shed, thoughtless of the incongruous
metaphor.

"Then Skinny and your Uncle Josiah," the widow murmured, "and
Parker--are--are--pretending?"

"No," Carolyn June answered, "they started out 'pretending,' but they've
stepped into their own trap! They are painfully serious now--they are
'intending!'"

"What shall we do about it?" Ophelia asked helplessly.

"We ought to assassinate them!" Carolyn June snapped, then laughed as
the absurdity of the situation dawned upon her and her sense of humor
overcame the moment of anger and indignation. "I have it--I've got it!
We will Vamp' them in dead earnest! We'll fix the 'fixers,' we'll frame
the 'framers'!"

"But how?" doubtfully.

"From now on," Carolyn June replied decisively, "I am going to flirt,
individually and collectively--desperately and wickedly--with the whole
male population of this ranch! We'll show them what premeditated
love-making really is! When it comes to Uncle Josiah and, well, possibly
Parker, you will have to take care of that giddy pair yourself and,
incidentally, you might work some on Charley Saunders," mentioning the
oldest of the cowboys. "I'll just flicker an eyelid occasionally at
Parker, unless you object?"

"Not in the least," Ophelia answered, blushing a trifle.

"Well, then, we will make it a free-for-all," Carolyn June said, "and--"

"How about the Ramblin' Kid?" the widow interrupted, "do you think he is
one of the conspirators--is in on the--the--'frame-up?' Is he also to be
a 'Victim'?"

Carolyn June colored the least bit, paused a moment before she replied,
then said rather stiffly:

"He--yes, he is probably having more fun watching us being 'officially'
made love to than any other one of the entire bunch. The Ramblin' Kid
will have to take his medicine along with the rest! Every man-thing on
the Quarter Circle KT--eliminating Sing Pete from that classification
--is my meat!"

"When does the slaughter begin?" Ophelia laughed.

"Right now!" Carolyn June answered. "War is declared--"

She stopped suddenly as a step sounded on the porch and a moment later
Skinny entered the room. He was painfully "dressed up." The instant Old
Heck and Parker, in the Clagstone "Six," started for Eagle Butte and the
cowboys disappeared down the lane in the direction of the big pasture,
Skinny struggled into the white shirt. He planned to try its effect on
Carolyn June while the others were away. If it did not produce results
he would slip back to