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