h leaped into Ashton's face. Gowan struck his spurs into his
horse's flank and loped away.

Ashton stood motionless. The puncher disappeared down the mountain
side. The twilight faded and darkness closed down about the tortured
man. He stood there motionless, his convulsed face alternately
flushing and paling, his eyes now clouding, now burning with rage and
hate.

When at last he returned to the camp he kept beyond the circle of
firelight. Hurriedly he rolled up in his blankets for the night,
muttering something about his head and his need of rest for the next
day's work. The others accepted the explanation without question. They
formed a cheerful domestic group about the fire from which he was shut
out by his passion.

The ladies withdrew into the tent at an early hour. Blake strolled
around the camp until after nine o'clock, but finally came with his
blankets and companionably rolled up near Ashton. He was soon fast
asleep. But Ashton lay tossing until after midnight. Weariness at
last weighed down the lids of his hot eyes and numbed his tortured
brain. He sank into a feverish sleep haunted with evil dreams.

CHAPTER XXIV

BLIND LOVE

At sunrise the harassed dreamer awoke to find Gowan gazing down at him
somberly.

"You--you here?" he exclaimed, starting up on his elbow. "What is--" He
checked himself and muttered brokenly, "I've been dreaming--horrible
nightmares."

"He's down there overhauling his outfit," said Gowan. "Hope you've
thought the matter over."

"My answer must be the same. I cannot do it, I cannot!" replied
Ashton. He spoke hurriedly, as if afraid to linger on the thought.

"You can't--not to save her and have me give her to you?" asked
Gowan.

Ashton clenched his hands and bent over in an agony of doubt and
indecision.

"You devil!" he groaned.

"What! Because I'm willing to give her up, in order to see her
saved?"

"Why don't you shoot him, if you're so anxious?" queried Ashton.

"And hang for it," retorted the puncher. "You can do it with an
accident, and no risk. Anyway, that'll make things easier for his
wife--to have him meet a natural death. Won't be anything said about
why he was taken off. She hasn't begun to suspect what's going on
between him and--"

Gowan paused, looked at the tent, and concluded: "I've done my part. I
won't say any more. But just you remember what I've told you. You
won't run any risk. Mr. Knowles hasn't come back yet. There'll be only
them