ief bandage
from Ashton's head and washed the wound with an antiseptic solution.
She then clipped away the hair from the edges and drew the scalp
together with a number of stitches.

In this last the hardy cowgirl was unable to help. She clasped
Ashton's hand convulsively and sat shuddering. Ashton smiled up into
her tender pitying eyes. Genevieve had numbed his wound with cocaine.
He was quite satisfied with the situation.

Another antiseptic washing and a compress of sterilized cotton bound
on with surgical bandages completed the operation. Then, when it was
all over with, the young mother, who had gone through everything with
the aplomb and deftness of a surgeon, quietly sank back in a faint. On
the instant Blake was reaching for the ammonia bottle.

A whiff restored his wife to consciousness. She opened her eyes, and
smiling at her weakness, sought to rise. He held her down with gentle
force and ordered her to lie quiet.

"I shall fetch Tommy," he added. "We'll all take a _siesta_ until
noon."

CHAPTER XIX

THE PLOTTERS

When Blake came back with the baby, Isobel begged him for a full
account of how Ashton had been wounded. In relating the affair he
sought to minimize the danger that he had incurred, and he omitted all
mention of the bullet shot at him the previous evening. But his
account was frequently interrupted by exclamations from his wife and
Isobel.

At the end he dwelt strongly on the cowardly haste of the assassin's
flight; only to be met by a shrewdly anxious rejoinder from the girl:
"He ran away after he attacked Lafe the other time. He will come back
again!"

"Oh, Tom!" cried Genevieve--"if he does!"

"We will get him, that is all there is to it," replied her husband.
"What do you say to that, Ashton?"

"We will not have the chance," said Ashton. "I don't believe he has
nerve enough to try it the third time. But if he should--"

"No, no! I hope he keeps running forever!" fervently wished Isobel.
"Don't you realize how close a miss that was, Lafe?--and the other
time, too?"

"I like having one Miss close," he punned.

The girl blushed, but failed to show any sign of resentment.

Blake looked significantly at his wife. "Don't know but what I've
changed my mind about a _siesta_," he remarked. "Here's Tommy gone to
sleep just when I wanted to fight him. Do you think Miss Chuckie can
keep him and Ashton from running away if I go to bring in the level?"

"You say you had started