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"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.
"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.
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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