id. "And he believes you will do it?"

"I told him I would--day after to-morrow--an' throw your body in the
Athabasca."

"Splendid, Stevens! You've got Sherlock Holmes beat by a mile! And does he
want you to do this pretty job because I gave him a crack on the jaw?"

"Not a bit of it!" exclaimed Stevens quickly. "He knows the girl is a
stranger and alone. You've taken an interest in her. With you out of the
way, she won't be missed. Dammit, man, don't you know his system? And, if
he ever wanted anything in his life he wants her. She's turned that
poison-blood of his into fire. He raved about her here. He'll go the limit.
He'll do anything to get her. He's so crazy I believe he'd give every
dollar he's got. There's just one thing for you to do. Send the girl back
where she come from. Then you get out. As for myself--I'm goin' to
emigrate. Ain't got a dollar now, so I might as well hit for the prairies
an' get a job on a ranch. Next winter I guess me 'n the kid will trap up on
the Parsnip River."

"You're wrong--clean wrong," said Aldous quietly. "When I saw your outfit
going down among the rocks I had already made up my mind to help you. What
you've told me to-night hasn't made any difference. I would have helped you
anyway, Stevens. I've got more money than I know what to do with right now.
Roper has a thirty-horse outfit for sale. Buy it to-morrow. I'll pay for
it, and you needn't consider yourself a dollar in debt. Some day I'll have
you take me on a long trip, and that will make up for it. As for the girl
and myself--we're going on to Tete Jaune to-morrow."

Aldous could see the amazed packer staring at him in the gloom. "You don't
think I'm sellin' myself, do you, Aldous?" he asked huskily. "That ain't
why you're doin' this--for me 'n the kid--is it?"

"I had made up my mind to do it before I saw you to-night," repeated
Aldous. "I've got lots of money, and I don't use but a little of it. It
sometimes accumulates so fast that it bothers me. Besides, I've promised to
accept payment for the outfit in trips. These mountains have got a hold on
me, Stevens. I'm going to take a good many trips before I die."

"Not if you go on to Tete Jaune, you ain't," replied Stevens, biting a huge
quid from a black plug.

Aldous had risen to his feet. Stevens stood up beside him.

"If you go on to Tete Jaune you're a bigger fool than I was in tryin' to
swim the outfit across the river to-day," he added. "Listen!" He leaned
towa