"Robison," she began. Then she put her hand out. "Take those eyes out of my eyes," she said. "Now—I will say. They did mak' fight. An Ogilvie he hit. An'—an' Robison take le couteau"—she dropped her face in her hands. "Non, non," she gasped. "Tais'-vous. Ah! Cette affaire! C'est affreux!"
Dick sat back, letting her go.
"I think that will do for now," he said. "You can tell the rest in court. Where is Robison?"
"He did go north with Ducane on Mercredi on Wednesday. I do not know"
Dick smothered an oath. This was an unforeseen complication. And the man had four days' start.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Oui," said Andree sulkily.
On the night before Robison had left he had shown his increasing jealously against Tempest very plainly, and it had taken all her small amount of wit to quieten him. Andree had no more love for Tempest than for Robison. But it pleased her to have the men in the bar chaff her about him, and it pleased her to see the light leap into his eyes when she came near him.
Dick took up the paddle and drove the canoe in under the willows again.
"I am obliged to you for your graciousness, Andree," he said. "But I advise you not to shower it on any one else in this matter, or you may get yourself into trouble. And I wonder if any girl who had not Indian blood in her could have held her tongue for so long."
He went back through the streets, asking for Robison and Ducane, and confirming Andree's words. They had gone to catch the scows making north with the first spring freight for Fort Smith and Hay River and many a lonely outpost beside. Dick knew well the trail they must take. He knew the run of the river from Pelican Portage down, and he knew just as exactly his chances of catching the steamer which met the scows at Fort McMurray. An hour later he ran down to the bank on moccasined feet, and within ten minutes a little canoe shot out into the sunset, with Dick kneeling, eager-eyed and lithe-armed, in the bow, and Tommy Joseph in the stern.
Tommy had tracked up that river and sailed down it until
