“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 the bunk-house before they returned and change again to his normal dress.