with you! She can go to----" + +"Jimmy! Jimmy!" cautioned Dannie. + +"I mane ivery domn word of it," said Jimmy. "I think more of you, +than I iver did of any woman." + +Dannie drew a deep breath. "Then why in the name of God did ye +SAY that thing to me? I have na betrayed your trust in me, not +ever, Jimmy, and ye know it. What's the matter with ye?" + +Jimmy heaved a deep sigh, and rubbed his hands across his hot, +angry face. "Oh, I'm just so domn sore!" he said. "Some days I +get about wild. Things haven't come out like I thought they +would." + +"Jimmy, if ye are in trouble, why do ye na tell me? Canna I help +ye? Have'nt I always helped ye if I could?" + +"Yes, you have," said Jimmy. "Always, been a thousand times too +good to me. But you can't help here. I'm up agin it alone, but +put this in your pipe, and smoke it good and brown, if you go, I +go. I don't stay here without you." + +"Then it's up to ye na to make it impossible for me to stay," +said Dannie. "After this, I'll try to be carefu'. I've had no +guard on my lips. I've said whatever came into my heid." + +The supper bell clanged sharply a second time. + +"That manes more Hivin on the Wabash," said Jimmy. "Wish I had a +bracer before I face it." + +"How long has it been, Jimmy?" asked Dannie. + +"Etarnity!" replied Jimmy briefly. + +Dannie stood thinking, and then light broke. Jimmy was always +short of money in summer. When trapping was over, and before any +crops were ready, he was usually out of funds. Dannie hesitated, +and then he said, "Would a small loan be what ye need, Jimmy?" + +Jimmy's eyes gleamed. "It would put new life into me," he cried. +"Forgive me, Dannie. I am almost crazy." + +Dannie handed over a coin, and after supper Jimmy went to town. +Then Dannie saw his mistake. He had purchased peace for himself, +but what about Mary? + + + +Chapter VI + +THE HEART OF MARY MALONE + + +"This is the job that was done with the reaper, +If we hustle we can do it ourselves, +Thus securing to us a little cheaper, +The bread and pie upon our pantry shelves. + +Eat this wheat, by and by, +On this beautiful Wabash shore, +Drink this rye, by and by, +Eat and drink on this beautiful shore." + + +So sang Jimmy as he drove through the wheat, oats and rye +accompanied by the clacking machinery. Dannie stopped stacking +sheaves to mop his warm, perspiring face and to listen. Jimmy +always with an eye to the effect he was producing immediately +broke into wilder parody: + +"Drive this mower, a little slower, +On this beautiful Wabash shore, +Cuttin' wheat to buy our meat, +Cuttin' oats, to buy our coats, +Also pants, if we get the chance. + +By and by, we'll cut the rye, +But I bet my hat I drink that, I drink that. +Drive this mower a little slower, +In this wheat, in this wheat, by and by." + +The larks scolded, fluttering over head, for at times the reaper +overtook their belated broods. The bobolinks danced and chattered +on stumps and fences, in an agony of suspense, when their nests +were approached, and cried pitifully if they were destroyed. The +chewinks flashed from the ground to the fences and trees, and +back, crying "Che-wink?" "Che-wee!" to each other, in such +excitement that they appeared to be in danger of flirting off +their long tails. The quail ran about the shorn fields, and +excitedly called from fence riders to draw their flocks into the +security of Rainbow Bottom. + +Frightened hares bounded through the wheat, and if the cruel +blade sheared into their nests, Dannie gathered the wounded and +helpless of the scattered broods in his hat, and carried them to +Mary. + +Then came threshing, which was a busy time, but after that, +through the long hot days of late July and August, there was +little to do afield, and fishing was impossible. Dannie grubbed +fence corners, mended fences, chopped and corded wood for winter, +and in spare time read his books. For the most part Jimmy kept +close to Dannie. Jimmy's temper never had been so variable. +Dannie was greatly troubled, for despite Jimmy's protests of +devotion, he flared at a word, and sometimes at no word at all. +The only thing in which he really seemed interested was the coon +skin he was dressing to send to Boston. Over that he worked by +the hour, sometimes with earnest face, and sometimes he raised +his head, and let out a whoop that almost frightened Mary. At +such times he was sure to go on and give her some new detail of +the hunt for the fifty coons, that he had forgotten to tell her +before. + +He had been to the hotel, and learned the Thread Man's name and +address, and found that he did not come regularly, and no one +knew when to expect him; so when he had combed and brushed the +fur to its finest point, and worked the skin until it was velvet +soft, and bleached it until it was muslin white, he made it into +a neat package and sent it with his compliments to the Boston +man. After he had waited for a week, he began going to town every +day to the post office for the letter he expected, and coming +home much worse for a visit to Casey's. Since plowing time he had +asked Dannie for money as he wanted it, telling him to keep an +account, and he would pay him in the fall. He seemed to forget or +not to know how fast his bills grew. + +Then came a week in August when the heat invaded even the cool +retreat along the river. Out on the highway passing wheels rolled +back the dust like water, and raised it in clouds after them. The +rag weeds hung wilted heads along the road. The goldenrod and +purple ironwort were dust-colored and dust-choked. The trees were +thirsty, and their leaves shriveling. The river bed was bare its +width in places, and while the Kingfisher made merry with his +family, and rattled, feasting from Abram Johnson's to the +Gar-hole, the Black Bass sought its deep pool, and lay still. It +was a rare thing to hear it splash in those days. + +The prickly heat burned until the souls of men were tried. Mary +slipped listlessly about or lay much of the time on a couch +beside a window, where a breath of air stirred. Despite the good +beginning he had made in the spring, Jimmy slumped with the heat +and exposures he had risked, and was hard to live with. + +Dannie was not having a good time himself. Since Jimmy's wedding, +life had been all grind to Dannie, but he kept his reason, +accepted his lot, and ground his grist with patience and such +cheer as few men could have summoned to the aid of so poor a +cause. Had there been any one to notice it, Dannie was tired and +heat-ridden also, but as always, Dannie sank self, and labored +uncomplainingly with Jimmy's problems. On a burning August +morning Dannie went to breakfast, and found Mary white and +nervous, little prepared to eat, and no sign of Jimmy. + +"Jimmy sleeping?" he asked. + +"I don't know where Jimmy is," Mary answered coldly. + +"Since when?" asked Dannie, gulping coffee, and taking hasty +bites, for he had begun his breakfast supposing that Jimmy would +come presently. + +"He left as soon as you went home last night," she said, "and he +has not come back yet." + +Dannie did not know what to say. Loyal to the bone to Jimmy, +loving each hair on the head of Mary Malone, and she worn and +neglected; the problem was heartbreaking in any solution he +attempted, and he felt none too well himself. He arose hastily, +muttering something about getting the work done. He brought in +wood and water, and asked if there was anything more he could do. + +"Sure!" said Mary, in a calm, even voice. "Go to the barn, and +shovel manure for Jimmy Malone, and do all the work he shirks, +before you do anything for yoursilf." + +Dannie always had admitted that he did not understand women, but +he understood a plain danger signal, and he almost ran from the +cabin. In the fear that Mary might think he had heeded her hasty +words, he went to his own barn first, just to show her that he +did not do Jimmy's work. The flies and mosquitoes were so bad he +kept his horses stabled through the day, and turned them to +pasture at night. So their stalls were to be cleaned, and he set +to work. When he had finished his own barn, as he had nothing +else to do, he went on to Jimmy's. He had finished the stalls, +and was sweeping when he heard a sound at the back door, and +turning saw Jimmy clinging to the casing, unable to stand +longer. Dannie sprang to him, and helped him inside. Jimmy sank +to the floor. Dannie caught up several empty grain sacks, folded +them, and pushed them under Jimmy's head for a pillow. + +"Dannish, didsh shay y'r nash'nal flowerish wash shisle?" asked +Jimmy. + +"Yes," said Dannie, lifting the heavy auburn head to smooth the +folds from the sacks. + +"Whysh like me?" + +"I dinna," answered Dannie wearily. + +"Awful jagsh on," murmured Jimmy, sighed heavily, and was off. +His clothing was torn and dust-covered, his face was purple and +bloated, and his hair was dusty and disordered. He was a +repulsive sight. As Dannie straightened Jimmy's limbs he thought +he heard a step. He lifted his head and leaned forward to listen. + +"Dannie Micnoun?" called the same even, cold voice he had heard +at breakfast. "Have you left me, too?" + +Dannie sprang for a manger. He caught a great armload of hay, and +threw it over Jimmy. He gave one hurried toss to scatter it, for +Mary was in the barn. As he turned to interpose his body between +her and the manger, which partially screened Jimmy, his heart +sickened. He was too late. She had seen. Frightened to the soul, +he stared at her. She came a step closer, and with her foot gave +a hand of Jimmy's that lay exposed a contemptuous shove. + +"You didn't get him complately covered," she said. "How long have +you had him here?" + +Dannie was frightened into speech. "Na a minute, Mary; he juist +came in when I heard ye. I was trying to spare ye." + +"Him, you mane," she said, in that same strange voice. "I suppose +you give him money, and he has a bottle, and he's been here all +night." + +"Mary," said Dannie, "that's na true. I have furnished him money. +He'd mortgage the farm, or do something worse if I didna; but I +dinna WHERE he has been all nicht, and in trying to cover him, my +only thought was to save ye pain." + +"And whin you let him spind money you know you'll never get back, +and loaf while you do his work, and when you lie mountain high, +times without number, who is it for?" + +Then fifteen years' restraint slid from Dannie like a cloak, and +in the torture of his soul his slow tongue outran all its +previous history. + +"Ye!" he shouted. "It's fra Jimmy, too, but ye first. Always ye +first!" Mary began to tremble. Her white cheeks burned red. Her +figure straightened, and her hands clenched. + +"On the cross! Will you swear it?" she cried. + +"On the sacred body of Jesus Himself, if I could face Him," +answered Dannie. "anything! Everything is fra ye first, Mary!" + +"Then why?" she panted between gasps for breath. "Tell me why? If +you have cared for me enough to stay here all these years and see +that I had the bist tratemint you could get for me, why didn't +you care for me enough more to save me this? Oh, Dannie, tell me +why?" + +And then she shook with strangled sobs until she scarce could +stand alone. Dannie Macnoun cleared the space between them and +took her in his arms. Her trembling hands clung to him, her head +dropped on his breast, and the perfume of her hair in his +nostrils drove him mad. Then the tense bulk of her body struck +against him, and horror filled his soul. One second he held her, +the next, Jimmy smothering under the hay, threw up an arm, and +called like a petulant child, "Dannie! Make shun quit shinish my +fashe!" + +And Dannie awoke to the realization that Mary was another man's, +and that man, one who trusted him completely. The problem was so +much too big for poor Dannie that reason kindly slipped a cog. He +broke from the grasp of the woman, fled through the back door, +and took to the woods. + +He ran as if fiends were after him, and he ran and ran. And when +he could run no longer, he walked, but he went on. Just on and +on. He crossed forests and fields, orchards and highways, streams +and rivers, deep woods and swamps, and on, and on he went. He +felt nothing, and saw nothing, and thought nothing, save to go +on, always on. In the dark he stumbled on and through the day he +staggered on, and he stopped for nothing, save at times to lift +water to his parched lips. + +The bushes took his hat, the thorns ripped his shirt, the water +soaked his shoes and they spread and his feet came through and +the stones cut them until they bled. Leaves and twigs stuck in +his hair, and his eyes grew bloodshot, his lips and tongue +swollen, and when he could go no further on his feet, he crawled +on his knees, until at last he pitched forward on his face and +lay still. The tumult was over and Mother Nature set to work to +see about repairing damages. + +Dannie was so badly damaged, soul, heart, and body, that she +never would have been equal to the task, but another woman +happened that way and she helped. Dannie was carried to a house +and a doctor dressed his hurts. When the physician got down to +first principles, and found a big, white-bodied, fine-faced +Scotchman in the heart of the wreck, he was amazed. A wild man, +but not a whiskey bloat. A crazy man, but not a maniac. He stood +long beside Dannie as he lay unconscious. + +"I'll take oath that man has wronged no one," he said. "What in +the name of God has some woman been doing to him?" + +He took money from Dannie's wallet and bought clothing to replace +the rags he had burned. He filled Dannie with nourishment, and +told the woman who found him that when he awoke, if he did not +remember, to tell him that his name was Dannie Macnoun, and that +he lived in Rainbow Bottom, Adams County. Because just at that +time Dannie was halfway across the state. + +A day later he awoke, in a strange room and among strange faces. +He took up life exactly where he left off. And in his ears, as he +remembered his flight, rang the awful cry uttered by Mary Malone, +and not until then did there come to Dannie the realization that +she had been driven to seek him for help, because her woman's +hour was upon her. Cold fear froze Dannie's soul. + +He went back by railway and walked the train most of the way. He +dropped from the cars at the water tank and struck across +country, and again he ran. But this time it was no headlong +flight. Straight as a homing bird went Dannie with all speed, +toward the foot of the Rainbow and Mary Malone. + +The Kingfisher sped rattling down the river when Dannie came +crashing along the bank. + +"Oh, God, let her be alive!" prayed Dannie as he leaned panting +against a tree for an instant, because he was very close now and +sickeningly afraid. Then he ran on. In a minute it would be over. +At the next turn he could see the cabins. As he dashed along, +Jimmy Malone rose from a log and faced him. A white Jimmy, with +black- ringed eyes and shaking hands. + +"Where the Hell have you been?" Jimmy demanded. + +"Is she dead?" cried Dannie. + +"The doctor is talking scare," said Jimmy. "But I don't scare so +easy. She's never been sick in her life, and she has lived +through it twice before, why should she die now? Of course the +kid is dead again," he added angrily. + +Dannie shut his eyes and stood still. He had helped plant star- +flowers on two tiny cross-marked mounds at Five Mile Hill. Now, +there were three. Jimmy had worn out her love for him, that was +plain. "Why should she die now?" To Dannie it seemed that +question should have been, "Why should she live?" + +Jimmy eyed him belligerently. "Why in the name of sinse did you +cut out whin I was off me pins?" he growled. "Of course I don't +blame you for cutting that kind of a party, me for the woods, all +right, but what I can't see is why you couldn't have gone for the +doctor and waited until I'd slept it off before you wint." + +"I dinna know she was sick," answered Dannie. "I deserve anything +ony ane can say to me, and it's all my fault if she dees, but +this ane thing ye got to say ye know richt noo, Jimmy. Ye got to +say ye know that I dinna understand Mary was sick when I went." + +"Sure! I've said that all the time," agreed Jimmy. "But what I +don't understand is, WHY you went! I guess she thinks it was her +fault. I came out here to try to study it out. The nurse-woman, +domn pretty girl, says if you don't get back before midnight, +it's all up. You're just on time, Dannie. The talk in the house +is that she'll wink out if you don't prove to her that she didn't +drive you away. She is about crazy over it. What did she do to +you?" + +"Nothing!" exclaimed Dannie. "She was so deathly sick she dinna +what she was doing. I can see it noo, but I dinna understand +then." + +"That's all right," said Jimmy. "She didn't! She kapes moaning +over and over 'What did I do?' You hustle in and fix it up with +her. I'm getting tired of all this racket." + +All Dannie heard was that he was to go to Mary. He went up the +lane, across the garden, and stepped in at the back door. Beside +the table stood a comely young woman, dressed in blue and white +stripes. She was doing something with eggs and milk. She glanced +at Dannie, and finished filling a glass. As she held it to the +light, "Is your name Macnoun?" she inquired. + +"Yes," said Dannie. + +"Dannie Macnoun?" she asked. + +"Yes," said Dannie. + +"Then you are the medicine needed here just now," she said, as if +that were the most natural statement in the world. "Mrs. Malone +seems to have an idea that she offended you, and drove you from +home, just prior to her illness, and as she has been very sick, +she is in no condition to bear other trouble. You understand?" + +"Do ye understand that I couldna have gone if I had known she was +ill?" asked Dannie in turn. + +"From what she has said in delirium I have been sure of that," +replied the nurse. "It seems you have been the stay of the family +for years. I have a very high opinion of you, Mr. Macnoun. Wait +until I speak to her." + +The nurse vanished, presently returned, and as Dannie passed +through the door, she closed it after him, and he stood still, +trying to see in the dim light. That great snowy stretch, that +must be the bed. That tumbled dark circle, that must be Mary's +hair. That dead white thing beneath it, that must be Mary's face. +Those burning lights, flaming on him, those must be Mary's eyes. +Dannie stepped softly across the room, and bent over the bed. He +tried hard to speak naturally. + +"Mary" he said, "oh, Mary, I dinna know ye were ill! Oh, believe +me, I dinna realize ye were suffering pain." + +She smiled faintly, and her lips moved. Dannie bent lower. + +"Promise," she panted. "Promise you will stay now." + +Her hand fumbled at her breast, and then she slipped on the white +cover a little black cross. Dannie knew what she meant. He laid +his hand on the emblem precious to her, and said softly, "I swear +I never will leave ye again, Mary Malone." + +A great light swept into her face, and she smiled happily. + +"Now ye," said Dannie. He slipped the cross into her hand. +"Repeat after me," he said. "I promise I will get well, Dannie." + +"I promise I will get well, Dannie, if I can," said Mary. + +"Na," said Dannie. "That winna do. Repeat what I said, and +remember it is on the cross. Life hasna been richt for ye, Mary, +but if ye will get well, before the Lord in some way we will make +it happier. Ye will get well?" + +"I promise I will get well, Dannie," said Mary Malone, and Dannie +softly left the room. + +Outside he said to the nurse, "What can I do?" + +She told him everything of which she could think that would be of +benefit. + +"Now tell me all ye know of what happened," commanded Dannie. + +"After you left," said the nurse, "she was in labor, and she +could not waken her husband, and she grew frightened and +screamed. There were men passing out on the road. They heard her, +and came to see what was the matter." + +"Strangers?" shuddered Dannie, with dry lips. + +"No, neighbors. One man went for the nearest woman, and the other +drove to town for a doctor. They had help here almost as soon as +you could. But, of course, the shock was a very dreadful thing, +and the heat of the past few weeks has been enervating." + +"Ane thing more," questioned Dannie. "Why do her children dee?" + +"I don't know about the others," answered the nurse. "This one +simply couldn't be made to breathe. It was a strange thing. It +was a fine big baby, a boy, and it seemed perfect, but we +couldn't save it. I never worked harder. They told me she had +lost two others, and we tried everything of which we could think. +It just seemed as if it had grown a lump of flesh, with no vital +spark in it." + +Dannie turned, went out of the door, and back along the lane to +the river where he had left Jimmy. "`A lump of flesh with na +vital spark in it,'" he kept repeating. "I dinna but that is the +secret. She is almost numb with misery. All these days when she's +been without hope, and these awful nichts, when she's watched and +feared alone, she has no wished to perpetuate him in children who +might be like him, and so at their coming the `vital spark' is na +in them. Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, have ye Mary's happiness and those +three little graves to answer for?" + +He found Jimmy asleep where he had left him. Dannie shook him +awake. "I want to talk with ye," he said. + +Jimmy sat up, and looked into Dannie's face. He had a complaint +on his lips but it died there. He tried to apologize. "I am +almost dead for sleep," he said. "There has been no rest for +anyone here. What do you think?" + +"I think she will live," said Dannie dryly. "In spite of your +neglect, and my cowardice, I think she will live to suffer more +frae us." + +Jimmy's mouth opened, but for once no sound issued. The drops of +perspiration raised on his forehead. + +Dannie sat down, and staring at him Jimmy saw that there were +patches of white hair at his temples that had been brown a week +before; his colorless face was sunken almost to the bone, and +there was a peculiar twist about his mouth. Jimmy's heart weighed +heavily, his tongue stood still, and he was afraid to the marrow +in his bones. + +"I think she will live," repeated Dannie. "And about the +suffering more, we will face that like men, and see what can be +done about it. This makes three little graves on the hill, Jimmy, +what do they mean to ye?" + +"Domn bad luck," said Jimmy promptly. + +"Nothing more?" asked Dannie. "Na responsibility at all. Ye are +the father of those children. Have ye never been to the doctor, +and asked why ye lost them?" + +"No, I haven't," said Jimmy. + +"That is ane thing we will do now," said Dannie, "and then we +will do more, much more." + +"What are you driving at?" asked Jimmy. + +"The secret of Mary's heart," said Dannie. + +The cold sweat ran from the pores of Jimmy's body. He licked his +dry lips, and pulled his hat over his eyes, that he might watch +Dannie from under the brim. + +"We are twa big, strong men," said Dannie. "For fifteen years we +have lived here wi' Mary. The night ye married her, the licht of +happiness went out for me. But I shut my mouth, and shouldered my +burden, and went on with my best foot first; because if she had +na refused me, I should have married her, and then ye would have +been the one to suffer. If she had chosen me, I should have +married her, juist as ye did. Oh, I've never forgotten that! So I +have na been a happy mon, Jimmy. We winna go into that any +further, we've been over it once. It seems to be a form of +torture especially designed fra me, though at times I must +confess, it seems rough, and I canna see why, but we'll cut that +off with this: life has been Hell's hottest sweat-box fra me +these fifteen years." + +Jimmy groaned aloud. Dannie's keen gray eyes seemed boring into +the soul of the man before him, as he went on. + +"Now how about ye? Ye got the girl ye wanted. Ye own a guid farm +that would make ye a living, and save ye money every year. Ye +have done juist what ye pleased, and as far as I could, I have +helped ye. I've had my eye on ye pretty close, Jimmy, and if YE +are a happy mon, I dinna but I'm content as I am. What's your +trouble? Did ye find ye dinna love Mary after ye won her? Did ye +murder your mither or blacken your soul with some deadly sin? +Mon! If I had in my life what ye every day neglect and torture, +Heaven would come doon, and locate at the foot of the Rainbow fra +me. But, ye are no happy, Jimmy. Let's get at the root of the +matter. While ye are unhappy, Mary will be also. We are +responsible to God for her, and between us, she is empty armed, +near to death, and almost dumb with misery. I have juist sworn to +her on the cross she loves that if she will make ane more effort, +and get well, we will make her happy. Now, how are we going to do +it?" + +Another great groan burst from Jimmy, and he shivered as if with +a chill. + +"Let us look ourselves in the face," Dannie went on, "and see +what we lack. What can we do fra her? What will bring a song to +her lips, licht to her beautiful eyes, love to her heart, and a +living child to her arms? Wake up, mon! By God, if ye dinna set +to work with me and solve this problem, I'll shake a solution out +of ye! What I must suffer is my own, but what's the matter with +ye, and why, when she loved and married ye, are ye breakin' +Mary's heart? Answer me, mon!" + +Dannie reached over and snatched the hat from Jimmy's forehead, +and stared at an inert heap. Jimmy lay senseless, and he looked +like death. Dannie rushed down to the water with the hat, and +splashed drops into Jimmy's face until he gasped for breath. When +he recovered a little, he shrank from Dannie, and began to sob, +as if he were a sick ten-year-old child. + +"I knew you'd go back on me, Dannie," he wavered. "I've lost the +only frind I've got, and I wish I was dead." + +"I havena gone back on ye," persisted Dannie, bathing Jimmy's +face. "Life means nothing to me, save as I can use it fra Mary, +and fra ye. Be quiet, and sit up here, and help me work this +thing out. Why are ye a discontented mon, always wishing fra any +place save home? Why do ye spend all ye earn foolishly, so that +ye are always hard up, when ye might have affluence? Why does +Mary lose her children, and why does she noo wish she had na +married ye?" + +"Who said she wished she hadn't married me?" cried Jimmy. + +"Do ye mean to say ye think she doesn't?" blazed Dannie. + +"I ain't said anything!" exclaimed Jimmy. + +"Na, and I seem to have damn poor luck gettin' ye TO say +anything. I dinna ask fra tears, nor faintin' like a woman. Be a +mon, and let me into the secret of this muddle. There is a +secret, and ye know it. What is it? Why are ye breaking the heart +o' Mary Malone? Answer me, or 'fore God I'll wring the answer fra +your body!" + +And Jimmy keeled over again. This time he was gone so far that +Dannie was frightened into a panic, and called the doctor coming +up the lane to Jimmy before he had time to see Mary. The doctor +soon brought Jimmy around, prescribed quiet and sleep; talked +about heart trouble developing, and symptoms of tremens, and +Dannie poured on water, and gritted his teeth. And it ended by +Jimmy being helped to Dannie's cabin, undressed, and put into +bed, and then Dannie went over to see what he could do for the +nurse. She looked at him searchingly. + +"Mr. Macnoun, when were you last asleep?" she asked. + +"I forget," answered Dannie. + +"When did you last have a good hot meal?" + +"I dinna know," replied Dannie. + +"Drink that," said the nurse, handing him the bowl of broth she +carried, and going back to the stove for another. "When I have +finished making Mrs. Malone comfortable, I'm going to get you +something to eat, and you are going to eat it. Then you are going +to lie down on that cot where I can call you if I need you, and +sleep six hours, and then you're going to wake up and watch by +this door while I sleep my six. Even nurses must have some rest, +you know." + +"Ye first," said Dannie. "I'll be all richt when I get food. +Since ye mention it, I believe I am almost mad with hunger." + +The nurse handed him another bowl of broth. "Just drink that, and +drink slowly," she said, as she left the room. + +Dannie could hear her speaking softly to Mary, and then all was +quiet, and the girl came out and closed the door. She deftly +prepared food for Dannie, and he ate all she would allow him, and +begged for more; but she firmly told him her hands were full now, +and she had no one to depend on but him to watch after the turn +of the night. So Dannie lay down on the cot. He had barely +touched it when he thought of Jimmy, so he got up quietly and +started home. He had almost reached his back door when it opened, +and Jimmy came out. Dannie paused, amazed at Jimmy's wild face +and staring eyes. + +"Don't you begin your cursed gibberish again," cried Jimmy, at +sight of him. "I'm burning in all the tortures of fire now, and +I'll have a drink if I smash down Casey's and steal it." + +Dannie jumped for him, and Jimmy evaded him and fled. Dannie +started after. He had reached the barn before he began to think. +"I depend on you," the nurse had said. "Jimmy, wait!" he called. +"Jimmy, have ye any money?" Jimmy was running along the path +toward town. Dannie stopped. He stood staring after Jimmy for a +second, and then he deliberately turned, went back, and lay down +on the cot, where the nurse expected to find him when she wanted +him to watch by the door of Mary Malone. + + + +Chapter VII + +THE APPLE OF DISCORD BECOMES A JOINTED ROD + + +"What do you think about fishing, Dannie?" asked Jimmy Malone. + +"There was a licht frost last nicht," said Dannie. "It begins to +look that way. I should think a week more, especially if there +should come a guid rain." + +Jimmy looked disappointed. His last trip to town had ended in a +sodden week in the barn, and at Dannie's cabin. For the first +time he had carried whiskey home with him. He had insisted on +Dannie drinking with him, and wanted to fight when he would not. +He addressed the bottle, and Dannie, as the Sovereign Alchemist +by turns, and "transmuted the leaden metal of life into pure +gold" of a glorious drunk, until his craving was satisfied. Then +he came back to work and reason one morning, and by the time Mary +was about enough to notice him, he was Jimmy at his level best, +and doing more than he had in years to try to interest and please +her. + +Mary had fully recovered, and appeared as strong as she ever had +been, but there was a noticeable change in her. She talked and +laughed with a gayety that seemed forced, and in the midst of it +her tongue turned bitter, and Jimmy and Dannie fled before it. + +The gray hairs multiplied on Dannie's head with rapidity. He had +gone to the doctor, and to Mary's sister, and learned nothing +more than the nurse could tell him. Dannie was willing to +undertake anything in the world for Mary, but just how to furnish +the "vital spark," to an unborn babe, was too big a problem for +him. And Jimmy Malone was growing to be another. Heretofore, +Dannie had borne the brunt of the work, and all of the worry. He +had let Jimmy feel that his was the guiding hand. Jimmy's plans +were followed whenever it was possible, and when it was not, +Dannie started Jimmy's way, and gradually worked around to his +own. But, there never had been a time between them, when things +really came to a crisis, and Dannie took the lead, and said +matters must go a certain way, that Jimmy had not acceded. In +reality, Dannie always had been master. + +Now he was not. Where he lost control he did not know. He had +tried several times to return to the subject of how to bring back +happiness to Mary, and Jimmy immediately developed symptoms of +another attack of heart disease, a tendency to start for town, or +openly defied him by walking away. Yet, Jimmy stuck to him closer +than he ever had, and absolutely refused to go anywhere, or to do +the smallest piece of work alone. Sometimes he grew sullen and +morose when he was not drinking, and that was very unlike the gay +Jimmy. Sometimes he grew wildly hilarious, as if he were bound to +make such a racket that he could hear no sound save his own +voice. So long as he stayed at home, helped with the work, and +made an effort to please Mary, Dannie hoped for the best, but his +hopes never grew so bright that they shut out an awful fear that +was beginning to loom in the future. But he tried in every way to +encourage Jimmy, and help him in the struggle he did not +understand, so when he saw that Jimmy was disappointed about the +fishing, he suggested that he should go alone. + +"I guess not!" said Jimmy. "I'd rather go to confission than to +go alone. What's the fun of fishin' alone? All the fun there is +to fishin' is to watch the other fellow's eyes when you pull in a +big one, and try to hide yours from him when he gets it. I guess +not! What have we got to do?" + +"Finish cutting the corn, and get in the pumpkins before there +comes frost enough to hurt them." + +"Well, come along!" said Jimmy. "Let's get it over. I'm going to +begin fishing for that Bass the morning after the first black +frost, if I do go alone. I mean it!" + +"But ye said--" began Dannie. + +"Hagginy!" cried Jimmy. "What a lot of time you've wasted if +you've been kaping account of all the things I've said. Haven't +you learned by this time that I lie twice to the truth once?" + +Dannie laughed. "Dinna say such things, Jimmy. I hate to hear ye. +Of course, I know about the fifty coons of the Canoper, and +things like that; honest, I dinna believe ye can help it. But na +man need lie about a serious matter, and when he knows he is +deceiving another who trusts him." Jimmy became so white that he +felt the color receding, and turned to hide his face. "Of course, +about those fifty coons noo, what was the harm in that? Nobody +believed it. That wasna deceiving any ane." + +"Yes, but it was," answered Jimmy. "The Boston man belaved it, +and I guiss he hasn't forgiven me, if he did take my hand, and +drink with me. You know I haven't had a word from him about that +coon skin. I worked awful hard on that skin. Some way, I tried to +make it say to him again that I was sorry for that night's work. +Sometimes I am afraid I killed the fellow." + +"O-ho!" scoffed Dannie. "Men ain't so easy killed. I been +thinkin' about it, too, and I'll tell ye what I think. I think he +goes on long trips, and only gets home every four or five months. +The package would have to wait. His folks wouldna try to send it +after him. He was a monly fellow, all richt, and ye will hear fra +him yet." + +"I'd like to," said Jimmy, absently, beating across his palm a +spray of goldenrod he had broken. "Just a line to tell me that he +don't bear malice." + +"Ye will get it," said Dannie. "Have a little patience. But +that's your greatest fault, Jimmy. Ye never did have ony +patience." + +"For God's sake, don't begin on me faults again," snapped Jimmy. +"I reckon I know me faults about as well as the nixt fellow. I'm +so domn full of faults that I've thought a lot lately about +fillin' up, and takin' a sleep on the railroad." + +A new fear wrung Dannie's soul. "Ye never would, Jimmy," he +implored. + +"Sure not!" cried Jimmy. "I'm no good Catholic livin', but if it +come to dyin', bedad I niver could face it without first +confissin' to the praste, and that would give the game away. +Let's cut out dyin', and cut corn!" + +"That's richt," agreed Dannie. "And let's work like men, and then +fish fra a week or so, before ice and trapping time comes again. +I'll wager I can beat ye the first row." + +"Bate!" scoffed Jimmy. "Bate! With them club-footed fingers of +yours? You couldn't bate an egg. Just watch me! If you are enough +of a watch to keep your hands runnin' at the same time." + +Jimmy worked feverishly for an hour, and then he straightened and +looked about him. On the left lay the river, its shores bordered +with trees and bushes. Behind them was deep wood. Before them lay +their open fields, sloping down to the bottom, the cabins on one +side, and the kingfisher embankment on the other. There was a +smoky haze in the air. As always the blackbirds clamored along +the river. Some crows followed the workers at a distance, hunting +for grains of corn, and over in the woods, a chewink scratched +and rustled among the deep leaves as it searched for grubs. From +time to time a flock of quail arose before them with a whirr and +scattered down the fields, reassembling later at the call of +their leader, from a rider of the snake fence, which inclosed the +field. + +"Bob, Bob White," whistled Dannie. + +"Bob, Bob White," answered the quail. + +"I got my eye on that fellow," said Jimmy. "When he gets a little +larger, I'm going after him." + +"Seems an awful