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