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 and me along, and we won't be able to see you do it. Just remember what it will mean to her--just remember that--when you get him where a shove or a loosened spike--Savvy?" He went to loosen the diamond hitch of the packs that he had brought with him from the ranch. Ashton sank back and lay brooding until the girl came from the tent and called to inquire how he felt. Too wretched to care about his appearance, he rose and went over to her. "Oh!" she exclaimed at sight of his haggard face. "You are ill!"