"That it is a lie!" shouted the accused officer. "He is accusing me to
save himself."

The general looked at him in silence for some moments, apparently
undecided as to how to act.

"Well," he said at length, "it will do no harm to find out."

He stepped to the door of his tent and spoke to the sentinel on duty
just outside:

"Ask Lieutenant Armand to step this way at once."

As General Givet turned from giving this command, Captain Bassil suddenly
uttered a loud cry and leaped upon the commander.

"At least you shall never live to thwart our plans!" he cried, as
he sprang.

Taken completely off his guard, General Givet was hurled heavily to the
ground by the force of the traitor's spring. The commander's head struck
the ground with a crash, and he lay still. A revolver barrel gleamed in
the sunlight that filtered through the half-closed opening in the tent.
But even as it was brought to bear Chester leaped forward.

With one strong hand he seized the traitor by the wrist, and deflected
the revolver just as the traitor's hand pressed the trigger, and the
bullet whistled harmlessly through the top of the tent.

The captain turned upon Chester with the fury of a madman, and so sudden
and fierce was his attack that the lad was borne to the ground. But in
spite of the fact that he was underneath, one hand still grasped the hand
in which the spy held the revolver; and, try as he would, the latter was
unable to break the boy's grip.

His teeth bared in a snarl, the traitor suddenly released his grip on the
revolver, drew back and drove his fist at the lad's face. But if Captain
Bassil was quick, Chester was quick also. With a rapid movement, he
rolled over, the revolver still in his hand, and thus escaped the
terrific blow aimed at him.

But before he could rise or bring the revolver to bear, the traitor was
upon him again, and two hands seized him by the throat. In vain the lad
tried to shake himself free, and he was slowly being choked into
unconsciousness.

But with a last desperate effort, he succeeded in bringing the
revolver, which he still held firmly, between him and his enemy, and
pressed the trigger.

There was the sound of an explosion, and for a moment the grip on the
boy's throat seemed to grow even tighter. But for a moment only, and then
the hands relaxed, Chester heard a faint moan, and, drawing in great
gasps of fresh air, the boy fell into unconsciousness, just as the flap
to the tent was