"I didn't go for to kill him," he whimpered, now thoroughly frightened
at what he had done. "You both saw it, gentlemen. You did, lieutenant.
So did you, Sig. It was self-defense. He drew on me. I didn't go to do
it."

Fraser was examining the dead man's wounds. He looked up, and said to
his friend: "Nothing to do for him, Sig. He's gone."

"I tell you, I didn't mean to do it," pleaded Struve. "Why,
lieutenant, that man has been trying to get me to ambush you for
weeks. I'll swear it." The convict was in a panic of terror, ready to
curry favor with the man whom he held his deadliest enemy. "Yes,
lieutenant, ever since you came here. He's been egging me on to kill
you."

"And you tried it three times?"

"No, sir." He pointed vindictively at the dead man, lying face up on
the floor. "It was him that ambushed you this morning. I hadn't a
thing to do with it."

"Don't lie, you coward."

They carried the body to the next room and put it on a bed. Tommie was
dispatched on a fast horse for help.

Late in the afternoon he brought back with him Doctor Lee, and half an
hour after sunset Yorky and Slim galloped up. They were for settling
the matter out of hand by stringing the convict Struve up to the