To Blick it was little concern whether he lived or died. If he must go under in the fight he intended at least to do all the mischief he could.
So he fired, even while Prescott and Hal were fighting desperately to pin his arms and spoil his aim.
Fortunately, none of these five bullets did any harm.
But the three locked together were fighting like panthers.
If Blick could but wriggle out of the clutch long enough to get either hand free, he would stand a very good chance to kill one or both of his assailants.
Neither the lieutenant or the soldier boy dared fire in this scrambling clinch.
Each feared to kill the other.
Then Blick briefly got an arm free.
Bang! bang!