"will you go and tell Miss Hatherton to
dress at once and to put in a parcel as many of her belongings as she
can carry in one hand. Be quick!"

The Frenchman dared not ask any questions. He departed in a state of
alarm and mystery, and Baptiste and I were left alone with the captain.
The latter rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Mr. Carew," he said gravely, "you remember the question I put to you an
hour ago? You have no longer any choice in the matter; we must leave
Quebec at once--within a few minutes. That is, if we can."

"What do you mean?" I asked hoarsely. "What has happened?"

"Much," he replied. "In the first place, you wounded Mr. Mackenzie in
the right arm. In the second place, I followed the ruffians for a
quarter of a mile--there were two of them--and finally came up with them
at a lonely spot. I tried to take them both, but they resisted fiercely.
To save my own life I shot and killed Mackenzie's companion, a Northwest
man named Tredennis. Mackenzie fled, raising the alarm as he ran, and by
a detour I got back to the hotel unobserved."

"There is likely to be trouble over the affair," said I; and indeed I
felt more alarm than I put into my voice.

"Trouble?" cried the captain, with some irritation. "By Heavens, Mr.
Carew, it's as black an outlook as I ever faced! Mackenzie knows his
power, and he will hatch up a devil of a lie. In Quebec feeling runs
high against the Hudson Bay people, and the authorities openly favor the
Northwest Company. I tell you there will be warrants out for our arrest
within the hour--perhaps in less time. And you must perceive what the
result will be if we are taken. Lord Selkirk's dispatches will fall into
the hands of our enemies; you and I will be thrown into prison. And God
only knows what will become of Miss Hatherton!"

I felt a sensation as of a hand clutching at my heart. I knew that the
situation was as dismal as Captain Rudstone had painted it--that we
could not expect fair dealing from the authorities of Quebec. And the
thought of the girl's peril, if she should be left to the wiles of
Cuthbert Mackenzie, put me in a mind to accept any opportunity of escape
that offered.

"What is your plan?" I asked.

"The Yankee ship Speedwell sails for the Bay in the morning," the
captain replied. "She lies anchored a short distance down the river, and
we must get on board as soon as possible. I have known her master, Hiram
Bunker, of Salem, for several years."

I made no o