yelled.

Scotty crashed down across the man, calling to Zircon and Chahda. Guided
by their friend's voice, the two reached his side quickly. Rick couldn't
hear what Scotty said, but the big scientist suddenly sat down, his back
to Long Shadow. A moment later he writhed away, and he had the pistol
between his bound hands.

Rick sighed his relief. "Wait!" he yelled. "I'll be right there!"

He didn't dare take his eyes off the scene long enough to pick up his
prisoner. Time enough for that later. He untied the boat and got in. He
knelt, placing the rifle on the seat in front of him next to the
infrared camera. Then, using the oar as a paddle once more, he started
straight across to the camp.

It wasn't a far journey. But as he reached the halfway mark, two of the
Tibetans looked cautiously out of their hiding place. Rick put the oar
across the gunwales, picked up his rifle, and sighted carefully.
Fortunately, there wasn't so much as a ripple on the water. The boat was
perfectly steady.

He squeezed the trigger, and the stalactite directly over their heads
shattered into a thousand pieces, showering them with limestone. They
didn't wait for a second shot. He could hear their yells even after they
had ducked back into the caves. They weren't used to sharpshooting in
total darkness.

Rick smiled as he resumed paddling. He could understand how they felt.
He wasn't used to it, either.

In a few moments he was at the barge. He tied the boat to one of the odd
derrick affairs and scrambled out. Then, picking up the camera and
rifle, he hurried to his friends.

Scotty and Chahda were using Long Shadow as a bench. Zircon sat a little
distance apart, trying to peer toward Rick through the darkness.

"Dark in here, isn't it?" Rick inquired pleasantly.

"Rick! You old muttonhead!" Scotty exclaimed.

"Thank God you're safe," Zircon said.

Chahda grinned the widest grin ever and said, "Also giving much thanks
that friend Rick has eyes like cat which see in dark!" The Hindu boy
didn't know about the infrared camera, unless the others had explained
it to him. There hadn't been time back at camp, and Rick hadn't thought
of it, anyway.

In a moment the three were untied, rubbing circulation back into their
wrists.

"Let's get a light!" Zircon said. "I think we had better see to the
wounded. I assume there are wounded? I know Ko was hit. And just as he
was about to carve my head from my shoulders, too."

"He's sitting over