Englishwomen he had met. He folded the slip of paper and put it in his
pocket.

Stevens eyed him seriously.

"I was coming over to give you a bit of advice before I left for the
Maligne Lake country," he said. "You'd better move. Quade won't want you
around after this. Besides----"

"What?"

"My kid heard something," continued the packer, edging nearer. "You was
mighty good to the kid when I was down an' out, Aldous. I ought to tell
you. It wasn't an hour ago the kid was behind the tent an' he heard Quade
and Slim Barker talking. So far as I can find from the kid, Quade has gone
nutty over her. He's ravin'. He told Slim that he'd give ten thousand
dollars to get her in his hands. What sent the boy down to me was Quade
tellin' Slim that he'd get _you_ first. He told Slim to go on to Tête
Jaune--follow the girl!"

"The deuce you say!" cried Aldous, clutching the other's arm suddenly.
"He's done that?"

"That's what the kid says."

Aldous rose to his feet slowly. The careless smile was playing about his
mouth again. A few men had learned that in those moments John Aldous was
dangerous.

"The kid is undoubtedly right," he said, looking down at Stevens. "But I am