Jimmy led the way, the Thread Man beside him, and the crowd
followed. The walking would be best to follow the railroad to the
Canoper, and also they could cross the railroad bridge over the
river and save quite a distance.
Jimmy helped the Thread Man into a borrowed overcoat and mittens,
and loaded him with a twelve-pound gun, and they started. Jimmy
carried a torch, and as torch bearer he was a rank failure, for he
had a careless way of turning it and flashing it into people's
faces that compelled them to jump to save themselves. Where the
track lay clear and straight ahead the torch seemed to light it
like day; but in dark places it was suddenly lowered or wavering
somewhere else. It was through this carelessness of Jimmy's that at
the first cattle-guard north of the village the torch flickered
backward, ostensibly to locate Dannie, and the Thread Man went
crashing down between the iron bars, and across the gun. Instantly
Jimmy sprawled on top of him, and the next two men followed suit.
The torch plowed into the snow and went out, and the yells of Jimmy
alarmed the adjoining village.
He was hurt the worst of all, and the busiest getting in marching
order again. "Howly smoke!" he panted. "I was havin' the time of
me life, and plum forgot that cow-kitcher. Thought it was a quarter
of a mile away yet. And liked to killed meself with me
carelessness. But that's always the way in true sport. You got to
take the knocks with the fun." No one asked the Thread Man if he
was hurt, and he did not like to seem unmanly by mentioning a
skinned shin, when Jimmy Malone seemed to have bursted most of his
inside; so he shouldered his gun and limped along, now slightly in
the rear of Jimmy.
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