"

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 li