pity to kill him," said Dannie. "People rave over +the lark, but I vow I'd miss the quail most if they were both +gone. They are getting scarce." + +"Well, I didn't say I was going to kill the whole flock," said +Jimmy. "I was just going to kill a few for Mary, and if I don't, +somebody else will." + +"Mary dinna need onything better than ane of her own fried +chickens," said Dannie. "And its no true about hunters. We've the +river on ane side, and the bluff on the other. If we keep up our +fishing signs, and add hunting to them, and juist shut the other +fellows out, the birds will come here like everything wild +gathers in National Park, out West. Ye bet things know where they +are taken care of, well enough." + +Jimmy snipped a spray of purple ironwort with his corn-cutter, +and stuck it through his suspender buckle. "I think that would be +more fun than killin' them. If you're a dacint shot, and your gun +is clane" (Jimmy remembered the crow that had escaped with the +eggs at soap-making), "you pretty well know you're goin' to bring +down anything you aim at. But it would be a dandy joke to shell a +little corn as we husk it, and toll all the quail into Rainbow +Bottom, and then kape the other fellows out. Bedad! Let's do it." + +Jimmy addressed the quail: + + +"Quailie, quailie on the fince, +We think your singin's just imminse. +Stay right here, and live with us, +And the fellow that shoots you will strike a fuss." + +"We can protect them all richt enough," laughed Dannie. "And +when the snow comes we can feed Cardinals like cheekens. Wish +when we threshed, we'd saved a few sheaves of wheat. They do that +in Germany, ye know. The last sheaf of the harvest they put up on +a long pole at Christmas, as a thank-offering to the birds fra +their care of the crops. My father often told of it." + +"That would be great," said Jimmy. "Now look how domn slow you +are! Why didn't you mintion it at harvest? I'd like things comin' +for me to take care of them. Gee! Makes me feel important just to +think about it. Next year we'll do it, sure. They'd be a lot of +company. A man could work in this field to-day, with all the +flowers around him, and the colors of the leaves like a garden, +and a lot of birds talkin' to him, and not feel afraid of being +alone." + +"Afraid?" quoted Dannie, in amazement. + +For an instant Jimmy looked startled. Then his love of proving +his point arose. "Yes, afraid!" he repeated stubbornly. "Afraid +of being away from the sound of a human voice, because whin you +are, the voices of the black divils of conscience come twistin' +up from the ground in a little wiry whisper, and moanin' among +the trees, and whistlin' in the wind, and rollin' in the thunder, +and above all in the dark they screech, and shout, and +roar,`We're after you, Jimmy Malone! We've almost got you, Jimmy +Malone! You're going to burn in Hell, Jimmy Malone!'" + +Jimmy leaned toward Dannie, and began in a low voice, but he grew +so excited as he tried to picture the thing that he ended in a +scream, and even then Dannie's horrified eyes failed to recall +him. Jimmy straightened, stared wildly behind him, and over the +open, hazy field, where flowers bloomed, and birds called, and +the long rows of shocks stood unconscious auditors of the strange +scene. He lifted his hat, and wiped the perspiration from his +dripping face with the sleeve of his shirt, and as he raised his +arm, the corn- cutter flashed in the light. + +"My God, it's awful, Dannie! It's so awful, I can't begin to tell +you!" + +Dannie's face was ashen. "Jimmy, dear auld fellow," he said, "how +long has this been going on?" + +"A million years," said Jimmy, shifting the corn-cutter to the +hand that held his hat, that he might moisten his fingers with +saliva and rub it across his parched lips. + +"Jimmy, dear," Dannie's hand was on Jimmy's sleeve. "Have ye been +to town in the nicht, or anything like that lately?" + +"No, Dannie, dear, I ain't," sneered Jimmy, setting his hat on +the back of his head and testing the corn-cutter with his thumb. +"This ain't Casey's, me lad. I've no more call there, at this +minute, than you have." + +"It is Casey's, juist the same," said Dannie bitterly. "Dinna ye +know the end of this sort of thing?" + +"No, bedad, I don't!" said Jimmy. "If I knew any way to ind it, +you can bet I've had enough. I'd ind it quick enough, if I knew +how. But the railroad wouldn't be the ind. That would just be the +beginnin'. Keep close to me, Dannie, and talk, for mercy sake, +talk! Do you think we could finish the corn by noon?" + +"Let's try!" said Dannie, as he squared his shoulders to adjust +them to his new load. "Then we'll get in the pumpkins this +afternoon, and bury the potatoes, and the cabbage and turnips, +and then we're aboot fixed fra winter." + +"We must take one day, and gather our nuts," suggested Jimmy, +struggling to make his voice sound natural, "and you forgot the +apples. We must bury thim too." + +"That's so," said Dannie, "and when that's over, we'll hae +nothing left to do but catch the Bass, and say farewell to the +Kingfisher." + +"I've already told you that I would relave you of all +responsibility about the Bass," said Jimmy, "and when I do, you +won't need trouble to make your adieus to the Kingfisher of the +Wabash. He'll be one bird that won't be migrating this winter." + +Dannie tried to laugh. "I'd like fall as much as any season of +the year," he said, "if it wasna for winter coming next." + +"I thought you liked winter, and the trampin' in the white woods, +and trappin', and the long evenings with a book." + +"I do," said Dannie. "I must have been thinkin' of Mary. She +hated last winter so. Of course, I had to go home when ye were +away, and the nichts were so long, and so cold, and mony of them +alone. I wonder if we canna arrange fra one of her sister's girls +to stay with her this winter?" + +"What's the matter with me?" asked Jimmy. + +"Nothing, if only ye'd stay," answered Dannie. + +"All I'll be out of nights, you could put in one eye," said +Jimmy. "I went last winter, and before, because whin they +clamored too loud, I could be drivin' out the divils that way, +for a while, and you always came for me, but even that won't be +stopping it now. I wouldn't stick my head out alone after dark, +not if I was dying!" + +"Jimmy, ye never felt that way before," said Dannie. "Tell me +what happened this summer to start ye." + +"I've done a domn sight of faleing that you didn't know anything +about," answered Jimmy. "I could work it off at Casey's for a +while, but this summer things sort of came to a head, and I saw +meself for fair, and before God, Dannie, I didn't like me looks." + +"Well, then, I like your looks," said Dannie. "Ye are the best +company I ever was in. Ye are the only mon I ever knew that I +cared fra, and I care fra ye so much, I havna the way to tell ye +how much. You're possessed with a damn fool idea, Jimmy, and ye +got to shake it off. Such a great-hearted, big mon as ye! I winna +have it! There's the dinner bell, and richt glad I am of it!" + +That afternoon when pumpkin gathering was over and Jimmy had +invited Mary out to separate the "punk" from the pumpkins, there +was a wagon-load of good ones above what they would need for +their use. Dannie proposed to take them to town and sell them. To +his amazement Jimmy refused to go along. + +"I told you this morning that Casey wasn't calling me at +prisent," he said, "and whin I am not called I'd best not answer. +I have promised Mary to top the onions and bury the cilery, and +murder the bates." + +"Do what wi' the beets?" inquired the puzzled Dannie. + +"Kill thim! Kill thim stone dead. I'm too tinder-hearted to be +burying anything but a dead bate, Dannie. That's a thousand years +old, but laugh, like I knew you would, old Ramphirinkus! No, +thank you, I don't go to town!" + +Then Dannie was scared. "He's going to be dreadfully seek or go +mad," he said. + +So he drove to the village, sold the pumpkins, filled Mary's +order for groceries, and then went to the doctor, and told him of +Jimmy's latest developments. + +"It is the drink," said that worthy disciple of Esculapius. "It's +the drink! In time it makes a fool sodden and a bright man mad. +Few men have sufficient brains to go crazy. Jimmy has. He must +stop the drink." + +On the street, Dannie encountered Father Michael. The priest +stopped him to shake hands. + +"How's Mary Malone?" he asked. + +"She is quite well noo," answered Dannie, "but she is na happy. I +live so close, and see so much, I know. I've thought of ye +lately. I have thought of coming to see ye. I'm na of your +religion, but Mary is, and what suits her is guid enough for me. +I've tried to think of everything under the sun that might help, +and among other things I've thought of ye. Jimmy was confirmed in +your church, and he was more or less regular up to his marriage." + +"Less, Mr. Macnoun, much less!" said the priest. "Since, not at +all. Why do you ask?" + +"He is sick," said Dannie. "He drinks a guid deal. He has been +reckless about sleeping on the ground, and noo, if ye will make +this confidential?"--the priest nodded--"he is talking aboot +sleeping on the railroad, and he's having delusions. There are +devils after him. He is the finest fellow ye ever knew, Father +Michael. We've been friends all our lives. Ye have had much +experience with men, and it ought to count fra something. From +all ye know, and what I've told ye, could his trouble be cured as +the doctor suggests?" + +The priest did a queer thing. "You know him as no living man, +Dannie," he said. "What do you think?" + +Dannie's big hands slowly opened and closed. Then he fell to +polishing the nails of one hand on the palm of the other. At last +he answered, "If ye'd asked me that this time last year, I'd have +said `it's the drink,' at a jump. But times this summer, this +morning, for instance, when he hadna a drop in three weeks, and +dinna want ane, when he could have come wi' me to town, and +wouldna, and there were devils calling him from the ground, and +the trees, and the sky, out in the open cornfield, it looked +bad." + +The priest's eyes were boring into Dannie's sick face. "How did +it look?" he asked briefly. + +"It looked," said Dannie, and his voice dropped to a whisper, "it +looked like he might carry a damned ugly secret, that it would be +better fra him if ye, at least, knew." + +"And the nature of that secret?" + +Dannie shook his head. "Couldna give a guess at it! Known him all +his life. My only friend. Always been togither. Square a mon as +God ever made. There's na fault in him, if he'd let drink alone. +Got more faith in him than any ane I ever knew. I wouldna trust +mon on God's footstool, if I had to lose faith in Jimmy. Come to +think of it, that `secret' business is all old woman's scare. The +drink is telling on him. If only he could be cured of that awful +weakness, all heaven would come down and settle in Rainbow +Bottom." + +They shook hands and parted without Dannie realizing that he had +told all he knew and learned nothing. Then he entered the post +office for the weekly mail. He called for Malone's papers also, +and with them came a slip from the express office notifying Jimmy +that there was a package for him. Dannie went to see if they +would let him have it, and as Jimmy lived in the country, and as +he and Dannie were known to be partners, he was allowed to sign +the book, and carry away a long, slender, wooden box, with a +Boston tag. The Thread Man had sent Jimmy a present, and from the +appearance of the box, Dannie made up his mind that it was a +cane. + +Straightway he drove home at a scandalous rate of speed, and on +the way, he dressed Jimmy in a broadcloth suit, patent leathers, +and a silk hat. Then he took him to a gold cure, where he learned +to abhor whiskey in a week, and then to the priest, to whom he +confessed that he had lied about the number of coons in the +Canoper. And so peace brooded in Rainbow Bottom, and all of them +were happy again. For with the passing of summer, Dannie had +learned that heretofore there had been happiness of a sort, for +them, and that if they could all get back to the old footing it +would be well, or at least far better than it was at present. +With Mary's tongue dripping gall, and her sweet face souring, and +Jimmy hearing devils, no wonder poor Dannie overheated his team +in a race to carry a package that promised to furnish some +diversion. + +Jimmy and Mary heard the racket, and standing on the celery hill, +they saw Dannie come clattering up the lane, and as he saw them, +he stood in the wagon, and waved the package over his head. + +Jimmy straightened with a flourish, stuck the spade in the celery +hill, and descended with great deliberation. "I mintioned to +Dannie this morning," he said "that it was about time I was +hearin' from the Thrid Man." + +"Oh! Do you suppose it is something from Boston?" the eagerness +in Mary's voice made it sound almost girlish again. + +"Hunt the hatchet!" hissed Jimmy, and walked very leisurely into +the cabin. + +Dannie was visibly excited as he entered. "I think ye have heard +from the Thread Mon," he said, handing Jimmy the package. + +Jimmy took it, and examined it carefully. He never before in his +life had an express package, the contents of which he did not +know. It behooved him to get all there was out of the pride and +the joy of it. + +Mary laid down the hatchet so close that it touched Jimmy's hand, +to remind him. "Now what do you suppose he has sent you?" she +inquired eagerly, her hand straying toward the packages. + +Jimmy tested the box. "It don't weigh much," he said, "but one +end of it's the heaviest." + +He set the hatchet in a tiny crack, and with one rip, stripped +off the cover. Inside lay a long, brown leather case, with small +buckles, and in one end a little leather case, flat on one side, +rounding on the other, and it, too, fastened with a buckle. Jimmy +caught sight of a paper book folded in the bottom of the box, as +he lifted the case. With trembling fingers he unfastened the +buckles, the whole thing unrolled, and disclosed a case of +leather, sewn in four divisions, from top to bottom, and from the +largest of these protruded a shining object. Jimmy caught this, +and began to draw, and the shine began to lengthen. + +"Just what I thought!" exclaimed Dannie. "He's sent ye a fine +cane." + +"A hint to kape out of the small of his back the nixt time he +goes promenadin' on a cow-kitcher! The divil!" exploded Jimmy. + +His quick eyes had caught a word on the cover of the little book +in the bottom of the box. + +"A cane! A cane! Look at that, will ye?" He flashed six inches of +grooved silvery handle before their faces, and three feet of +shining black steel, scarcely thicker than a lead pencil. "Cane!" +he cried scornfully. Then he picked up the box, and opening it +drew out a little machine that shone like a silver watch, and +setting it against the handle, slipped a small slide over each +end, and it held firmly, and shone bravely. + +"Oh, Jimmy, what is it?" cried Mary. + +"Me cane!" answered Jimmy. "Me new cane from Boston. Didn't you +hear Dannie sayin' what it was? This little arrangemint is my +cicly-meter, like they put on wheels, and buggies now, to tell +how far you've traveled. The way this works, I just tie this silk +thrid to me door knob and off I walks, it a reeling out behind, +and whin I turn back it takes up as I come, and whin I get home I +take the yardstick and measure me string, and be the same token, +it tells me how far I've traveled." As he talked he drew out +another shining length and added it to the first, and then +another and a last, fine as a wheat straw. "These last jints I'm +adding," he explained to Mary, "are so that if I have me cane +whin I'm riding I can stritch it out and touch up me horses with +it. And betimes, if I should iver break me old cane fish pole, I +could take this down to the river, and there, the books call it +`whipping the water.' See! Cane, be Jasus! It's the Jim-dandiest +little fishing rod anybody in these parts iver set eyes on. Lord! +What a beauty!" + +He turned to Dannie and shook the shining, slender thing before +his envious eyes. + +"Who gets the Black Bass now?" he triumphed in tones of utter +conviction. + +There is no use in taking time to explain to any fisherman who +has read thus far that Dannie, the patient; Dannie, the +long-suffering, felt abused. How would you feel yourself? + +"The Thread Man might have sent twa," was his thought. "The only +decent treatment he got that nicht was frae me, and if I'd let +Jimmy hit him, he'd gone through the wall. But there never is +anything fra me!" + +And that was true. There never was. + +Aloud he said, "Dinna bother to hunt the steelyards, Mary. We +winna weigh it until he brings it home." + +"Yes, and by gum, I'll bring it with this! Look, here is a +picture of a man in a boat, pullin' in a whale with a pole just +like this," bragged Jimmy. + +"Yes," said Dannie. "That's what it's made for. A boat and open +water. If ye are going to fish wi' that thing along the river +we'll have to cut doon all the trees, and that will dry up the +water. That's na for river fishing." + +Jimmy was intently studying the book. Mary tried to take the rod +from his hand. + +"Let be!" he cried, hanging on. "You'll break it!" + +"I guess steel don't break so easy," she said aggrievedly. "I +just wanted to `heft' it." + +"Light as a feather," boasted Jimmy. "Fish all day and it won't +tire a man at all. Done--unjoint it and put it in its case, and +not go dragging up everything along the bank like a living +stump-puller. This book says this line will bear twinty pounds +pressure, and sometimes it's takin' an hour to tire out a fish, +if it's a fighter. I bet you the Black Bass is a fighter, from +what we know of him." + +"Ye can watch me land him and see what ye think about it," +suggested Dannie. + +Jimmy held the book with one hand and lightly waved the rod with +the other, in a way that would have developed nerves in an +Indian. He laughed absently. + +"With me shootin' bait all over his pool with.this?" he asked. "I +guess not!" + +"But you can't fish for the Bass with that, Jimmy Malone," cried +Mary hotly. "You agreed to fish fair for the Bass, and it +wouldn't be fair for you to use that, whin Dannie only has his +old cane pole. Dannie, get you a steel pole, too," she begged. + +"If Jimmy is going to fish with