This last shot seemed to damp the man's ardour, and he evidently refused to stand up as a target for Broncho again, not knowing that he had shot the cowpuncher's belt-buckle away, and twice put lead into the whaleboat's stern-post. Towards sunset, cocoanuts were served out again, and, whilst they refreshed themselves, the pursued discussed the situation. "Seems to me he don' intend no more attackin'," observed the bosun's mate. "He's just keepin' station, relyin' on a breeze bringin' the schooner up presently." "That's about it," agreed Jack. "Anyhow, bar a graze or two, we are better off than we were, whilst he's decidedly worse." "I'm hopin' this sizzlin' sun is chawin' up that wounded arm o' his some," declared Broncho. "It comforts me a whole lot to think missy here has done put her mark on him, and I shore corrals in toomultuous delight if it goes to throbbin' an' achin'----" Broncho was interrupted by a sort of gasp from Jim, and the next moment the boy toppled up against him in a dead faint. Tenderly the cowpuncher took the poor boy in his arms, whilst Loyola, with big tears in her eyes, sprinkled water over the pale, drawn little face, saying over and over again to herself, "Poor Jim! poor little Jim!" "What's up?" asked the blind man. "Jim's strength has quit him, an' he's vamoosed into a faint," replied the cowboy. "Why, what's this?" cried the girl, in consternation. "Look at his shirt; it's all soaked with blood." "Blast me if the youngster ain't been wounded all this time," exclaimed Bill. "An' never tole no one! He's clean-strain, is Jim," muttered Broncho hoarsely, as Loyola tenderly bathed the place and pulled away the blood-stained shirt from the wound. "Where's he hit?" came the strained, husky voice of the blind man again. "Bullet's glanced off 'is ribs an' made a nawsty gash," said Bill. "The son of a gun! the son of a gun! An' he never tole no one!" repeated Broncho softly. With quick, gentle fingers Loyola skilfully bound up the wound, using a strip of flannel torn from Bill's shirt, and Broncho's gay, silk kerchief, which the cowboy always wore, prairie fashion, round his neck. Hardly had she finished her bandaging before the boy opened his eyes and looked round wonderingly. "Wha's th' matter?" he asked faintly. "W'y, you tried to outhold that wound o' yours, sonny, an' it overplayed you; but Missy Lolie has done bound it up an' blocked its little game," explained Broncho, smiling on him with a great affection in his eyes. "Dear little Jim!" cried Loyola impulsively, flinging her arms round the boy and kissing him. "You'll feel better soon." "Lay him down on the blankets," said Jack, in a low voice. He and Tari still pulled steadily--they did not dare stop--and Tari kept the boat's head straight, no one being at the steering-oar. With tender hands the boy was placed full length in the bottom of the boat, and Loyola insisted on his having a whole extra cocoanut served out to him.