“Pardon, monsieur,” he whimpered. “Mon Dieu! I am stricken! Ze boy ees mad. Perhaps you notice et before, monsieur. I intend to tell you ze truth when first you came, but there ees always ze shame an’ ze pride. You understand me, monsieur.”
“Yes, I understand you,” Dick replied coldly. “Believe me, I’ll know exactly what to expect from you in future. One false move from either one of you, and I won’t hesitate about using this nice little plaything here in my hands. Stand aside!”
Baptiste obeyed quickly as Dick backed slowly to the door, opened it and went quickly out. His pulses were pounding and his hand trembled as he returned the gun to its holster.
“Close shave!” he muttered to himself. “I guess I was pretty lucky that time.”
At a dog trot, he hurried along the foot-path, leading to the creek.
CHAPTER VII
FLIGHT THROUGH THE WOODS
A very alert and still somewhat frightened young man in the person of Dick Kent hurried across the small creek he had commenced following a few hours before, and struck off through the heavy forest of spruce and poplar, which lay between him and Fort Good Faith.
In spite of the fact that travelling was now more difficult, Dick made remarkably good time. The thought uppermost in his mind was to put as many miles between him and the treacherous Baptiste as possible, to go on with undiminished speed until darkness came to prevent further progress.
Pursuit would be almost certain, Dick reasoned. The two brothers, smarting under their recent thwarted attempt to take Dick prisoner, would be anxious to even the score.
“They’ll be wild,” Dick grinned to himself, “and angry enough to boil me in oil if ever I fall in their hands again.”