He lay quite still.
"Have you got the calves out of the paddock?" he asked a moment later, his voice stronger. "M'Laughlin and a couple of men'll be here presently. McNab's got wind of their being in the paddock, here. Get them out to the valley quick, or let them go."
"Where's Conal?" Steve asked eagerly; "he ought to be in by now."
There was a crooked furrow of pain on Davey's face.
"I looked for him before I came out," he said. "Couldn't find him—thought he must have gone on ahead. I got this," his hand went to his breast, "crossing the culvert over the creek. They said at McNab's, Conal had been swearing—to do for me—but I didn't believe it...."
His body sagged and his head went back; but Deirdre was behind him; she rested his head on her knees.
Her eyes flew to the Schoolmaster.
"It was Conal," she breathed. "He said he would do it."
Farrel's face whitened. He put no man before Long Conal.
Deirdre put a pack of wet rags over the wound again, and bound it on with a piece of unbleached linen.