Jimmy's grab for him seemed more a push than a pull, and
the three rolled to the bottom, and half way across the flooded
ditch. The ditch was frozen over, but they were shaken, and
smothered in snow. The whole howling party came streaming down
the embankment. Dannie held aloft his torch and discovered Jimmy
lying face down in a drift, making no effort to rise, and the
Thread Man feebly tugging at him and imploring some one to come
and help get Malone out. Then Dannie slunk behind the others and
yelled until he was tired.
By and by Jimmy allowed himself to be dragged out.
"Who the thunder was that come buttin' into us?" he blustered. "I
don't allow no man to butt into me when I'm on an imbankmint.
Send the fool back here till I kill him."
The Thread Man was pulling at Jimmy's arm. "Don't mind, Jimmy,"
he gasped. "It was an accident! The man slipped. This is an awful
place. I will be glad when we reach the woods. I'll feel safer
with ground that's holding up trees under my feet. Come on, now!
Are we not almost there? Should we not keep quiet from now on?
Will we not alarm the coons?"
"Sure," said Jimmy. "Boys, don't hollo so much. Every blamed coon
will be scared out of its hollow!"
"Amazing!" said the Thread Man. "How clever! Came on the spur of
the moment.
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