forward.

Rick met him. He dove into the man's stomach and felt his head smack
into soft flesh. The breath went out of striped shirt again. Rick
regained his feet and turned to Barby. She was making sounds through
her gag, her eyes desperate.

The boy whirled. The women were back in the fight, one of them
scrambling for the gun under Jan's chair. Jan kicked it far back, out
of reach. Rick scooped up the table and slid it along the floor at
them. The table caught them like a pair of tenpins and knocked them
into the corner. He turned back to Barby and started to untie her, his
fingers racing.

A blow landed on his shoulder. He turned in time to meet another one
across the cheek that knocked him back against the wall. He rebounded,
fighting. The dark man was crouched low, fists weaving. Rick danced
lightly around him waiting. Let the man come to him.

The man led with a right. Rick rolled away from it, watching the left
that was cocked for a Sunday punch. The man threw his punch. Rick
caught it on the forearm and gasped with the pain of it. The guy had a
wallop like a mule!

Rick feinted with the hurt arm, then drove a chop at the man's nose.
It connected and brought a gasp of pain. Barby was screaming through
the gag again, but he couldn't look now. He brought a roundhouse punch
up under his opponent's guard and felt it smack solidly against ribs.
Then an arm encircled his neck and a clenched fist crashed against the
back of his head. He saw stars, and for a moment his guard dropped.
Then both arms were pinioned.

Striped shirt had caught him from behind. Now the dark man stepped in,
fist cocked for a knockout punch. Rick saw it coming and braced
himself.

The punch never landed. A crisp voice said, "Don't do it!"

Encircling arms fell away. Rick turned, knees weak.

A man in Boy Scout uniform stood in the cabin door, and in his hand
was a Police Positive.

"All right," the Scout said cheerfully. "Party's over."

CHAPTER XIX

Taped for Trouble

Another Scout leader moved into the cabin, followed by Scotty. Rick
gave them a grin, then turned and picked up the gun behind Jan's
chair. He stuck it in his pocket and untied the girl.

The plastic cap was still on her head. He lifted it off gently and put
it on top of the machine.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded, hand at her throat. "Yes," she managed. "I can't talk. The
gag ..."

"Time for talk later," Rick said. He started for Barby