that, there will be all the more +glory in taking the Bass from him with the pole I have," answered +Dannie. + +"You keep out," cried Jimmy angrily to Mary. "It was a fair +bargain. He made it himself. Each man was to fish surface or +deep, and with his own pole and bait. I guess this IS my pole, +ain't it?" + +"Yes," said Mary. "But it wasn't yours whin you made that +agreemint. You very well know Dannie expected you to fish with +the same kind of pole and bait that he did; didn't you, Dannie?" + +"Yes," said Dannie, "I did. Because I never dreamed of him havin' +any other. But since he has it, I think he's in his rights if he +fishes with it. I dinna care. In the first place he will only +scare the Bass away from him with the racket that reel will make, +and in the second, if he tries to land it with that thing, he +will smash it, and lose the fish. There's a longhandled net to +land things with that goes with those rods. He'd better sent ye +one. Now you'll have to jump into the river and land a fish by +hand if ye hook it." + +"That's true!" cried Mary. "Here's one in a picture." + +She had snatched the book from Jimmy. He snatched it back. + +"Be careful, you'll tear that!" he cried. "I was just going to +say that I would get some fine wire or mosquito bar and make +one." + +Dannie's fingers were itching to take the rod, if only for an +instant. He looked at it longingly. But Jimmy was impervious. He +whipped it softly about and eagerly read from the book. + +"Tells here about a man takin' a fish that weighed forty pounds +with a pole just like this," he announced. "Scat! Jumpin' +Jehosophat! What do you think of that!" + +"Couldn't you fish turn about with it?" inquired Mary. + +"Na, we couldna fish turn about with it," answered Dannie. "Na +with that pole. Jimmy would throw a fit if anybody else touched +it. And he's welcome to it. He never in this world will catch the +Black Bass with it. If I only had some way to put juist fifteen +feet more line on my pole, I'd show him how to take the Bass +to-morrow. The way we always have come to lose it is with too +short lines. We have to try to land it before it's tired out and +it's strong enough to break and tear away. It must have ragged +jaws and a dozen pieces of line hanging to it, fra both of us +have hooked it time and again. When it strikes me, if I only +could give it fifteen feet more line, I could land it." + +"Can't you fix some way?" asked Mary. + +"I'll try," answered Dannie. + +"And in the manetime, I'd just be givin' it twinty off me dandy +little reel, and away goes me with Mr. Bass," said Jimmy. "I must +take it to town and have its picture took to sind the Thrid Man." + +And that was the last straw. Dannie had given up being allowed to +touch the rod, and was on his way to unhitch his team and do the +evening work. The day had been trying and just for the moment he +forgot everything save that his longing fingers had not touched +that beautiful little fishing rod. + +"The Boston man forgot another thing," he said. "The Dude who +shindys 'round with those things in pictures, wears a damn, +dinky, little pleated coat!" + + + +Chapter VIII + +WHEN THE BLACK BASS STRUCK + + +"Lots of fish down in the brook, +All you need is a rod, and a line, and a hook," + + +Hummed Jimmy, still lovingly fingering his possessions. + +"Did Dannie iver say a thing like that to you before?" asked +Mary. + +"Oh, he's dead sore," explained Jimmy. "He thinks he should have +had a jinted rod, too." + +"And so he had," replied Mary. "You said yoursilf that you might +have killed that man if Dannie hadn't showed you that you were +wrong." + +"You must think stuff like this is got at the tin-cint store," +said Jimmy. + +"Oh, no I don't!" said Mary. "I expect it cost three or four +dollars." + +"Three or four dollars," sneered Jimmy. "All the sinse a woman +has! Feast your eyes on this book and rade that just this little +reel alone cost fifteen, and there's no telling what the rod is +worth. Why it's turned right out of pure steel, same as if it +were wood. Look for yoursilf." + +"Thanks, no! I'm afraid to touch it," said Mary. + +"Oh, you are sore too!" laughed Jimmy. "With all that money in +it, I should think you could see why I wouldn't want it broke." + +"You've sat there and whipped it around for an hour. Would it +break it for me or Dannie to do the same thing? If it had been +his, you'd have had a worm on it and been down to the river +trying it for him by now." + +"Worm!" scoffed Jimmy. "A worm! That's a good one! Idjit! You +don't fish with worms with a jinted rod." + +"Well what do you fish with? Humming birds?" + +"No. You fish with--" Jimmy stopped and eyed Mary dubiously. "You +fish with a lot of things," he continued. "Some of thim come in +little books and they look like moths, and some like +snake-faders, and some of them are buck-tail and bits of tin, +painted to look shiny. Once there was a man in town who had a +minnie made of rubber and all painted up just like life. There +were hooks on its head, and on its back, and its belly, and its +tail, so's that if a fish snapped at it anywhere it got hooked." + +"I should say so!" exclaimed Mary. "It's no fair way to fish, to +use more than one hook. You might just as well take a net and +wade in and seine out the fish as to take a lot of hooks and rake +thim out." + +"Well, who's going to take a lot of hooks and rake thim out?" + +"I didn't say anybody was. I was just saying it wouldn't be fair +to the fish if they did." + +"Course I wouldn't fish with no riggin' like that, when Dannie +only has one old hook. Whin we fish for the Bass, I won't use but +one hook either. All the same, I'm going to have some of those +fancy baits. I'm going to get Jim Skeels at the drug store to +order thim for me. I know just how you do," said Jimmy +flourishing the rod. "You put on your bait and quite a heavy +sinker, and you wind it up to the ind of your rod, and thin you +stand up in your boat----" + +"Stand up in your boat!" + +"I wish you'd let me finish!--or on the bank, and you take this +little whipper-snapper, and you touch the spot on the reel that +relases the thrid, and you give the rod a little toss, aisy as +throwin' away chips, and off maybe fifty feet your bait hits the +water, `spat!' and `snap!' goes Mr. Bass, and `stick!' goes the +hook. See?" + +"What I see is that if you want to fish that way in the Wabash, +you'll have to wait until the dredge goes through and they make a +canal out of it; for be the time you'd throwed fifty feet, and +your fish had run another fifty, there'd be just one hundred +snags, and logs, and stumps between you; one for every foot of +the way. It must look pretty on deep water, where it can be done +right, but I bet anything that if you go to fooling with that on +our river, Dannie gets the Bass." + +"Not much, Dannie don't `gets the Bass,'" said Jimmy confidently. +"Just you come out here and let me show you how this works. Now +you see, I put me sinker on the ind of the thrid, no hook of +course, for practice, and I touch this little spring here, and +give me little rod a whip and away goes me bait, slick as grase. +Mr. Bass is layin' in thim bass weeds right out there, foreninst +the pie- plant bed, and the bait strikes the water at the idge, +see! and `snap,' he takes it and sails off slow, to swally it at +leisure. Here's where I don't pull a morsel. Jist let him rin and +swally, and whin me line is well out and he has me bait all +digistid, `yank,' I give him the round-up, and THIN, the fun +begins. He leps clear of the water and I see he's tin pound. If +he rins from me, I give him rope, and if he rins to, I dig in, +workin' me little machane for dear life to take up the thrid +before it slacks. Whin he sees me, he makes a dash back, and I +just got to relase me line and let him go, because he'd bust this +little silk thrid all to thunder if I tried to force him +onpleasant to his intintions, and so we kape it up until he's +plum wore out and comes a promenadin' up to me boat, bank I mane, +and I scoops him in, and that's sport, Mary! That's MAN'S +fishin'! Now watch! He's in thim bass weeds before the pie-plant, +like I said, and I'm here on the bank, and I THINK he's there, so +I give me little jinted rod a whip and a swing----" + +Jimmy gave the rod a whip and a swing. The sinker shot in air, +struck the limb of an apple tree and wound a dozen times around +it. Jimmy said things and Mary giggled. She also noticed that +Dannie had stopped work and was standing in the barn door +watching intently. Jimmy climbed the tree, unwound the line and +tried again. + +"I didn't notice that domn apple limb stickin' out there," he +said. "Now you watch! Right out there among the bass weeds +foreninst the pie-plant" + +To avoid another limb, Jimmy aimed too low and the sinker shot +under the well platform not ten feet from him. + +"Lucky you didn't get fast in the bass weeds," said Mary as Jimmy +reeled in. + +"Will, I got to get me range," explained Jimmy. "This time----" + +Jimmy swung too high. The spring slipped from under his +unaccustomed thumb. The sinker shot above and behind him and +became entangled in the eaves, while yards of the fine silk line +flew off the spinning reel and dropped in tangled masses at his +feet, and in an effort to do something Jimmy reversed the reel +and it wound back on tangles and all until it became completely +clogged. Mary had sat down on the back steps to watch the +exhibition. Now, she stood up to laugh. + +"And THAT'S just what will happen to you at the river," she said. +"While you are foolin' with that thing, which ain't for rivers, +and which you don't know beans about handlin', Dannie will haul +in the Bass, and serve you right, too!" + +"Mary," said Jimmy, "I niver struck ye in all me life, but if ye +don't go in the house, and shut up, I'll knock the head off ye!" + +"I wouldn't be advisin' you to," she said. "Dannie is watching +you." + +Jimmy glanced toward the barn in time to see Dannie's shaking +shoulders as he turned from the door. With unexpected patience, +he firmly closed his lips and went after a ladder. By the time he +had the sinker loose and the line untangled, supper was ready. By +the time he had mastered the reel, and could land the sinker +accurately in front of various imaginary beds of bass weeds, +Dannie had finished the night work in both stables and gone home. +But his back door stood open and therefrom there protruded the +point of a long, heavy cane fish pole. By the light of a lamp on +his table, Dannie could be seen working with pincers and a ball +of wire. + +"I wonder what he thinks he can do?" said Jimmy. + +"I suppose he is trying to fix some way to get that fifteen feet +more line he needs," replied Mary. + +When they went to bed the light still burned and the broad +shoulders of Dannie bent over the pole. Mary had fallen asleep, +but she was awakened by Jimmy slipping from the bed. He went to +the window and looked toward Dannie's cabin. Then he left the +bedroom and she could hear him crossing to the back window of the +next room. Then came a smothered laugh and he softly called her. +She went to him. + +Dannie's figure stood out clear and strong in the moonlight, in +his wood-yard. His black outline looked unusually powerful in the +silvery whiteness surrounding it. + +He held his fishing pole in both hands and swept a circle about +him that would have required considerable space on Lake Michigan, +and made a cast toward the barn. The line ran out smoothly and +evenly, and through the gloom Mary saw Jimmy's figure straighten +and his lips close in surprise. Then Dannie began taking in line. +That process was so slow, Jimmy doubled up and laughed again. + +"Be lookin' at that, will ye?" he heaved. "What does the domn +fool think the Black Bass will be doin' while he is takin' in +line on that young windlass?" + +"There'd be no room on the river to do that," answered Mary +serenely. "Dannie wouldn't be so foolish as to try. All he wants +now is to see if his line will run, and it will. Whin he gets to +the river, he'll swing his bait where he wants it with his pole, +like he always does, and whin the Bass strikes he'll give it the +extra fifteen feet more line he said he needed, and thin he'll +have a pole and line with which he can land it." + +"Not on your life he won't!" said Jimmy. + +He opened the back door and stepped out just as Dannie raised the +pole again. + +"Hey, you! Quit raisin' Cain out there!" yelled Jimmy. "I want to +get some sleep." + +Across the night, tinged neither with chagrin nor rancor, boomed +the big voice of Dannie. + +"Believe I have my extra line fixed so it works all right," he +said. "Awful sorry if I waked you. Thought I was quiet." + +"How much did you make off that?" inquired Mary. + +"Two points," answered Jimmy. "Found out that Dannie ain't sore +at me any longer and that you are." + +Next morning was no sort of angler's weather, but the afternoon +gave promise of being good fishing by the morrow. Dannie worked +about the farms, preparing for winter; Jimmy worked with him +until mid-afternoon, then he hailed a boy passing, and they went +away together. At supper time Jimmy had not returned. Mary came +to where Dannie worked. + +"Where's Jimmy?" she asked. + +"I dinna, know" said Dannie. "He went away a while ago with some +boy, I didna notice who." + +"And he didn't tell you where he was going?" + +"No." + +"And he didn't take either of his fish poles?" + +"No." + +Mary's lips thinned to a mere line. "Then it's Casey's," she +said, and turned away. + +Dannie was silent. Presently Mary came back. + +"If Jimmy don't come till morning," she asked, "or comes in shape +that he can't fish, will you go without him?" + +"To-morrow was the day we agreed on," answered Dannie. + +"Will you go without him?" persisted Mary. + +"What would HE do if it were me?" asked Dannie. + +"When have you iver done to Jimmy Malone what he would do if he +were you?" + +"Is there any reason why ye na want me to land the Black Bass, +Mary?" + +"There is a particular reason why I don't want your living with +Jimmy to make you like him," answered Mary. "My timper is being +wined, and I can see where it's beginning to show on you. +Whativer you do, don't do what he would." + +"Dinna be hard on him, Mary. He doesna think," urged Dannie. + +"You niver said twer words. He don't think. He niver thought +about anybody in his life except himself, and he niver will." + +"Maybe he didna go to town!" + +"Maybe the sun won't rise in the morning, and it will always be +dark after this! Come in and get your supper." + +"I'd best pick up something to eat at home," said Dannie. + +"I have some good food cooked, and it's a pity to be throwin' it +away. What's the use? You've done a long day's work, more for us +than yoursilf, as usual; come along and get your supper." + +Dannie went, and as he was washing at the back door, Jimmy came +through the barn, and up the walk. He was fresh, and in fine +spirits, and where ever he had been, it was a sure thing that it +was nowhere near Casey's. + +"Where have you been?" asked Mary wonderingly. + +"Robbin' graves," answered Jimmy promptly. "I needed a few stiffs +in me business so I just went out to Five Mile and got them." + +"What are ye going to do with them, Jimmy?" chuckled Dannie. + +"Use thim for Bass bait! Now rattle, old snake!" replied Jimmy. + +After supper Dannie went to the barn for the shovel to dig worms +for bait, and noticed that Jimmy's rubber waders hanging on the +wall were covered almost to the top with fresh mud and water +stains, and Dannie's wonder grew. + +Early the next morning they started for the river. As usual Jimmy +led the way. He proudly carried his new rod. Dannie followed with +a basket of lunch Mary had insisted on packing, his big cane +pole, a can of worms, and a shovel, in case they ran out of bait. + +Dannie had recovered his temper, and was just great-hearted, big +Dannie again. He talked about the south wind, and shivered with +the frost, and listened for the splash of the Bass. Jimmy had +little to say. He seemed to be thinking deeply. No doubt he felt +in his soul that they should settle the question of who landed +the Bass with the same rods they had used when the contest was +proposed, and that was not all. + +When they came to the temporary bridge, Jimmy started across it, +and Dannie called to him to wait, he was forgetting his worms. + +"I don't want any worms," answered Jimmy briefly. He walked on. +Dannie stood staring after him, for he did not understand that. +Then he went slowly to his side of the river, and deposited his +load under a tree where it would be out of the way. + +He lay down his pole, took a rude wooden spool of heavy fish cord +from his pocket, and passed the line through the loop next the +handle and so on the length of the rod to the point. Then he +wired on a sharp bass hook, and wound the wire far up the doubled +line. As he worked, he kept an eye on Jimmy. He was doing +practically the same thing. But just as Dannie had fastened on a +light lead to carry his line, a souse in the river opposite +attracted his attention. Jimmy hauled from the water a minnow +bucket, and opening it, took out a live minnow, and placed it on +his hook. "Riddy," he called, as he resank the bucket, and stood +on the bank, holding his line in his fingers, and watching the +minnow play at his feet. + +The fact that Dannie was a Scotchman, and unusually slow and +patient, did not alter the fact that he was just a common human +being. The lump that rose in his throat was so big, and so hard, +he did not try to swallow it. He hurried back into Rainbow +Bottom. The first log he came across he kicked over, and +grovelling in the rotten wood and loose earth with his hands, he +brought up a half dozen bluish-white grubs. He tore up the ground +for the length of the log, and then he went to others, cramming +the worms and dirt with them into his pockets. When he had +enough, he went back, and with extreme care placed three of them +on his hook. He tried to see how Jimmy was going to fish, but he +could not tell. + +So Dannie decided that he would cast in the morning, fish deep at +noon, and cast again toward evening. + +He rose, turned to the river, and lifted his rod. As he stood +looking over the channel, and the pool where the Bass homed, the +Kingfisher came rattling down the river, and as if in answer to +its cry, the Black Bass gave a leap, that sent the water