le as I came
past. It was so faint that I might not have noticed it, had not Kid
told of killing the rattler yesterday."

Ashton stared fearfully at his blackening hand. Isobel smiled and
began to unknot the neckerchief.

"There is nothing to fear," she insisted. "That is due only to lack of
circulation. You'll soon be all right. Come up to the house as soon as
you can and get two or three cups of coffee. I'll tell Yuki."

She hastened out. When he had made sure that the still writhing snake
was far over on the floor, he slipped from his bunk and dressed as
quickly as was possible without the use of his numbed hand. Shirt,
trousers, boots--he stopped for no more, but hurried after Isobel.
Whether because of the effects of the poison or merely as the reaction
of the shock, he felt faint and dizzy. Several cups of hot strong
coffee, however, went far towards restoring him.

CHAPTER X

COMING EVENTS

Knowles had gone with Gowan to cut out and drive back the stray cattle
belonging to the adjoining range. They returned during the regular
supper hour. The cowman washed quickly and hastened in to the table.
Gowan, however, loitered just outside the door, fastening and
refastening his neckerchief. He entered the dining-room while Isobel
was in the midst of telling her father about the snake.

"Did you hear, Kid?" she asked, when she finished her vivid account.

"Yes, Miss Chuckie. I was slicking-up close 'longside the door. I
heard all you told," he replied as he took his seat at the corner next
to the animated girl. "We shore have got one mighty lucky tenderfoot
on this range."

"Indeed, yes!" exclaimed Ashton. "Had not Miss Chuckie chanced to be
passing as the monster rattled--You know, she says that she might not
have heeded it but for your killing the other snake yesterday. That
put her on the alert."

The puncher stared across the table at the city man with a coldly
speculative gaze. "You shore are a lucky tenderfoot," he repeated.
"'Tain't every fellow gets that close to a rattler this time of year
and comes out of it as easy as you have. All I can see is you're kind
of pale yet around the gills."

Ashton held up his bandaged left hand. "Ah, but I have also this
memento of the occasion. It is far from a pleasant one, I assure
you."

"Feels 'most as bad as a bee sting, don't it?" ironically condoled the
puncher.

"What I can't make out," interposed Knowles, "is how that rattler got
up into Mr. As