"I'll see," nodded Noll coolly. He stepped back, running through the letters in the D box. There was a letter there, as Noll Terry knew well enough. It had come in the mail that morning, and was postmarked at San Francisco. Presently Noll came back into sight with the letter, holding it out with his left hand, while, with his right, he leaned over to replace the other letters in D box. "Can you reach it?" invited Noll. The man who had given the name of Dade made the effort to reach the letter, which was just what Noll was trying to make him do. That move would keep one of the desperate fellow's hands away from his weapons for a second or two. Two doors opened like a flash. Lieutenant Prescott and Private Overton were darting on tip-toe into the expected fray. "Blick, get your hands up--high! Get 'em up quick, or take lead!" ordered Lieutenant Prescott imperiously. "Don't try any tricks!" Reaching his man at a bound, the young Army officer thrust his revolver squarely up against the fellow's breast. "Great Scott, mister, don't shoot!" yelled the stranger in a quavering voice. "Then up with your hands, Blick!" As though in terror the stranger had sprung back two or three feet. This was done with the quickness of a wildcat. As a part of the same movement the desperate man threw up one foot in a clever kick. His heavy boot struck Lieutenant Prescott's right wrist with fearful force, sending the pistol flying and nearly breaking the young officer's wrist. Private Hal Overton had started at the same instant, but he had further to go. Blick's right hand dropped in a twinkling to the right side pocket of his top-coat. Both hands now flashed into sight, each holding a revolver. Coolly enough now, but with incredible swiftness, the stranger aimed his left-hand weapon at Lieutenant Prescott. At the same instant Soldier Hal leaped from behind, wrapping both his arms around Blick's neck and dragging him swiftly backward. Bang! The revolver was discharged, but the bullet, owing to Blick's going over backward, struck a wall. Surely Blick must have possessed all the strength and ferocity of the mountain lion. Though Hal Overton thought he had his man headed for a crashing fall to the floor, the fellow managed to squirm out of that clutch as though by magic. Then Soldier Hal found himself staring into both muzzles of the desperate fellow's pistols. Hal knew it was time for him to shoot, but found he was not as swift at the game as was the justly dreaded Blick. Bang-bang! sounded two loud reports. Two streams of fire flashed before Private Overton's eyes. Two bullets all but grazed the soldier boy's head on either side. He would have been killed instantly but for Lieutenant Prescott. That young officer, afraid to fire for fear of hitting his own man, had jumped into the fray despite the fact that his right wrist was all but useless. With one flashing movement Prescott had recovered his revolver with his left hand.