flying. + +"Ready!" cried Dannie, swinging his pole over the water. + +As the word left his lips, "whizz," Jimmy's minnow landed in the +middle of the circles widening about the rise of the Bass. There +was a rush and a snap, and Dannie saw the jaws of the big fellow +close within an inch of the minnow, and he swam after it for a +yard, as Jimmy slowly reeled in. Dannie waited a second, and then +softly dropped his grubs on the water just before where he +figured the Bass would be. He could hear Jimmy smothering oaths. +Dannie said something himself as his untouched bait neared the +bank. He lifted it, swung it out, and slowly trailed it in again. +"Spat!" came Jimmy's minnow almost at his feet, and again the +Bass leaped for it. Again he missed. As the minnow reeled away +the second time, Dannie swung his grubs higher, and struck the +water "Spat," as the minnow had done. "Snap," went the Bass. One +instant the line strained, the next the hook came up stripped +clean of bait. + +Then Dannie and Jimmy really went at it, and they were strangers. +Not a word of friendly banter crossed the river. They cast until +the Bass grew suspicious, and would not rise to the bait; then +they fished deep. Then they cast again. If Jimmy fell into +trouble with his reel, Dannie had the honesty to stop fishing +until it worked again, but he spent the time burrowing for grubs +until his hands resembled the claws of an animal. Sometimes they +sat, and still- fished. Sometimes, they warily slipped along the +bank, trailing bait a few inches under water. Then they would +cast and skitter by turns. + +The Kingfisher struck his stump, and tilted on again. His mate, +and their family of six followed in his lead, so that their +rattle was almost constant. A fussy little red-eyed vireo asked +questions, first of Jimmy, and then crossing the river besieged +Dannie, but neither of the stern-faced fishermen paid it any +heed. The blackbirds swung on the rushes, and talked over the +season. As always, a few crows cawed above the deep woods, and +the chewinks threshed about among the dry leaves. A band of larks +were gathering for migration, and the frosty air was vibrant with +their calls to each other. + +Killdeers were circling above them in flocks. A half dozen robins +gathered over a wild grapevine, and chirped cheerfully, as they +pecked at the frosted fruit. At times, the pointed nose of a +muskrat wove its way across the river, leaving a shining ripple +in its wake. In the deep woods squirrels barked and chattered. +Frost-loosened crimson leaves came whirling down, settling in a +bright blanket that covered the water several feet from the bank, +and unfortunate bees that had fallen into the river struggled +frantically to gain a footing on them. Water beetles shot over +the surface in small shining parties, and schools of tiny minnows +played along the banks. Once a black ant assassinated an enemy on +Dannie's shoe, by creeping up behind it and puncturing its +abdomen. + +Noon came, and neither of the fishermen spoke or moved from their +work. The lunch Mary had prepared with such care they had +forgotten. A little after noon, Dannie got another strike, deep +fishing. Mid-afternoon found them still even, and patiently +fishing. Then it was not so long until supper time, and the air +was steadily growing colder. The south wind had veered to the +west, and signs of a black frost were in the air. About this time +the larks arose as with one accord, and with a whirr of wings +that proved how large the flock was, they sailed straight south. + +Jimmy hauled his minnow bucket from the river, poured the water +from it, and picked his last minnow, a dead one, from the grass. +Dannie was watching him, and rightly guessed that he would fish +deep. So Dannie scooped the remaining dirt from his pockets, and +found three grubs. He placed them on his hook, lightened his +sinker, and prepared to skitter once more. + +Jimmy dropped his minnow beside the Kingfisher stump, and let it +sink. Dannie hit the water at the base of the stump, where it had +not been disturbed for a long time, a sharp "Spat," with his +worms. Something seized his bait, and was gone. Dannie planted +his feet firmly, squared his jaws, gripped his rod, and loosened +his line. As his eye followed it, he saw to his amazement that +Jimmy's line was sailing off down the river beside his, and heard +the reel singing. + +Dannie was soon close to the end of his line. He threw his weight +into a jerk enough to have torn the head from a fish, and down +the river the Black Bass leaped clear of the water, doubled, and +with a mighty shake tried to throw the hook from his mouth. + +"Got him fast, by God!" screamed Jimmy in triumph. + +Straight toward them rushed the fish. Jimmy reeled wildly; Dannie +gathered in his line by yard lengths, and grasped it with the +hand that held the rod. Near them the Bass leaped again, and sped +back down the river. Jimmy's reel sang, and Dannie's line jerked +through his fingers. Back came the fish. Again Dannie gathered in +line, and Jimmy reeled frantically. Then Dannie, relying on the +strength of his line thought he could land the fish, and steadily +drew it toward him. Jimmy's reel began to sing louder, and his +line followed Dannie's. Instantly Jimmy went wild. + +"Stop pullin' me little silk thrid!" he yelled. "I've got the +Black Bass hooked fast as a rock, and your domn clothes line is +sawin' across me. Cut there! Cut that domn rope! Quick!" + +"He's mine, and I'll land him!" roared Dannie. "Cut yoursel', and +let me get my fish!" + +So it happened, that when Mary Malone, tired of waiting for the +boys to come, and anxious as to the day's outcome, slipped down +to the Wabash to see what they were doing, she heard sounds that +almost paralyzed her. Shaking with fear, she ran toward the +river, and paused at a little thicket behind Dannie. + +Jimmy danced and raged on the opposite bank. "Cut!" he yelled. +"Cut that domn cable, and let me Bass loose! Cut your line, I +say!" + +Dannie stood with his feet planted wide apart, and his jaws set. +He drew his line steadily toward him, and Jimmy's followed. "Ye +see!" exulted Dannie. "Ye're across me. The Bass is mine! Reel +out your line till I land him, if ye dinna want it broken." + +"If you don't cut your domn line, I will!" raved Jimmy. + +"Cut nothin'!" cried Dannie. "Let's see ye try to touch it!" + +Into the river went Jimmy; splash went Dannie from his bank. He +was nearer the tangled lines, but the water was deepest on his +side, and the mud of the bed held his feet. Jimmy reached the +crossed lines, knife in hand, by the time Dannie was there. + +"Will you cut?" cried Jimmy. + +"Na!" bellowed Dannie. "I've give up every damn thing to ye all +my life, but I'll no give up the Black Bass. He's mine, and I'll +land him!" + +Jimmy made a lunge for the lines. Dannie swung his pole backward +drawing them his way. Jimmy slashed again. Dannie dropped his +pole, and with a sweep, caught the twisted lines in his fingers. + +"Noo, let's see ye cut my line! Babby!" he jeered. + +Jimmy's fist flew straight, and the blood streamed from Dannie's +nose. Dannie dropped the lines, and straightened. "You--" he +panted. "You--" And no other words came. + +If Jimmy had been possessed of any small particle of reason, he +lost it at the sight of blood on Dannie's face. + +"You're a domn fish thief!" he screamed. + +"Ye lie!" breathed Dannie, but his hand did not lift. + +"You are a coward! You're afraid to strike like a man! Hit me! +You don't dare hit me!" + +"Ye lie!" repeated Dannie. + +"You're a dog!" panted Jimmy. "I've used you to wait on me all me +life!" + +"THAT'S the God's truth!" cried Dannie. But he made no movement +to strike. Jimmy leaned forward with a distorted, insane face. + +"That time you sint me to Mary for you, I lied to her, and +married her meself. NOW, will you fight like a man?" + +Dannie made a spring, and Jimmy crumpled up in his grasp. + +"Noo, I will choke the miserable tongue out of your heid, and +twist the heid off your body, and tear the body to mince-meat," +raved Dannie, and he promptly began the job. + +With one awful effort Jimmy tore the gripping hands from his +throat a little. "Lie!" he gasped. "It's all a lie!" + +"It's the truth! Before God it's the truth!" Mary Malone tried to +scream behind them. "It's the truth! It's the truth!" And her +ears told her that she was making no sound as with dry lips she +mouthed it over and over. And then she fainted, and sank down in +the bushes. + +Dannie's hands relaxed a little, he lifted the weight of Jimmy's +body by his throat, and set him on his feet. "I'll give ye juist +ane chance," he said. "IS THAT THE TRUTH?" + +Jimmy's awful eyes were bulging from his head, his hands were +clawing at Dannie's on his throat, and his swollen lips repeated +it over and over as breath came, "It's a lie! It's a lie!" + +"I think so myself," said Dannie. "Ye never would have dared. +Ye'd have known that I'd find out some day, and on that day, I'd +kill ye as I would a copperhead." + +"A lie!" panted Jimmy. + +"Then WHY did ye tell it?" And Dannie's fingers threatened to +renew their grip. + +"I thought if I could make you strike back," gasped Jimmy, "my +hittin' you wouldn't same so bad." + +Then Dannie's hands relaxed. "Oh, Jimmy! Jimmy!" he cried. "Was +there ever any other mon like ye?" + +Then he remembered the cause of their trouble. + +"But, I'm everlastingly damned," Dannie went on, "if I'll gi'e up +the Black Bass to ye, unless it's on your line. Get yourself up +there on your bank!" + +The shove he gave Jimmy almost upset him, and Jimmy waded back, +and as he climbed the bank, Dannie was behind him. After him he +dragged a tangled mass of lines and poles, and at the last up the +bank, and on the grass, two big fish; one, the great Black Bass +of Horseshoe Bend; and the other nearly as large, a channel +catfish; undoubtedly, one of those which had escaped into the +Wabash in an overflow of the Celina reservoir that spring. + +"NOO, I'll cut," said Dannie. "Keep your eye on me sharp. See me +cut my line at the end o' my pole." He snipped the line in two. +"Noo watch," he cautioned, "I dinna want contra deection about +this!" + +He picked up the Bass, and taking the line by which it was fast +at its mouth, he slowly drew it through his fingers. The wiry +silk line slipped away, and the heavy cord whipped out free. + +"Is this my line?" asked Dannie, holding it up. + +Jimmy nodded. + +"Is the Black Bass my fish? Speak up!" cried Dannie, dangling the +fish from the line. + +"It's yours," admitted Jimmy. + +"Then I'll be damned if I dinna do what I please wi' my own!" +cried Dannie. With trembling fingers he extracted the hook, and +dropped it. He took the gasping big fish in both hands, and +tested its weight. "Almost seex," he said. "Michty near seex!" +And he tossed the Black Bass back into the Wabash. + +Then he stooped, and gathered up his pole and line. + +With one foot he kicked the catfish, the tangled silk line, and +the jointed rod, toward Jimmy. "Take your fish!" he said. He +turned and plunged into the river, recrossed it as he came, +gathered up the dinner pail and shovel, passed Mary Malone, a +tumbled heap in the bushes, and started toward his cabin. + +The Black Bass struck the water with a splash, and sank to the +mud of the bottom, where he lay joyfully soaking his dry gills, +parched tongue, and glazed eyes. He scooped water with his tail, +and poured it over his torn jaw. And then he said to his progeny, +"Children, let this be a warning to you. Never rise to but one +grub at a time. Three is too good to be true! There is always a +stinger in their midst." And the Black Bass ruefully shook his +sore head and scooped more water. + + + +Chapter IX + +WHEN JIMMY MALONE CAME TO CONFESSION + + +Dannie never before had known such anger as possessed him when he +trudged homeward across Rainbow Bottom. His brain whirled in a +tumult of conflicting passions, and his heart pained worse than +his swelling face. In one instant the knowledge that Jimmy had +struck him, possessed him with a desire to turn back and do +murder. In the next, a sense of profound scorn for the cowardly +lie which had driven him to the rage that kills encompassed him, +and then in a surge came compassion for Jimmy, at the remberence +of the excuse he had offered for saying that thing. How childish! +But how like Jimmy! What was the use in trying to deal with him +as if he were a man? A great spoiled, selfish baby was all he +ever would be. + +The fallen leaves rustled about Dannie's feet. The blackbirds +above him in chattering debate discussed migration. A stiff +breeze swept the fields, topped the embankment, and rushed down +circling about Dannie, and setting his teeth chattering, for he +was almost as wet as if he had been completely immersed. As the +chill struck in, from force of habit he thought of Jimmy. If he +was ever going to learn how to take care of himself, a man past +thirty-five should know. Would he come home and put on dry +clothing? But when had Jimmy taken care of himself? Dannie felt +that he should go back, bring him home, and make him dress +quickly. + +A sharp pain shot across Dannie's swollen face. His lips shut +firmly. No! Jimmy had struck him. And Jimmy was in the wrong. The +fish was his, and he had a right to it. No man living would have +given it up to Jimmy, after he had changed poles. And slipped +away with a boy and gotten those minnows, too! And wouldn't offer +him even one. Much good they had done him. Caught a catfish on a +dead one! Wonder if he would take the catfish to town and have +its picture taken! Mighty fine fish, too, that channel cat! If it +hadn't been for the Black Bass, they would have wondered and +exclaimed over it, and carefully weighed it, and commented on the +gamy fight it made. Just the same he was glad, that he landed the +Bass. And he got it fairly. If Jimmy's old catfish mixed up with +his line, he could not help that. He baited, hooked, played, and +landed the Bass all right, and without any minnows either. + +When he reached the top of the hill he realized that he was going +to look back. In spite of Jimmy's selfishness, in spite of the +blow, in spite of the ugly lie, Jimmy had been his lifelong +partner, and his only friend, and stiffen his neck as he would, +Dannie felt his head turning. He deliberately swung his fish pole +into the bushes, and when it caught, as he knew it would, he set +down his load, and turned as if to release it. Not a sight of +Jimmy anywhere! Dannie started on. + +"We are after you, Jimmy Malone!" + +A thin, little, wiry thread of a cry, that seemed to come +twisting as if wrung from the chill air about him, whispered in +his ear, and Dannie jumped, dropped his load, and ran for the +river. He couldn't see a sign of Jimmy. He hurried over the shaky +little bridge they had built. The catfish lay gasping on the +grass, the case and jointed rod lay on a log, but Jimmy was gone. + +Dannie gave the catfish a shove that sent it well into the river, +and ran for the shoals at the lower curve of Horseshoe Bend. The +tracks of Jimmy's crossing were plain, and after him hurried +Dannie. He ran up the hill, and as he reached the top he saw +Jimmy climb on a wagon out on the road. Dannie called, but the +farmer touched up his horses and trotted away without hearing +him. "The fool! To ride!" thought Dannie. "Noo he will chill to +the bone!". + +Dannie cut across the fields to the lane and gathered up his +load. With the knowledge that Jimmy had started for town came the +thought of Mary. What was he going to say to her? He would have +to make a clean breast of it, and he did not like the showing. In +fact, he simply could not make a clean breast of it. Tell her? He +could not tell her. He would lie to her once more, this one time +for himself. He would tell her he fell in the river to account +for his wet clothing and bruised face, and wait until Jimmy came +home and see what he told her. + +He went to the cabin and tapped at the door; there was no answer, +so he opened it and set the lunch basket inside. Then he hurried +home, built a fire, bathed, and put on dry clothing. He wondered +where Mary was. He was ravenously hungry now. He did all the +evening work, and as she still did not come, he concluded that +she had gone to town, and that Jimmy knew she was there. Of +course, that was it! Jimmy could get dry clothing of his +brother-in-law. To be sure, Mary had gone to town. That was why +Jimmy went. + +And he was right. Mary had gone to town. When sense slowly +returned to her she sat up in the bushes and stared about her. +Then she arose and looked toward the river. The men were gone. +Mary guessed the situation rightly. They were too much of river +men to drown in a few feet of water; they scarcely would kill +each other. They had fought, and Dannie had gone home, and Jimmy +to the consolation of Casey's. WHERE SHOULD SHE GO? Mary Malone's +lips set in a firm line. + +"It's the truth! It's the truth!" she panted over and over, and +now that there was no one to hear, she found that she could say +it quite plainly. As the sense of her outraged womanhood swept +over her she grew almost delirious. "I hope you killed him, +Dannie Micnoun," she raved. "I hope you killed him, for if you +didn't, I will. Oh! Oh!" + +She was almost suffocating with rage. The only thing clear to her +was that she never again would live an hour with Jimmy Malone. He +might have gone home. Probably he did go for dry clothing. She +would go to her sister. She hurried across the bottom, with +wavering knees she climbed the embankment, then skirting the +fields, she half walked, half ran to the village, and selecting +back streets and alleys, tumbled, half distracted, into the home +of her sister. + +"Holy Vargin!" screamed Katy Dolan. "Whativer do be ailin' you, +Mary Malone?" + +"Jimmy! Jimmy!" sobbed the shivering Mary. + +"I knew it! I knew it! I've ixpicted it for years!" cried Katy. + +"They've had a fight----" + +"Just what I looked for! I always told you they were too thick to +last!" + +"And Jimmy told Dannie he'd lied to me and married me +himsilf----" + +"He did! I saw him do it!" screamed Katy. + +"And Dannie tried to kill him----" + +"I hope to Hivin he got it done, for if any man iver naded +killin'! A carpse named Jimmy Malone would a looked good to me +any time these fiftane years. I always said----" + +"And he took it back----" + +"Just