r humiliation: "It's well I
have learned about Rocket in time. I've done enough, without adding
horse thief to the list. I would have started at once, but I could not
leave until I had asked about Mr. Blake. I wished to thank him for all
that he has done for me."

"All that he--!" echoed Knowles. "If you want to know, it was a mighty
narrow squeak. But we pulled him through. He's awake now and says he's
doing fine. He wants to talk to you."

"I should like very much to do as he wishes, Mr. Knowles, but
I--cannot bear to--meet her. You may realize that it is hard enough at
best."

"_Sho!_ If that's all," readily reassured the cowman, "I'll ask
Chuckie to go out and hide in the bushes."

"But I could not allow that, you know."

"Then I figure you've got to come anyhow. Can't let you go off without
saying good-by to him and Jenny."

"Jenny?" repeated Ashton.

"It's all in the family now," explained Knowles. "Tom has been telling
us how he's got that irrigation project all figured out in his head.
He was saying what he and Jenny had planned to do for us even before
Chuckie let out her secret. Come on and hear the rest."

"I fear I must ask you to excuse me, Mr. Knowles. I--"

"No, you don't," rejoined the cowman. "After what you've done you
can't make me believe you're afraid of anything. You'll come and face
it out before you go."

The misery in Ashton's eyes deepened, and his lips tightened.

"Very well. Since you put it that way, I shall do as you wish, sir."

When he followed Knowles around to the door of the tent, Isobel, who
was hastily braiding her loose hair, drew back into the far corner and
averted her face from him. But Genevieve met him with a radiant smile
and motioned him to kneel down beside her husband.

Blake, with one thick arm crooked about his sleeping son, lay with his
eyes closed. His big square face was drawn and pallid, but there was a
smile lurking in the corners of his mouth. As Ashton knelt beside him
he looked up and lifted his free hand.

"You wouldn't take it--down there," he said.

Ashton flushed. "You know why."

"You'll take it now," said Blake, with quiet confidence.

"I will. I am going away," replied Ashton as he held out his bandaged
hand.

The big palm closed over it in a clasp as gentle as it was strong.

"No, Lafe. I've got hold of you now. I can't let you go. I need you in
my business. We're organizing the Belle Mesa Irrigation and
Development Company.--How d