"Oh, see what he's doing! Look out!"

Her cry of warning came just too late. There was a flash and roar, and a
hot flame seemed to pass through Wade's body. Half turning about, he
clutched at the air, and then pitched forward to the floor, where he lay
still. Flourishing the gun, Moran got unsteadily to his feet and turned
a ghastly, dappled visage to the girl, who, stunned and helpless, was
gazing at him in wide-eyed horror. But she had nothing more to fear
from him, for now that he believed Wade dead, the agent was too
overshadowed by his crime to think of perpetrating another and worse
one. He had already wasted too much valuable time. He must get away.

"I got him," he croaked, in a terrible voice. "I got him like I said I
would, damn him!" With a blood-curdling attempt at a laugh, he staggered
out of the house into the sunshine.

For a moment Dorothy stared woodenly through the empty doorway; then,
with a choking sob, she bent over the man at her feet. She shook him
gently and begged him to speak to her, but she could get no response and
under her exploring fingers his heart apparently had ceased to beat. For
a few seconds she stared at the widening patch of red on his torn shirt;
then her gaze shifted and focused on the rifle in the corner by the
door. As she looked at the weapon her wide, fear-struck eyes narrowed
and hardened with a sudden resolve. Seizing the gun, she cocked it and
stepped into the doorway.

Moran was walking unsteadily toward the place where he had tied his
horse. He was tacking from side to side like a drunken man, waving his
arms about and talking to himself. Bringing the rifle to her shoulder,
Dorothy steadied herself against the door-frame and took long, careful
aim. As she sighted the weapon her usually pretty face, now scratched
and streaked with blood from her struggles with the agent, wore the
expression of one who has seen all that is dear in life slip away from
her. At the sharp crack of the rifle Moran stopped short and a
convulsive shudder racked his big body from head to foot. After a single
step forward he crumpled up on the ground. For several moments his arms
and legs twitched spasmodically; then he lay still.

Horrified by what she had done, now that it was accomplished Dorothy
stepped backward into the house and stood the rifle in its former
position near the door, when a low moan from behind made her turn
hurriedly. Wade was not dead then! She hastily tore his shirt fro