like the rid divil! I knew he'd do it! And of course that +mutton-head of a Dannie Micnoun belaved him, whativer he said" + +"Of course he did!" + +"I knew it! Didn't I say so first?" + +"And I tried to scrame and me tongue stuck----" + +"Sure! You poor lamb! My tongue always sticks! Just what I +ixpicted!" + +"And me head just went round and I keeled over in the bushes----" + +"I've told Dolan a thousand times! I knew it! It's no news to +me!" + +"And whin I came to, they were gone, and I don't know where, and +I don't care! But I won't go back! I won't go back! I'll not live +with him another day. Oh, Katy! Think how you'd feel if some one +had siparated you and Dolan before you'd iver been togither!" + +Katie Dolan gathered her sister into her arms. "You poor lamb," +she wailed. "I've known ivery word of this for fiftane years, and +if I'd had the laste idea 'twas so, I'd a busted Jimmy Malone to +smithereens before it iver happened!" + +"I won't go back! I won't go back!" raved Mary. + +"I guess you won't go back," cried Katy, patting every available +spot on Mary, or making dashes at her own eyes to stop the flow +of tears. "I guess you won't go back! You'll stay right here with +me. I've always wanted you! I always said I'd love to have you! +I've told thim from the start there was something wrong out +there! I've ixpicted you ivry day for years, and I niver was so +surprised in all me life as whin you came! Now, don't you shed +another tear. The Lord knows this is enough, for anybody. None at +all would be too many for Jimmy Malone. You get right into bid, +and I'll make you a cup of rid-pipper tay to take the chill out +of you. And if Jimmy Malone comes around this house I'll lav him +out with the poker, and if Dannie Micnoun comes saft-saddering +after him I'll stritch him out too; yis, and if Dolan's got +anything to say, he can take his midicine like the rist. The min +are all of a pace anyhow! I've always said it! If I wouldn't like +to get me fingers on that haythen; never goin' to confission, +spindin' ivrything on himself you naded for dacent livin'! Lit +him come! Just lit him come!" + +Thus forestalled with knowledge, and overwhelmed with kindness, +Mary Malone cuddled up in bed and sobbed herself to sleep, and +Katy Dolan assured her, as long as she was conscious, that she +always had known it, and if Jimmy Malone came near, she had the +poker ready. + +Dannie did the evening work. When he milked he drank most of it, +but that only made him hungrier, so he ate the lunch he had +brought back from the river, as he sat before a roaring fire. His +heart warmed with his body. Irresponsible Jimmy always had +aroused something of the paternal instinct in Dannie. Some one +had to be responsible, so Dannie had been. Some way he felt +responsible now. With another man like himself, it would have +been man to man, but he always had spoiled Jimmy; now who was to +blame that he was spoiled? + +Dannie was very tired, his face throbbed and ached painfully, and +it was a sight to see. His bed never had looked so inviting, and +never had the chance to sleep been further away. With a sigh, he +buttoned his coat, twisted an old scarf around his neck, and +started for the barn. There was going to be a black frost. The +cold seemed to pierce him. He hitched to the single buggy, and +drove to town. He went to Casey's, and asked for Jimmy. + +"He isn't here," said Casey. + +"Has he been here?" asked Dannie. + +Casey hesitated, and then blurted out, "He said you wasn't his +keeper, and if you came after him, to tell you to go to Hell." + +Then Dannie was sure that Jimmy was in the back room, drying his +clothing. So he drove to Mrs. Dolan's, and asked if Mary were +there for the night. Mrs. Dolan said she was, and she was going +to stay, and he might tell Jimmy Malone that he need not come +near them, unless he wanted his head laid open. She shut the door +forcibly. + +Dannie waited until Casey closed at eleven, and to his +astonishment Jimmy was not among the men who came out. That meant +that he had drank lightly after all, slipped from the back door, +and gone home. And yet, would he do it, after what he had said +about being afraid? If he had not drank heavily, he would not go +into the night alone, when he had been afraid in the daytime. +Dannie climbed from the buggy once more, and patiently searched +the alley and the street leading to the footpath across farms. No +Jimmy. Then Dannie drove home, stabled his horse, and tried +Jimmy's back door. It was unlocked. If Jimmy were there, he +probably would be lying across the bed in his clothing, and +Dannie knew that Mary was in town. He made a light, and +cautiously entered the sleeping room, intending to undress and +cover Jimmy, but Jimmy was not there. + +Dannie's mouth fell open. He put out the light, and stood on the +back steps. The frost had settled in a silver sheen over the +roofs of the barns and the sheds, and a scum of ice had frozen +over a tub of drippings at the well. Dannie was bitterly cold. He +went home, and hunted out his winter overcoat, lighted his +lantern, picked up a heavy cudgel in the corner, and started to +town on foot over the path that lay across the fields. He +followed it to Casey's back door. He went to Mrs. Dolan's again, +but everything was black and silent there. There had been evening +trains. He thought of Jimmy's frequent threat to go away. He +dismissed that thought grimly. There had been no talk of going +away lately, and he knew that Jimmy had little money. Dannie +started for home, and for a rod on either side he searched the +path. As he came to the back of the barns, he rated himself for +not thinking of them first. He searched both of them, and all +around them, and then wholly tired, and greatly disgusted, he +went home and to bed. He decided that Jimmy HAD gone to Mrs. +Dolan's and that kindly woman had relented and taken him in. Of +course that was where he was. + +Dannie was up early in the morning. He wanted to have the work +done before Mary and Jimmy came home. He fed the stock, milked, +built a fire, and began cleaning the stables. As he wheeled the +first barrow of manure to the heap, he noticed a rooster giving +danger signals behind the straw-stack. At the second load it was +still there, and Dannie went to see what alarmed it. + +Jimmy lay behind the stack, where he had fallen face down, and as +Dannie tried to lift him he saw that he would have to cut him +loose, for he had frozen fast in the muck of the barnyard. He had +pitched forward among the rough cattle and horse tracks and +fallen within a few feet of the entrance to a deep hollow eaten +out of the straw by the cattle. Had he reached that shelter he +would have been warm enough and safe for the night. + +Horrified, Dannie whipped out his knife, cut Jimmy's clothing +loose and carried him to his bed. He covered him, and hitching up +drove at top speed for a doctor. He sent the physician ahead and +then rushed to Mrs. Dolan's. She saw him drive up and came to the +door. + +"Send Mary home and ye come too," Dannie called before she had +time to speak. "Jimmy lay oot all last nicht, and I'm afraid he's +dead." + +Mrs. Dolan hurried in and repeated the message to Mary. She sat +speechless while her sister bustled about putting on her wraps. + +"I ain't goin'," she said shortly. "If I got sight of him, I'd +kill him if he wasn't dead." + +"Oh, yis you are goin'," said Katy Dolan. "If he's dead, you +know, it will save you being hanged for killing him. Get on these +things of mine and hurry. You got to go for decency sake; and +kape a still tongue in your head. Dannie Micnoun is waiting for +us." + +Together they went out and climbed into the carriage. Mary said +nothing, but Dannie was too miserable to notice. + +"You didn't find him thin, last night?" asked Mrs. Dolan. + +"Na!" shivered Dannie. "I was in town twice. I hunted almost all +nicht. At last I made sure you had taken him in and I went to +bed. It was three o'clock then. I must have passed often, wi'in a +few yards of him." + +"Where was he?" asked Katy. + +"Behind the straw-stack," replied Dannie. + +"Do you think he will die?" + +"Dee!" cried Dannie. "Jimmy dee! Oh, my God! We mauna let him!" + +Mrs. Dolan took a furtive peep at Mary, who, dry-eyed and white, +was staring straight ahead. She was trembling and very pale, but +if Katy Dolan knew anything she knew that her sister's face was +unforgiving and she did not in the least blame her. + +Dannie reached home as soon as the horse could take them, and +under the doctor's directions all of them began work. Mary did +what she was told, but she did it deliberately, and if Dannie had +taken time to notice her he would have seen anything but his idea +of a woman facing death for any one she ever had loved. Mary's +hurt went so deep, Mrs. Dolan had trouble to keep it covered. +Some of the neighbors said Mary was cold-hearted, and some of +them that she was stupefied with grief. + +Without stopping for food or sleep, Dannie nursed Jimmy. He +rubbed, he bathed, he poulticed, he badgered the doctor and +cursed his inability to do some good. To every one except Dannie, +Jimmy's case was hopeless from the first. He developed double +pneumonia in its worst form and he was in no condition to endure +it in the lightest. His labored breathing could be heard all over +the cabin, and he could speak only in gasps. On the third day he +seemed a little better, and when Dannie asked what he could do +for him, "Father Michael," Jimmy panted, and clung to Dannie's +hand. + +Dannie sent a man and remained with Jimmy. He made no offer to go +when the priest came. + +"This is probably in the nature of a last confession," said +Father Michael to Dannie, "I shall have to ask you to leave us +alone." + +Dannie felt the hand that clung to him relax, and the +perspiration broke on his temples. "Shall I go, Jimmy?" he asked. + +Jimmy nodded. Dannie arose heavily and left the room. He sat down +outside the door and rested his head in his hands. + +The priest stood beside Jimmy. "The doctor tells me it is +difficult for you to speak," he said, "I will help you all I can. +I will ask questions and you need only assent with your head or +hand. Do you wish the last sacrament administered, Jimmy Malone?" + +The sweat rolled off Jimmy's brow. He assented. + +"Do you wish to make final confession?" + +A great groan shook Jimmy. The priest remembered a gay, laughing +boy, flinging back a shock of auburn hair, his feet twinkling in +the lead of the dance. Here was ruin to make the heart of +compassion ache. The Father bent and clasped the hand of Jimmy +firmly. The question he asked was between Jimmy Malone and his +God. The answer almost strangled him. + +"Can you confess that mortal sin, Jimmy?" asked the priest. + +The drops on Jimmy's face merged in one bath of agony. His hands +clenched and his breath seemed to go no lower than his throat. + +"Lied--Dannie," he rattled. "Sip-rate him--and Mary." + +"Are you trying to confess that you betrayed a confidence of +Dannie Macnoun and married the girl who belonged to him, +yourself?" + +Jimmy assented. + +His horrified eyes hung on the priest's face and saw it turn cold +and stern. Always the thing he had done had tormented him; but +not until the past summer had he begun to realize the depth of +it, and it had almost unseated his reason. But not until now had +come fullest appreciation, and Jimmy read it in the eyes filled +with repulsion above him. + +"And with that sin on your soul, you ask the last sacrament and +the seal of forgiveness! You have not wronged God and the Holy +Catholic Church as you have this man, with whom you have lived +for years, while you possessed his rightful wife. Now he is here, +in deathless devotion, fighting to save you. You may confess to +him. If he will forgive you, God and the Church will ratify it, +and set the seal on your brow. If not, you die unshriven! I will +call Dannie Macnoun." + +One gurgling howl broke from the swollen lips of Jimmy. + +As Dannie entered the room, the priest spoke a few words to him, +stepped out and closed the door. Dannie hurried to Jimmy's side. + +"He said ye wanted to tell me something," said Dannie. "What is +it? Do you want me to do anything for you?" + +Suddenly Jimmy struggled to a sitting posture. His popping eyes +almost burst from their sockets as he clutched Dannie with both +hands. The perspiration poured in little streams down his +dreadful face. + +"Mary," the next word was lost in a strangled gasp. Then came +"yours" and then a queer rattle. Something seemed to give way. +"The Divils!" he shrieked. "The Divils have got me!" + +Snap! his heart failed, and Jimmy Malone went out to face his +record, unforgiven by man, and unshriven by priest. + + + +Chapter X + +DANNIE'S RENUNCIATION + + +So they stretched Jimmy's length on Five Mile Hill beside the +three babies that had lacked the "vital spark." Mary went to the +Dolans for the winter and Dannie was left, sole occupant of +Rainbow Bottom. Because so much fruit and food that would freeze +were stored there, he was even asked to live in Jimmy's cabin. + +Dannie began the winter stolidly. All day long and as far as he +could find anything to do in the night, he worked. He mended +everything about both farms, rebuilt all the fences and as a +never-failing resource, he cut wood. He cut so much that he began +to realize that it would get too dry and the burning of it would +become extravagant, so he stopped that and began making some +changes he had long contemplated. During fur time he set his line +of traps on his side of the river and on the other he religiously +set Jimmy's. + +But he divided the proceeds from the skins exactly in half, no +matter whose traps caught them, and with Jimmy's share of the +money he started a bank account for Mary. As he could not use all +of them he sold Jimmy's horses, cattle and pigs. With half the +stock gone he needed only half the hay and grain stored for +feeding. He disposed of the chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese +that Mary wanted sold, and placed the money to her credit. He +sent her a beautiful little red bank book and an explanation of +all these transactions by Dolan. Mary threw the book across the +room because she wanted Dannie to keep her money himself, and +then cried herself to sleep that night, because Dannie had sent +the book instead of bringing it. But when she fully understood +the transactions and realized that if she chose she could spend +several hundred dollars, she grew very proud of that book. + +About the empty cabins and the barns, working on the farms, +wading the mud and water of the river bank, or tingling with cold +on the ice went two Dannies. The one a dull, listless man, +mechanically forcing a tired, overworked body to action, and the +other a self- accused murderer. + +"I am responsible for the whole thing," he told himself many +times a day. "I always humored Jimmy. I always took the muddy +side of the road, and the big end of the log, and the hard part +of the work, and filled his traps wi' rats from my own; why in +God's name did I let the Deil o' stubbornness in me drive him to +his death. noo? Why didna I let him have the Black Bass? Why +didna I make him come home and put on dry clothes? I killed him, +juist as sure as if I'd taken an ax and broken his heid." + +Through every minute of the exposure of winter outdoors and the +torment of it inside, Dannie tortured himself. Of Mary he seldom +thought at all. She was safe with her sister, and although +Dannie did not know when or how it happened, he awoke one day to +the realization that he had renounced her. He had killed Jimmy; +he could not take his wife and his farm. And Dannie was so numb +with long-suffering, that he did not much care. There come times +when troubles pile so deep that the edge of human feeling is +dulled. + +He would take care of Mary, yes, she was as much Jimmy's as his +farm, but he did not want her for himself now. If he had to kill +his only friend, he would not complete his downfall by trying to +win his wife. So through that winter Mary got very little +consideration in the remorseful soul of Dannie, and Jimmy grew, +as the dead grow, by leaps and bounds, until by spring Dannie had +him well-nigh canonized. + +When winter broke, Dannie had his future well mapped out. And +that future was devotion to Jimmy's memory, with no more of Mary +in it than was possible to keep out. He told himself that he was +glad she was away and he did not care to have her return. Deep in +his soul he harbored the feeling that he had killed Jimmy to make +himself look victor in her eyes in such a small matter as taking +a fish. And deeper yet a feeling that, everything considered, +still she might mourn Jimmy more than she did. + +So Dannie definitely settled that he always would live alone on +the farms. Mary should remain with her sister, and at his death, +everything should be hers. The night he finally reached that +decision, the Kingfisher came home. Dannie heard his rattle of +exultation as he struck the embankment and the suffering man +turned his face to the wall and sobbed aloud, so that for a +little time he stifled Jimmy's dying gasps that in wakeful night +hours sounded in his ears. Early the next morning he drove +through the village on his way to the county seat, with a load of +grain. Dolan saw him and running home he told Mary. "He will be +gone all day. Now is your chance!" he said. + +Mary sprang to her feet, "Hurry!" she panted, "hurry!" + +An hour later a loaded wagon, a man and three women drew up +before the cabins in Rainbow Bottom. Mary, her sister, Dolan, and +a scrub woman entered. Mary pointed out the objects which she +wished removed, and Dolan carried them out. They took up the +carpets, swept down the walls, and washed the windows. They hung +pictures, prints, and lithographs, and curtained the windows in +dainty white. They covered the floors with bright carpets, and +placed new ornaments on the mantle, and comfortable furniture in +the rooms. There was a white iron bed, and several rocking +chairs, and a shelf across the window filled with potted +hyacinths in bloom. Among them stood a glass bowl, containing +three wonderful little gold fish, and from the top casing hung a +brass cage, from which a green linnet sang an exultant song. + +You should have seen Mary Malone! When everything was finished, +she was changed the most of all. She was so sure