Casey's wife was to be left in charge of the
saloon, and the Thread Man half angered Casey by a whispered
conversation with her in a corner. Jimmy cut his crowd as low as
he possibly could, but it numbered fifteen men, and no one
counted the dogs. 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.
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