Eagen, recovering from his amazement at the man's outbreak, leaped and drove his powerful fist against Doane's jaw, knocking him nearly the length of the room, where he crashed with his head against the stones of the fireplace. Eagen turned quickly. His eyes were blazing red. "You're the man!" he yelled wrathfully. "You're the yellow Coyote----" His right hand went to his gun, as there came a crashing report. He staggered back, trying to get out the weapon which had not left his holster. He sank down to his knees, still glaring death at the man above him, still fumbling at his gun. Then he lurched forward on his face. Rathburn flipped his smoking pistol so that its barrel landed in his hand. Then he tendered it, butt foremost, to Sheriff Bob Long. Long took it and threw it on the table, looking first at Rathburn, then at the dead man on the floor. He waved toward the doors and windows. "You boys can draw back," he ordered. Mallory stepped to the fallen Doane. The man's face had set in a white cast. He felt his heart. "He did for him," he said, rising. Laura Mallory came walking slowly up to the sheriff. Her face was ghastly after what she had witnessed. "Sheriff Long," she said in a voice strangely calm, "we heard Eagen"--she shuddered, as she mentioned the name--"ask Roger--ask Mr. Rathburn last night to help with some job that would get them a lot of money. It may be that--that--Fred did plan such a thing. I'm sorry to say it, but Fred had seemed awfully nervous lately, and to-night he came to me and asked me to run away with him--at once. He seemed horribly afraid of something. Anyway, Roger refused to go in with Eagen, and an examination of Fred's books will tell all." She hesitated. Then she spoke slowly and softly. "I know why Roger robbed the bank and----" "Stop, Laura!" cried Rathburn. "No," said Laura firmly; "you may be going to prison." He put out one hand in protest. Turning again to the sheriff she said: "Roger did go to town last night, intending to give himself up. I knew he was going to do it by the way he looked at me. But to-day he saw me with Mr. Doane, and maybe he's heard things for which there was no warrant. Anyway, I know he thought I--I--was in love with Fred." "Laura--please!" Rathburn pleaded. "And to-night," said the girl in triumph, "he heard Fred was cashier of the bank he'd robbed, and he brought the money back because he thought the robbery would hurt Fred and in that way hurt me!" Rathburn turned appealingly to the sheriff. "Let's go," he urged. "He robbed that bank because he thought I had betrayed his trust, Sheriff Long!" cried Laura, her eyes shining. "Are we going, Long?" cried Rathburn in an agony.