When they entered the edge of the Miette clearing and saw the glow of lights ahead of them, Aldous caught the sudden upturn of his companion’s face, laughing at him in the starlight.

“Kind, thoughtful John Aldous!” she whispered, as if to herself.  “How nice of you it was to talk of such pleasant things while we were coming through that black, dreadful swamp—­with a Bill Quade waiting for us on the side!”

A low ripple of laughter broke from her lips, and he stopped dead in his tracks, forgetting to put the automatic back in his pocket.  At sight of it the amusement died in her face.  She caught his arm, and one of her hands seized the cold steel of the pistol.

“Would he—­dare?” she demanded.

“You can’t tell,” replied Aldous, putting the gun in his pocket.  “And that was a creepy sort of conversation to load you down with, wasn’t it, Ladygray?  I imagine you’ll catch me in all sorts of blunders like that.”  He pointed ahead.  “There’s Mrs. Otto now.  She’s looking this way and wondering with all her big heart if you ought not to be at home and in bed.”

The door of the Otto home was wide open, and silhouetted in the flood of light was the good-natured Scotchwoman.  Aldous gave the whistling signal which she and her menfolk always recognized, and hurried on with Joanne.

Before they had quite reached the tent-house, Joanne put a detaining hand on his arm.

“I don’t want you to go back to the cabin to-night,” she said.  “The face at the window—­was terrible.  I am afraid.  I don’t want you to be there alone.”

Her words sent a warm glow through him.

“Nothing will happen,” he assured her.  “Quade will not come back.”

“I don’t want you to return to the cabin,” she persisted.  “Is there no other place where you can stay?”

“I might go down and console Stevens, and borrow a couple of his horse blankets for a bed if that will please you.”

“It will,” she cried quickly.  “If you don’t return to the cabin you may go on to Tete Jaune with me to-morrow.  Is it a bargain?”

“It is!” he accepted eagerly.  “I don’t like to be chased out, but I’ll promise not to sleep in the cabin to-night.”

Mrs. Otto was advancing to meet them.  At the door he bade them good-night, and walked on in the direction of the lighted avenue of tents and shacks under the trees.  He caught a last look in Joanne’s eyes of anxiety and fear.  Glancing back out of the darkness that swallowed him up, he saw her pause for a moment in the lighted doorway, and look in his direction.  His heart beat faster.  Joyously he laughed under his breath.  It was strangely new and pleasing to have some one thinking of him in that way.