," Steve reported. "He'll
be here for at least a week before the jail cell opens wide. Seriously,
Rick, are you all right? Apparently there was no concussion."

"I'm fine," Rick assured him. "But I'll bet this bandage makes me look
like a survivor of Custer's Last Stand."

Steve and Scotty drew chairs up to the bed. "One last look by the doctor
and we'll take you home," Steve told him. "If you feel up to it."

"What'll I do for clothes?" Rick asked.

"They're in your closet," Scotty replied. "We brought them with us. Last
night we took your gear home after the hospital folks peeled you out of
it."

"Good." Rick looked at his two friends. "Now suppose you tell me what
happened last night? I must have been out like a light while the
excitement was running high."

Scotty nodded. "I'll start. I was behind one of the pier piles when the
bodyguard cut the balloon loose. I jumped out for a clear shot, but by
then you had put your spear through the thing. I was going to add mine
for good luck when I saw the bodyguard reach for the old equalizer and
draw a bead on you, so I shifted targets. I looked back at you just in
time to see you dangling from the stingaree like an extra tail. And
right then you went boom into the piling. But would Brant ever let go of
evidence? Not you, ol' buddy. There you dangled, limp as a wilted banana
while the balloon drifted along with you. I started toward you as fast
as I could go, which wasn't very fast with water up to my waist."

"Wish I could have seen it," Rick said with a grin.

"So do I," Scotty assured him. "Camillion and his friends were also
somewhat interested in you. They started down the lawn, and I was sure
they'd get to you before I could. Only then Joe and Chuck stepped out of
the bushes not ten yards from where I'd been hiding, and yelled to the
lads to hold fast and get their hands high. Steve stepped around the
corner of the barn with a .45 in his mitt and emphasized the point.
Lefty and company got the idea and skidded to a stop with all brakes
locked. I put on more speed, and Steve joined the chase."

"I didn't see you hit the piling." Steve picked up the story. "But I
heard it. When I saw that the boys had things under control with their
shotguns, I stepped on it and got to you a few seconds after Scotty had
grabbed you by the waist. When I saw your face, I had a few bad moments
until I could take a closer look. You were a bloody mess, to put it
mildly, with more th