Every morning the Bass took a
trip around Horseshoe Bend food hunting, and the small fry raced
for life before his big, shear-like jaws. During the heat of noon
he lay in the deep pool below the stump, and rested; but when
evening came he set out in search of supper, and frequently he
felt so good that he leaped clear of the water, and fell back
with a splash that threw shining spray about him, or lashed out
with his tail and sent widening circles of waves rolling from his
lurking place. Then the Kingfisher rattled with all his might,
and flew for the tunnel in the embankment.
Some of these days the air was still, the earth warmed in the
golden sunshine, and murmured a low song of sleepy content. Some
days the wind raised, whirling dead leaves before it, and
covering the earth with drifts of plum, cherry, and apple bloom,
like late falling snow. Then great black clouds came sweeping
across the sky, and massed above Rainbow Bottom. The lightning
flashed as if the heavens were being cracked open, and the
rolling thunder sent terror to the hearts of man and beast. When
the birds flew for shelter, Dannie and Jimmy unhitched their
horses, and raced for the stables to escape the storm, and to be
with Mary, whom electricity made nervous.
They would sit on the little front porch, and watch the greedy
earth drink the downpour.
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