"Dannie is watching you." Jimmy glanced toward the barn in time to see Dannie's shaking shoulders as he turned from the door.

With unexpected patience, he firmly closed his lips and went after a ladder.

By the time he had the sinker loose and the line untangled, supper was ready.

By the time he had mastered the reel, and could land the sinker accurately in front of various imaginary beds of bass weeds, Dannie had finished the night work in both stables and gone home.

But his back door stood open and therefrom there protruded the point of a long, heavy cane fish pole.