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 Tete
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
quite sure the young woman is capable of taking care of herself. Quade has
a tremendous amount of nerve, setting Slim to follow her, hasn't he? Slim
may run up against a husband or a brother."
Stevens haunched his shoulders.
"It's not the woman I'm thinking about. It's you. I'd sure change my
location."
"Why wouldn't it be just as well if I told the police of his threat?" asked
Aldous, looking across the river with a glimmer of humour in his eyes.
"Oh, hell!" was the packer's rejoinder.
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