But Raoul felt as if the bottom was dropping out of his stomach as he looked at the two men. Neither Elysee nor Frank replied. Raoul saw resolution in Frank's light blue eyes. The man who had never wanted to kill was prepared to die. _I have to shoot first._ He heard Nicole scream as his finger tightened on the trigger. Frank and Elysee were pushed apart. Raoul was looking into Auguste's eyes, blazing with a dark fire. _Kill the mongrel now, and you're done with him forever._ He squeezed the trigger hard. The hammer fell, and the pistol boomed and blossomed red fire and white smoke. The pistol and the rifle pointed at Raoul both went off, hurling a blinding bitter cloud back into his face. He stood unhurt. Elysee and Frank had fired, but by pushing unexpectedly between them Auguste had spoiled their aim. The smoke cleared. Raoul saw a black spot on the left side of Auguste's white shirt. In an instant it was a spreading scarlet stain. Auguste's eyes were shut. He fell back against Nicole, his knees buckled and he sagged to the ground. Nicole, her skirts billowing, threw her arms around Auguste and eased him down. Raoul felt a surge of triumph. _At last! I killed the sonofabitch!_ But below the triumph, like chill black water under thin ice, lay fear of what might happen now. His knees trembled. Raoul saw Nancy Hale staring at him, her eyes full of hate. _Well, if I couldn't have you, he won't either._ "It was you led me to him, Nancy," he said, grinning as he saw her mouth twist in anguish. "When you came here, we knew he was here." "I pray that you burn in Hell for all eternity, Raoul de Marion!" "Pretty talk for a minister's daughter," he laughed. "Mon colonel!" Armand called. "We hear men running this way. Must be Regulators. Let us ambush them. We have time to find hiding places." "No," said Raoul. "We'd have to silence this bunch." He gestured at Frank, Elysee, Guichard and Nicole, who were lifting Auguste's body into the house. _Will I truly have to stand trial for murder? Me? I never have before._ He stared into the empty doorway. Had he really finished Auguste? He'd better go in there and see. But there were three armed men in there, and if he had killed Auguste, nothing could stop them from trying to kill him. In fact, it might be a good idea to get away from here. With his family all fired up and the Regulators on the way, a very good idea. He heard Nancy scream again and again. Nicole suddenly appeared in the doorway. "You are not my brother anymore, Raoul. I'll bear witness against you and so will Papa and Frank." She broke down and sobbed, then caught herself. "You'll hang for this murder, and then, just like Nancy says, you'll burn in Hell." _She says it is murder. Then the mongrel must be dead for certain._ Raoul felt a vast relief. At last he had lifted from his shoulders the burden that had crushed them ever since Pierre brought the savage boy out of the forest.