ary, and in the interval the time will not be entirely lost. We
shall take every means to tone the boy up. By the way, I suppose there
is someone in the village with sufficient nerve to render assistance?"

"I do not know. There is only one man in this country whom I can think
of as being reliable for an affair of this kind. Do you happen to know
of the cowboy, Ike?"

"The very man," said the doctor. "He lives on the Stanton ranch between
this and the fort. We can see him on our way."

Before the doctor left for home he had called to prepare the Carrolls
for the operation. At first Tim would not hear of it. He fiercely
declared that he would kill any man that dared put a knife on his lad.
His wife was equally determined that the operation should not take
place.

"Very well," said the doctor, "then your boy will die, and, Carroll, I
shall have you arrested for manslaughter forthwith."

This aspect of the case made little impression upon Carroll.

"If the lad dies," he said hoarsely, "divil a care what happens to me."

But Mrs. Carroll became anxiously desirous that the operation should be
performed.

"And sure the good God wouldn't be after takin' him from us, for didn't
his riverence there put up a prayer that would melt the heart of the
angels, and I did promise God meself a rale fast, with niver an egg nor
a bit of a fish to my teeth, if he should lave him wid us. And Carroll,
darlin', ye'll not be after breakin' ye're wife's heart, nor makin' her
a widow? Just ye come on, doctor, and niver a word he'll say till ye."

And so it came, in three days that the doctor returned, clean, steady,
and fit for his work, with Ike, Shock, and The Kid on hand as his
assistants.

"I asked the doctor if I might come along," said the latter, explaining
his presence, "and though he did not encourage me, here I am."

"We will make him nurse or outside guard," said Shock. "We will give
him full charge of the family."

"Yes," replied the doctor, in his gentle, professional voice, "the
family. Let them be removed to some distance. The house must be kept
entirely quiet, entirely quiet. An interruption might be serious. Mr.
and Mrs. Carroll and the children had better be taken away to some
remote distance, so that we may have in the house perfect
peace--perfect peace."

But in Carroll they met an unexpected difficulty.

"Not a fut of me will I lave," he announced, and from this position was
immovable.

"Let us say no more