A question was in Aldous’ mind, but he did not put it in words.  He wanted to know about Quade and Culver Rann.

“Blackton is such a ridiculously forgetful fellow at times that I don’t want to rouse his alarm,” he said to MacDonald as they were riding toward the corral a few minutes later.  “He might let something out to Joanne and his wife, and I’ve got reasons—­mighty good reasons, Mac—­for keeping this affair as quiet as possible.  We’ll have to discover what Rann and Quade are doing ourselves.”

MacDonald edged his horse in nearer to Aldous.

“See here, Johnny, boy—­tell me what’s in your mind?”

Aldous looked into the grizzled face, and there was something in the glow of the old mountaineer’s eyes that made him think of a father.

“You know, Mac.”

Old Donald nodded.

“Yes, I guess I do, Johnny,” he said in a low voice.  “You think of Mis’ Joanne as I used to—­to—­think of her.  I guess I know.  But—­what you goin’ to do?”

Aldous shook his head, and for the first time that afternoon a look of uneasiness and gloom overspread his face.

“I don’t know, Mac.  I’m not ashamed to tell you.  I love her.  If she were to pass out of my life to-morrow I would ask for something that belonged to her, and the spirit of her would live in it for me until I died.  That’s how I care, Mac.  But I’ve known her such a short time.  I can’t tell her yet.  It wouldn’t be the square thing.  And yet she won’t remain in Tete Jaune very long.  Her mission is accomplished.  And if—­if she goes I can’t very well follow her, can I, Mac?”

For a space old Donald was silent.  Then he said, “You’re thinkin’ of me, Johnny, an’ what we was planning on?”

“Partly.”

“Then don’t any more.  I’ll stick to you, an’ we’ll stick to her.  Only——­”

“What?”

“If you could get Peggy Blackton to help you——­”

“You mean——­” began Aldous eagerly.

“That if Peggy Blackton got her to stay for a week—­mebby ten days—­visitin’ her, you know, it wouldn’t be so bad if you told her then, would it, Johnny?”

“By George, it wouldn’t!”

“And I think——­”

“Yes——­”

“Bein’ an old man, an’ seein’ mebby what you don’t see——­”

“Yes——­”

“That she’d take you, Johnny.”

In his breast John’s heart seemed suddenly to give a jump that choked him.  And while he stared ahead old Donald went on.

“I’ve seen it afore, in a pair of eyes just like her eyes, Johnny—­so soft an’ deeplike, like the sky up there when the sun’s in it.  I seen it when we was ridin’ behind an’ she looked ahead at you, Johnny.  I did.  An’ I’ve seen it afore.  An’ I think——­”

Aldous waited, his heart-strings ready to snap.

“An’ I think—­she likes you a great deal, Johnny.”

Aldous reached over and gripped MacDonald’s hand.

“The good Lord bless you, Donald!  We’ll stick!  As for Quade and Culver Rann——­”