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 a