e opening to the kitchen, and from there
to one of the adjoining rooms. Then with pale face and determined lips
she set about the work of taking care of Ben's wounds. The spot on the
back of the head, she found, was a mere abrasion, as he had said. But
his shoulder had been shattered, the bullet, she discovered, having
passed clear through the fleshy part of the shoulder, after breaking
one of the smaller bones.

Getting her scissors she clipped away the hair from the back of his
head and sponged the wound and bandaged it, convinced that of itself it
was not dangerous. Then she undressed him, and by the use of plenty of
clear, cold water, a sponge, and some bandages, stopped the flow of
blood in his shoulder and placed him in a comfortable position. He had
very little fever, but she moved rapidly around him, taking his
temperature, administering sedatives when he showed signs of
restlessness, hovering over him constantly until the dawn began to come.

Soon after this he went off into a peaceful sleep, and, almost
exhausted with her efforts and the excitement, she threw herself upon
the floor beside his bed, sacrificing her own comfort that she might be
near to watch should he need her. It was late in the afternoon when
Radford opened his eyes to look out through the door that connected his
room with the kitchen and saw his sister busying herself with the
dishes. His mind was clear and he suffered very little pain. For a
long time he lay, quietly watching her, while his thoughts went back to
the meeting on the trail with Ferguson. Why hadn't he carried out his
original intention of shooting the stray-man down from ambush? He had
doubted Leviatt's word and had hesitated, wishing to give Ferguson the
benefit of the doubt, and had received his reward in the shape of a
bullet in the back--after practically making a peace pact with his
intended victim.

He presently became aware that his sister was standing near him, and he
looked up and smiled at her. Then in an instant she was kneeling
beside him, admonishing him to quietness, smoothing his forehead,
giving delighted little gasps over his improved condition. But in
spite of her evident cheerfulness there was a suggestion of trouble
swimming deep in her eyes; he could not help but see that she was
making a brave attempt to hide her bitter disappointment over the turn
things had taken. Therefore he was not surprised when, after she had
attended to all his want