you please for it feels a
little queer."

"It's an awful wound," she said in tones of the deepest sympathy. "Oh,
I'm so sorry!"

"Pshaw! My head is too hard for that little scamp of a Weeks to break.
His turn'll come next."

She cut away the blood-clotted hair and bound up the rather severe
scalp wound with a tenderness and sympathy that expressed itself even
in her touch. She was too confused and excited to be conscious of
herself, but she had received some tremendously strong impressions.
Chief among them was the truth that nothing which had happened made any
difference in him--that he was still the same loyal friend, standing
between her and the world she dreaded--yes, between her and her own
impulses toward self-sacrifice. Sweetest of all was the assurance that
he did this for his own sake as well as hers. These facts seemed like
a foothold in the mad torrent of feeling and shame which had been
sweeping her away. She could think of little more than that she was
safe--safe because he was brave and loyal--and yes, safe because he
wanted her and would not give her up. The heart of a woman must be
callous indeed, and her nature not only trivial but stony if she is not
deeply touched under circumstances like these.

In spite of his laughing contempt of danger, she trembled as she saw
him ready to go out again; she wished to accompany him on his round of
observation, but he scouted the idea, although it pleased him.
Standing in the door, she strained her eyes and listened breathlessly.
He soon returned and said, "They've all had enough. We won't be
disturbed again."

He saw that her nerves needed quieting, and he set about the task with
such simple tact as he possessed. His first step was to light his pipe
in the most nonchalant manner, and then he burst out laughing. "I'll
hang that hickory up. It has done too good service to be put to common
use again. Probably you never heard of a skimelton, Alida. Well, they
are not so uncommon in this region. I suppose I'll have to own up to
taking part in one myself when I was a young chap. They usually are
only rough larks and are taken good-naturedly. I'm not on jesting terms
with my neighbors, and they had no business to come here, but I
wouldn't have made any row if they hadn't insulted you."

Her head bowed very low as she faltered, "They've heard everything."

He came right to her and took her hand. "Didn't I hear everything
before they did?"

"Yes."