A little more exposure, and the
rheumatism will be grinding ye again. Ye will hurry, Jimmy?"
"Sure!" cried Jimmy, ducking under a snow slide, and breaking
into a whistle as he turned toward the road.
Dannie's gaze followed Jimmy's retreating figure until he climbed
the bank, and was lost in the woods, and the light in his eyes
was the light of love. He glanced at the sky, and hurried down
the river. First across to Jimmy's side to gather his rats and
reset his traps, then to his own. But luck seemed to have turned,
for all the rest of Dannie's were full, and all of Jimmy's were
empty. But as he was gone, it was not necessary for Dannie to
slip across and fill them, as was his custom when they worked
together. He would divide the rats at skinning time, so that
Jimmy would have just twice as many as he, because Jimmy had a
wife to support. The last trap of the line lay a little below the
curve of Horseshoe Bend, and there Dannie twisted the tops of the
bags together, climbed the bank, and struck across Rainbow
Bottom. He settled his load to his shoulders, and glanced ahead
to choose the shortest route. He stopped suddenly with a quick
intake of breath.
"God!" he cried reverently. "Hoo beautifu' are Thy works."
The ice-covered Wabash circled Rainbow Bottom like a broad white
frame, and inside it was a perfect picture wrought in crystal
white and snow shadows.
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