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That motion sealed his doom. For Struve knew that Siegfried had

brought the ranger to capture him, and suspected in the same

flash that Briscoe was in on the betrayal. Had not the man as

good as told him so, not thirty seconds before? He supposed that

Jed was drawing to kill or cover him, and, like a flash of

lightning, unscabbarded and fired.

"You infernal Judas, I'll get you anyhow," he cried.

Jed dropped his weapon, and reeled back against the wall, where

he hung for a moment, while the convict pumped a second and a

third bullet into his body. Briscoe was dead before Fraser could

leap forward and throw his arms round the man who had killed him.

Between them, they flung Struve to the ground, and disarmed him.

The convict's head had struck as he went down, and it was not for

some little time that he recovered fully from his daze. When he

did his hands were tied behind him.