of Dannie, that +while the winter had brought annoyance that he did not come, it +really had been one long, glorious rest. She laughed and sang, +and grew younger with every passing day. As youth surged back, +with it returned roundness of form, freshness of face, and that +bred the desire to be daintily dressed. So of pretty light +fabrics she made many summer dresses, for wear mourning she would +not. + +When calmness returned to Mary, she had told the Dolans the whole +story. "Now do you ixpict me to grieve for the man?" she asked. +"Fiftane years with him, through his lying tongue, whin by ivery +right of our souls and our bodies, Dannie Micnoun and I belanged +to each other. Mourn for him! I'm glad he's dead! Glad! Glad! If +he had not died, I should have killed him, if Dannie did not! It +was a happy thing that he died. His death saved me mortal sin. +I'm glad, I tell you, and I do not forgive him, and I niver will, +and I hope he will burn----" + +Katy Dolan clapped her hand over Mary's mouth. "For the love of +marcy, don't say that!" she cried. "You will have to confiss it, +and you'd be ashamed to face the praste." + +"I would not," cried Mary. "Father Michael knows I'm just an +ordinary woman, he don't ixpict me to be an angel." But she left +the sentence unfinished. + +After Mary's cabin was arranged to her satisfaction, they +attacked Dannie's; emptying it, cleaning it completely, and +refurnishing it from the best of the things that had been in +both. Then Mary added some new touches. A comfortable big chair +was placed by his fire, new books on his mantle, a flower in his +window, and new covers on his bed. While the women worked, Dolan +raked the yards, and freshened matters outside as best he could. +When everything they had planned to do was accomplished, the +wagon, loaded with the ugly old things Mary despised, drove back +to the village, and she, with little Tilly Dolan for company, +remained. + +Mary was tense with excitement. All the woman in her had yearned +for these few pretty things she wanted for her home throughout +the years that she had been compelled to live in crude, ugly +surroundings; because every cent above plainest clothing and +food, went for drink for Jimmy, and treats for his friends. Now +she danced and sang, and flew about trying a chair here, and +another there, to get the best effect. Every little while she +slipped into her bedroom, stood before a real dresser, and pulled +out its trays to make sure that her fresh, light dresses were +really there. She shook out the dainty curtains repeatedly, +watered the flowers, and fed the fish when they did not need it. +She babbled incessantly to the green linnet, which with swollen +throat rejoiced with her, and occasionally she looked in the +mirror. + +She lighted the fire, and put food to cook. She covered a new +table, with a new cloth, and set it with new dishes, and placed a +jar of her flowers in the center. What a supper she did cook! +When she had waited until she was near crazed with nervousness, +she heard the wagon coming up the lane. Peeping from the window, +she saw Dannie stop the horses short, and sit staring at the +cabins, and she realized that smoke would be curling from the +chimney, and the flowers and curtains would change the shining +windows outside. She trembled with excitement, and than a great +yearning seized her, as he slowly drove closer, for his brown +hair was almost white, and the lines on his face seemed +indelibly stamped. And then hot anger shook her. Fifteen years of +her life wrecked, and look at Dannie! That was Jimmy Malone's +work. + +Over and over, throughout the winter, she had planned this home- +coming as a surprise to Dannie. Book-fine were the things she +intended to say to him. When he opened the door, and stared at +her and about the altered room, she swiftly went to him, and took +the bundles he carried from his arms. + +"Hurry up, and unhitch, Dannie," she said. "Your supper is +waiting." + +And Dannie turned and stolidly walked back to his team, without +uttering a word. + +"Uncle Dannie!" cried a child's voice. "Please let me ride to the +barn with you!" + +A winsome little maid came rushing to Dannie, threw her arms +about his neck, and hugged him tight, as he stooped to lift her. +Her yellow curls were against his cheek, and her breath was +flower- sweet in his face. + +"Why didn't you kiss Aunt Mary?" she demanded. "Daddy Dolan +always kisses mammy when he comes from all day gone. Aunt Mary's +worked so hard to please you. And Daddie worked, and mammy +worked, and another woman. You are pleased, ain't you, Uncle +Dannie?" + +"Who told ye to call me Uncle?" asked Dannie, with unsteady lips. + +"She did!" announced the little woman, flourishing the whip in +the direction of the cabin. Dannie climbed down to unhitch. "You +are goin' to be my Uncle, ain't you, as soon as it's a little +over a year, so folks won't talk?" + +"Who told ye that?" panted Dannie, hiding behind a horse. + +"Nobody told me! Mammy just SAID it to Daddy, and I heard," +answered the little maid. "And I'm glad of it, and so are all of +us glad. Mammy said she'd just love to come here now, whin things +would be like white folks. Mammy said Aunt Mary had suffered a +lot more'n her share. Say, you won't make her suffer any more, +will you?" + +"No," moaned Dannie, and staggered into the barn with the horses. +He leaned against a stall, and shut his eyes. He could see the +bright room, plainer than ever, and that little singing bird +sounded loud as any thunder in his ears. And whether closed or +open, he could see Mary, never in all her life so beautiful, +never so sweet; flesh and blood Mary, in a dainty dress, with the +shining, unafraid eyes of girlhood. It was that thing which +struck Dannie first, and hit him hardest. Mary was a careless +girl again. When before had he seen her with neither trouble, +anxiety or, worse yet, FEAR, in her beautiful eyes? + +And she had come to stay. She would not have refurnished her +cabin otherwise. Dannie took hold of the manger with both hands, +because his sinking knees needed bracing. + +"Dannie," called Mary's voice in the doorway, "has my spickled +hin showed any signs of setting yet?" + +"She's been over twa weeks," answered Dannie. "She's in that +barrel there in the corner." + +Mary entered the barn, removed the prop, lowered the board, and +kneeling, stroked the hen, and talked softly to her. She slipped +a hand under the hen, and lifted her to see the eggs. Dannie +staring at Mary noted closer the fresh, cleared skin, the glossy +hair, the delicately colored cheeks, and the plumpness of the +bare arms. One little wisp of curl lay against the curve of her +neck, just where it showed rose-pink, and looked honey sweet. And +in one great surge, the repressed stream of passion in the strong +man broke, and Dannie swayed against his horse. His tongue stuck +to the roof of his mouth, and he caught at the harness to steady +himself, while he strove to grow accustomed to the fact that Hell +had opened in a new form for him. The old heart hunger for Mary +Malone was back in stronger force than ever before; and because +of him Jimmy lay stretched on Five Mile Hill. + +"Dannie, you are just fine!" said Mary. "I've been almost wild to +get home, because I thought iverything would be ruined, and +instid of that it's all ixactly the way I do it. Do hurry, and +get riddy for supper. Oh, it's so good to be home again! I want +to make garden, and fix my flowers, and get some little chickens +and turkeys into my fingers." + +"I have to go home, and wash, and spruce up a bit, for ladies," +said Dannie, leaving the barn. + +Mary made no reply, and it came to him that she expected it. +"Damned if I will!" he said, as he started home. "If she wants to +come here, and force herself on me, she can, but she canna mak' +me" + +Just then Dannie stepped in his door, and slowly gazed about him. +In a way his home was as completely transformed as hers. He +washed his face and hands, and started for a better coat. His +sleeping room shone with clean windows, curtained in snowy white. +A freshly ironed suit of underclothing and a shirt lay on his +bed. Dannie stared at them. + +"She think's I'll tog up in them, and come courtin'" he growled. +"I'll show her if I do! I winna touch them!" + +To prove that he would not, Dannie caught them up in a wad, and +threw them into a corner. That showed a clean sheet, fresh +pillow, and new covers, invitingly spread back. Dannie turned as +white as the pillow at which he stared. + +"That's a damn plain insinuation that I'm to get into ye," he +said to the bed, "and go on living here. I dinna know as that +child's jabber counts. For all I know, Mary may already have +picked out some town dude to bring here and farm out on me, and +they'll live with the bird cage. and I can go on climbin' into ye +alone." + +Here was a new thought. Mary might mean only kindness to him +again, as she had sent word by Jimmy she meant years ago. He +might lose her for the second time. And again a wave of desire +struck Dannie, and left him staggering. + +"Ain't you comin', Uncle Dannie?" called the child's voice at the +back door. + +"What's your name, little lass?" inquired Dannie. + +"Tilly," answered the little girl promptly. + +"Well, Tilly, ye go tell your Aunt Mary I have been in an +eelevator handlin' grain, and I'm covered wi' fine dust and chaff +that sticks me. I canna come until I've had a bath, and put on +clean clothing. Tell her to go ahead." + +The child vanished. In a second she was back. "She said she won't +do it, and take all the time you want. But I wish you'd hurry, +for she won't let me either." + +Dannie hurried. But the hasty bath and the fresh clothing felt so +good he was in a softened mood when he approached Mary's door +again. Tilly was waiting on the step, and ran to meet him. Tilly +was a dream. Almost, Dannie understood why Mary had brought her. +Tilly led him to the table, and pulled back a chair for him, and +he lifted her into hers, and as Mary set dish after dish of food +on the table, Tilly filled in every pause that threatened to grow +awkward with her chatter. Dannie had been a very lonely man, and +he did love Mary's cooking. Until then he had not realized how +sore a trial six months of his own had been. + +"If I was a praying mon, I'd ask a blessing, and thank God fra +this food," said Dannie. + +"What's the matter with me?" asked Mary. + +"I have never yet found anything," answered Dannie. "And I do +thank ye fra everything. I believe I'm most thankful of all fra +the clean clothes and the clean bed. I'm afraid I was neglectin' +myself, Mary." + +"Will, you'll not be neglected any more," said Mary. "Things have +turned over a new leaf here. For all you give, you get some +return, after this. We are going to do business in a businesslike +way, and divide even. I liked that bank account, pretty will, +Dannie. Thank you, for that. And don't think I spint all of it. I +didn't spind a hundred dollars all togither. Not the price of one +horse! But it made me so happy I could fly. Home again, and the +things I've always wanted, and nothing to fear. Oh, Dannie, you +don't know what it manes to a woman to be always afraid! My heart +is almost jumping out of my body, just with pure joy that the old +fear is gone." + +"I know what it means to a mon to be afraid," said Dannie. And +vividly before him loomed the awful, distorted, dying face of +Jimmy. + +Mary guessed, and her bright face clouded. + +"Some day, Dannie, we must have a little talk," she said, "and +clear up a few things neither of us understand. 'Til thin we will +just farm, and be partners, and be as happy as iver we can. I +don't know as you mean to, but if you do, I warn you right now +that you need niver mintion the name of Jimmy Malone to me again, +for any reason." + +Dannie left the cabin abruptly. + +"Now you gone and made him mad!" reproached Tilly. + +During the past winter Mary had lived with other married people +for the first time, and she had imbibed some of Mrs. Dolan's +philosophy. + +"Whin he smells the biscuit I mane to make for breakfast, he'll +get glad again," she said, and he did. + +But first he went home, and tried to learn where he stood. WAS HE +TRULY RESPONSIBLE FOR JIMMY'S DEATH? Yes. If he had acted like a +man, he could have saved Jimmy. He was responsible. Did he want +to marry Mary? Did he? Dannie reached empty arms to empty space, +and groaned aloud. Would she marry him? Well, now, would she? +After years of neglect and sorrow, Dannie knew that Mary had +learned to prefer him to Jimmy. But almost any man would have +been preferable to a woman, to Jimmy. Jimmy was distinctly a +man's man. A jolly good fellow, but he would not deny himself +anything, no matter what it cost his wife, and he had been very +hard to live with. Dannie admitted that. So Mary had come to +prefer him to Jimmy, that was sure; but it was not a question +between him and Jimmy, now. It was between him, and any +marriageable man that Mary might fancy. + +He had grown old, and gray, and wrinkled, though he was under +forty. Mary had grown round, and young, and he had never seen her +looking so beautiful. Surely she would want a man now as young, +and as fresh as herself; and she might want to live in town after +a while, if she grew tired of the country. Could he remember +Jimmy's dreadful death, realize that he was responsible for it, +and make love to his wife? No, she was sacred to Jimmy. Could he +live beside her, and lose her to another man for the second time? +No, she belonged to him. It was almost daybreak when Dannie +remembered the fresh bed, and lay down for a few hours' rest. + +But there was no rest for Dannie, and after tossing about until +dawn he began his work. When he carried the milk into the cabin, +and smelled the biscuit, he fulfilled Mary's prophecy, got glad +again, and came to breakfast. Then he went about his work. But as +the day wore on, he repeatedly heard the voice of the woman and +the child, combining in a chorus of laughter. From the little +front porch, the green bird warbled and trilled. Neighbors who +had heard of her return came up the lane to welcome a happy Mary +Malone. The dead dreariness of winter melted before the spring +sun, and in Dannie's veins the warm blood swept up, as the sap +flooded the trees, and in spite of himself he grew gladder and +yet gladder. + +He now knew how he had missed Mary. How he had loathed that +empty, silent cabin. How remorse and heart hunger had gnawed at +his vitals, and he decided that he would go on just as Mary had +said, and let things drift; and when she was ready to have the +talk with him she had mentioned, he would hear what she had to +say. And as he thought over these things, he caught himself +watching for furrows that Jimmy was not making on the other side +of the field. He tried to talk to the robins and blackbirds +instead of Jimmy, but they were not such good company. And when +the day was over, he tried not to be glad that he was going to +the shining eyes of Mary Malone, a good supper, and a clean bed, +and it was not in the heart of man to do it. + +The summer wore on, autumn came, and the year Tilly had spoken of +was over. Dannie went his way, doing the work of two men, +thinking of everything, planning for everything, and he was all +the heart of Mary Malone could desire, save her lover. By little +Mary pieced it out. Dannie never mentioned fishing; he had lost +his love for the river. She knew that he frequently took walks to +Five Mile Hill. His devotion to Jimmy's memory was unswerving. +And at last it came to her, that in death as in life, Jimmy +Malone was separating them. She began to realize that there might +be things she did not know. What had Jimmy told the priest? Why +had Father Michael refused to confess Jimmy until he sent Dannie +to him? What had passed between them? If it was what she had +thought all year, why did it not free Dannie to her? If there was +something more, what was it? + +Surely Dannie loved her. Much as he had cared for Jimmy, he had +vowed that everything was for her first. She was eager to be his +wife, and something bound him. One day, she decided to ask him. +The next, she shrank in burning confusion, for when Jimmy Malone +had asked for her love, she had admitted to him that she loved +Dannie, and Jimmy had told her that it was no use, Dannie did not +care for girls, and that he had said he wished she would not +thrust herself upon him. On the strength of that statement Mary +married Jimmy inside five weeks, and spent years in bitter +repentance. + +That was the thing which held her now. If Dannie knew what she +did, and did not care to marry her, how could she mention it? +Mary began to grow pale, and lose sleep, and Dannie said the heat +of the summer had tired her, and suggested that she go to Mrs. +Dolan's for a weeks rest. The fact that he was willing, and +possibly anxious to send her away for a whole week, angered Mary. +She went. + + + +Chapter XI + +THE POT OF GOLD + + +Mary had not been in the Dolan home an hour until Katy knew all +she could tell of her trouble. Mrs. Dolan was practical. "Go to +see Father Michael," she said. "What's he for but to hilp us. Go +ask him what Jimmy told him. Till him how you feel and what you +know. He can till you what Dannie knows and thin you will +understand where you are at." + +Mary was on the way before Mrs. Dolan fully finished. She went to +the priest's residence and asked his housekeeper to inquire if he +would see her. He would, and Mary entered his presence strangely +calm and self-possessed. This was the last fight she knew of that +she could make for happiness, and if she lost, happiness was over +for her. She had need of all her wit and she knew it. Father +Michael began laughing as he shook hands. + +"Now look here, Mary," he said, "I've been expecting you. I warn +you before you begin that I cannot sanction your marriage to a +Protestant." + +"Oh, but I'm going to convart him!" cried Mary so quickly that +the priest laughed harder than ever. + +"So that's the lay of the land!" he chuckled. "Well, if you'll +guarantee that, I'll give in. When shall I read the banns?" + +"Not until we get Dannie's consint," answered Mary, and for the +first her voice wavered. + +Father Michael looked his surprise. "Tut! Tut!" he said. "And is +Dannie dilatory?" + +"Dannie is the finest man that will ever live in this world," +said Mary, "but