"
"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 ashen. "Jimmy, dear auld fellow," he said, "how
long has this been going on?"
"A million years," said Jimmy, shifting the corn-cutter to the hand
that held his hat, that he might moisten his fingers with saliva
and rub it across his parched lips.
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