he don't want to marry me." + +"To my certain knowledge Dannie has loved you all your life," +said Father Michael. "He wants nothing here or hereafter as he +wants to marry you." + +"Thin why don't he till me so?" sobbed Mary, burying her burning +face in her hands. + +"Has he said nothing to you?" gravely inquired the priest. + +"No, he hasn't and I don't belave he intinds to," answered Mary, +wiping her eyes and trying to be composed. "There is something +about Jimmy that is holding him back. Mrs. Dolan thought you'd +help me." + +"What do you want me to do, Mary?" asked Father Michael. + +"Two things," answered Mary promptly. "I want you to tell me what +Jimmy confissed to you before he died, and then I want you to +talk to Dannie and show him that he is free from any promise that +Jimmy might have got out of him. Will you?" + +"A dying confession--" began the priest. + +"Yes, but I know--" broke in Mary. "I saw them fight, and I heard +Jimmy till Dannie that he'd lied to him to separate us, but he +turned right around and took it back and I knew Dannie belaved +him thin; but he can't after Jimmy confissed it again to both of +you." + +"What do you mean by `saw them fight?'" Father Michael was +leaning toward Mary anxiously. + +Mary told him. + +"Then that is the explanation to the whole thing," said the +priest. "Dannie did believe Jimmy when he took it back, and he +died before he could repeat to Dannie what he had told me. And I +have had the feeling that Dannie thought himself in a way to +blame for Jimmy's death." + +"He was not! Oh, he was not!" cried Mary Malone. "Didn't I live +there with them all those years? Dannie always was good as gold +to Jimmy. It was shameful the way Jimmy imposed on him, and spint +his money, and took me from him. It was shameful! Shameful!" + +"Be calm! Be calm!" cautioned Father Michael. "I agree with you. +I am only trying to arrive at Dannie's point of view. He well +might feel that he was responsible, if after humoring Jimmy like +a child all his life, he at last lost his temper and dealt with +him as if he were a man. If that is the case, he is of honor so +fine, that he would hesitate to speak to you, no matter what he +suffered. And then it is clear to me that he does not understand +how Jimmy separated you in the first place." + +"And lied me into marrying him, whin I told him over and over how +I loved Dannie. Jimmy Malone took iverything I had to give, and +he left me alone for fiftane years, with my three little dead +babies, that died because I'd no heart to desire life for thim, +and he took my youth, and he took my womanhood, and he took my +man--" Mary arose in primitive rage. "You naden't bother!" she +said. "I'm going straight to Dannie meself." + +"Don't!" said Father Michael softly. "Don't do that, Mary! It +isn't the accepted way. There is a better! Let him come to you." + +"But he won't come! He don't know! He's in Jimmy's grip tighter +in death than he was in life." Mary began to sob again. + +"He will come," said Father Michael. "Be calm! Wait a little, my +child. After all these years, don't spoil a love that has been +almost unequaled in holiness and beauty, by anger at the dead. +Let me go to Dannie. We are good friends. I can tell him Jimmy +made a confession to me, that he was trying to repeat to him, +when punishment, far more awful than anything you have suffered, +overtook him. Always remember, Mary, he died unshriven!" Mary +began to shiver. "Your suffering is over," continued the priest. +"You have many good years yet that you may spend with Dannie; God +will give you living children, I am sure. Think of the years +Jimmy's secret has hounded and driven him! Think of the penalty +he must pay before he gets a glimpse of paradise, if he be not +eternally lost!" + +"I have!" exclaimed Mary. "And it is nothing to the fact that he +took Dannie from me, and yet kept him in my home while he +possessed me himsilf for years. May he burn----" + +"Mary! Let that suffice!" cried the priest. "He will! The +question now is, shall I go to Dannie?" + +"Will you till him just what Jimmy told you? Will you till him +that I have loved him always?" + +"Yes," said Father Michael. + +"Will you go now?" + +"I cannot! I have work. I will come early in the morning." + +"You will till him ivirything?" she repeated. + +"I will," promised Father Michael. + +Mary went back to Mrs. Dolan's comforted. She was anxious to +return home at once, but at last consented to spend the day. Now +that she was sure Dannie did not know the truth, her heart warmed +toward him. She was anxious to comfort and help him in the long +struggle which she saw that he must have endured. By late +afternoon she could bear it no longer and started back to Rainbow +Bottom in time to prepare supper. + +For the first hour after Mary had gone Dannie whistled to keep up +his courage. By the second he had no courage to keep. By the +third he was indulging in the worst fit of despondency he ever +had known. He had told her to stay a week. A week! It would be an +eternity! There alone again! Could he bear it? He got through to +mid- afternoon some way, and then in jealous fear and foreboding +he became almost frantic. One way or the other, this thing must +be settled. Fiercer raged the storm within him and at last toward +evening it became unendurable. + +At its height the curling smoke from the chimney told him that +Mary had come home. An unreasoning joy seized him. He went to the +barn and listened. He could hear her moving about preparing +supper. As he watched she came to the well for water and before +she returned to the cabin she stood looking over the fields as if +trying to locate him. Dannie's blood ran hotly and his pulses +were leaping. "Go to her! Go to her now!" demanded passion, +struggling to break leash. "You killed Jimmy! You murdered your +friend!" cried conscience, with unyielding insistence. Poor +Dannie gave one last glance at Mary, and then turned, and for the +second time he ran from her as if pursued by demons. But this +time he went straight to Five Mile Hill, and the grave of Jimmy +Malone. + +He sat down on it, and within a few feet of Jimmy's bones, Dannie +took his tired head in his hands, and tried to think, and for the +life of him, he could think but two things. That he had killed +Jimmy, and that to live longer without Mary would kill him. Hour +after hour he fought with his lifelong love for Jimmy and his +lifelong love for Mary. Night came on, the frost bit, the wind +chilled, and the little brown owls screeched among the +gravestones, and Dannie battled on. Morning came, the sun arose, +and shone on Dannie, sitting numb with drawn face and bleeding +heart. + +Mary prepared a fine supper the night before, and patiently +waited, and when Dannie did not come, she concluded that he had +gone to town, without knowing that she had returned. Tilly grew +sleepy, so she put the child to bed, and presently she went +herself. Father Michael would make everything right in the +morning. But in the morning Dannie was not there, and had not +been. Mary became alarmed. She was very nervous by the time +Father Michael arrived. He decided to go to the nearest neighbor, +and ask when Dannie had been seen last. As he turned from the +lane into the road a man of that neighborhood was passing on his +wagon, and the priest hailed him, and asked if he knew where +Dannie Macnoun was. + +"Back in Five Mile Hill, a man with his head on his knees, is a- +settin' on the grave of Jimmy Malone, and I allow that would be +Dannie Macnoun, the damn fool!" he said. + +Father Michael went back to the cabin, and told Mary he had +learned where Dannie was, and to have no uneasiness, and he would +go to see him immediately. + +"And first of all you'll tell him how Jimmy lied to him?" + +"I will!" said the priest. + +He entered the cemetery, and walked slowly to the grave of Jimmy +Malone. Dannie lifted his head, and stared at him. + +"I saw you," said Father Michael, "and I came in to speak with you." +He took Dannie's hand. "You are here at this hour to my surprise." + +"I dinna know that ye should be surprised at my comin' to sit by +Jimmy at ony time," coldly replied Dannie. "He was my only friend +in life, and another mon so fine I'll never know. I often come here." + +The priest shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and +then he sat down on a grave near Dannie. "For a year I have been +waiting to talk with you," he said. + +Dannie wiped his face, and lifting his hat, ran his fingers +through his hair, as if to arouse himself. His eyes were dull and +listless. "I am afraid I am no fit to talk sensibly," he said. "I +am much troubled. Some other time----" + +"Could you tell me your trouble?" asked Father Michael. + +Dannie shook his head. + +"I have known Mary Malone all her life," said the priest softly, +"and been her confessor. I have known Jimmy Malone all his life, +and heard his dying confession. I know what it was he was trying +to tell you when he died. Think again!" + +Dannie Macnoun stood up. He looked at the priest intently. "Did +ye come here purposely to find me?" + +"Yes." + +"What do ye want?" + +"To clear your mind of all trouble, and fill your heart with +love, and great peace, and rest. Our Heavenly Father knows that +you need peace of heart, and rest, Dannie." + +"To fill my heart wi' peace, ye will have to prove to me that I'm +no responsible fra the death of Jimmy Malone; and to give it +rest, ye will have to prove to me that I'm free to marry his +wife. Ye can do neither of those things." + +"I can do both," said the priest calmly. "My son, that is what I +came to do." + +Dannie's face grew whiter and whiter, as the blood receded, and +his big hands gripped at his sides. + +"Aye, but ye canna!" he cried desperately. "Ye canna!" + +"I can," said the priest. "Listen to me! Did Jimmy get anything +at all said to you?" + +"He said, `Mary,' then he choked on the next word, then he gasped +out `yours,' and it was over." + +"Have you any idea what he was trying to tell you?" + +"Na!" answered Dannie. "He was mortal sick, and half delirious, +and I paid little heed. If he lived, he would tell me when he was +better. If he died, nothing mattered, fra I was responsible, and +better friend mon never had. There was nothing on earth Jimmy +would na have done for me. He was so big hearted, so generous! My +God, how I have missed him! How I have missed him!" + +"Your faith in Jimmy is strong," ventured the bewildered priest, +for he did not see his way. + +Dannie lifted his head. The sunshine was warming him, and his +thoughts were beginning to clear. + +"My faith in Jimmy Malone is so strong," he said, "that if I lost +it, I never should trust another living mon. He had his faults to +others, I admit that, but he never had ony to me. He was my +friend, and above my life I loved him. I wad gladly have died to +save him." + +"And yet you say you are responsible for his death!" + +"Let me tell ye!" cried Dannie eagerly, and began on the story +the priest wanted to hear from him. As he finished Father +Michael's face lighted. + +"What folly!" he said, "that a man of your intelligence should +torture yourself with the thought of responsibility in a case +like that. Any one would have claimed the fish in those +circumstances. Priest that I am, I would have had it, even if I +fought for it. Any man would! And as for what followed, it was +bound to come! He was a tortured man, and a broken one. If he had +not lain out that night, he would a few nights later. It was not +in your power to save him. No man can be saved from himself, +Dannie. Did what he said make no impression on you?" + +"Enough that I would have killed him with my naked hands if he +had na taken it back. Of course he had to retract! If I believed +that of Jimmy, after the life we lived together, I would curse +God and mon, and break fra the woods, and live and dee there alone." + +"Then what was he trying to tell you when he died?" asked the +bewildered priest. + +"To take care of Mary, I judge." + +"Not to marry her; and take her for your own?" + +Dannie began to tremble. + +"Remember, I talked with him first," said Father Michael, "and +what he confessed to me, he knew was final. He died before he +could talk to you, but I think it is time to tell you what he +wanted to say. He--he--was trying--trying to tell you, that there +was nothing but love in his heart for you. That he did not in any +way blame you. That--that Mary was yours. That you were free to +take her. That----" + +"What!" cried Dannie wildly. "Are ye sure? Oh, my God!" + +"Perfectly sure!" answered Father Michael. "Jimmy knew how long +and faithfully you had loved Mary, and she had loved you----" + +"Mary had loved me? Carefu', mon! Are ye sure?" + +"I know," said Father Michael convincingly. "I give you my +priestly word, I know, and Jimmy knew, and was altogether +willing. He loved you deeply, as he could love any one, Dannie, +and he blamed you for nothing at all. The only thing that would +have brought Jimmy any comfort in dying, was to know that you +would end your life with Mary, and not hate his memory." + +"Hate!" cried Dannie. "Hate! Father Michael, if ye have come to +tell me that Jimmy na held me responsible fra his death, and was +willing fra me to have Mary, your face looks like the face of God +to me!" Dannie gripped the priest's hand. "Are ye sure? Are ye +sure, mon?" He almost lifted Father Michael from the ground. + +"I tell you, I know! Go and be happy!" + +"Some ither day I will try to thank ye," said Dannie, turning +away. "Noo, I'm in a little of a hurry." He was half way to the +gate when he turned back. "Does Mary know this?" he asked. + +"She does," said the priest. "You are one good man, Dannie, go +and be happy, and may the blessing of God go with you." + +Dannie lifted his hat. + +"And Jimmy, too," he said, "put Jimmy in, Father Michael." + +"May the peace of God rest the troubled soul of Jimmy Malone," +said Father Michael, and not being a Catholic, Dannie did not +know that from the blessing for which he asked. + +He hurried away with the brightness of dawn on his lined face, +which looked almost boyish under his whitening hair. + +Mary Malone was at the window, and turmoil and bitterness were +beginning to burn in her heart again. Maybe the priest had not +found Dannie. Maybe he was not coming. Maybe a thousand things. +Then he WAS coming. Coming straight and sure. Coming across the +fields, and leaping fences at a bound. Coming with such speed and +force as comes the strong man, fifteen years denied. Mary's heart +began to jar, and thump, and waves of happiness surged over her. +And then she saw that look of dawn, of serene delight on the face +of the man, and she stood aghast. Dannie threw wide the door, and +crossed her threshold with outstretched arms. + +"Is it true?" he panted. "That thing Father Michael told me, is +it true? Will ye be mine, Mary Malone? At last will you be mine? +Oh, my girl, is the beautiful thing that the priest told me true?" + +"THE BEAUTIFUL THING THAT THE PRIEST TOLD HIM!" + +Mary Malone swung a chair before her, and stepped back. "Wait!" +she cried sharply. "There must be some mistake. Till me ixactly +what Father Michael told you?" + +"He told me that Jimmy na held me responsible fra his death. That +he loved me when he died. That he was willing I should have ye! +Oh, Mary, wasna that splendid of him. Wasna he a grand mon? Mary, +come to me. Say that it's true! Tell me, if ye love me." + +Mary Malone stared wide-eyed at Dannie, and gasped for breath. + +Dannie came closer. At last he had found his tongue. "Fra the +love of mercy, if ye are comin' to me, come noo, Mary" he begged. +"My arms will split if they dinna get round ye soon, dear. Jimmy +told ye fra me, sixteen years ago, how I loved ye, and he told me +when he came back how sorry ye were fra me, and he--he almost +cried when he told me. I never saw a mon feel so. Grand old +Jimmy! No other mon like him!" + +Mary drew back in desperation. + +"You see here, Dannie Micnoun!" she screamed. "You see here----" + +"I do," broke in Dannie. "I'm lookin'! All I ever saw, or see +now, or shall see till I dee is `here,' when `here' is ye, Mary +Malone. Oh! If a woman ever could understand what passion means +to a mon! If ye knew what I have suffered through all these +years, you'd end it, Mary Malone." + +Mary gave the chair a shove. "Come here, Dannie," she said. +Dannie cleared the space between them. Mary set her hands against +his breast. "One minute," she panted. "Just one! I have loved you +all me life, me man. I niver loved any one but you. I niver +wanted any one but you. I niver hoped for any Hivin better than I +knew I'd find in your arms. There was a mistake. There was an +awful mistake, when I married Jimmy. I'm not tillin' you now, and +I niver will, but you must realize that! Do you understand me?" + +"Hardly," breathed Dannie. "Hardly!" + +"Will, you can take your time if you want to think it out, +because that's all I'll iver till you. There was a horrible +mistake. It was YOU I loved, and wanted to marry. Now bend down +to me, Dannie Micnoun, because I'm going to take your head on me +breast and kiss your dear face until I'm tired," said Mary Malone. + +An hour later Father Michael came leisurely down the lane, and +the peace of God was with him. + +A radiant Mary went out to meet him. + +"You didn't till him!" she cried accusingly. "You didn't till him!" + +The priest laid a hand on her head. + +"Mary, the greatest thing in the whole world is self-sacrifice," +he said. "The pot at the foot of the rainbow is just now running +over with the pure gold of perfect contentment. But had you and I +done such a dreadful thing as to destroy the confidence of a good +man in his friend, your heart never could know such joy as it now +knows in this sacrifice of yours; and no such blessed, shining +light could illumine your face. That is what I wanted to see. I +said to myself as I came along, `She will try, but she will +learn, as I did, that she cannot look in his eyes and undeceive +him. And when she becomes reconciled, her face will be so good to +see.' And it is. You did not tell him either, Mary Malone!" + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg etext of "At the Foot of the Rainbow" + diff --git a/old/frain10.zip b/old/frain10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..54cb862 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/frain10.zip |