d missed, then he realized what Scotty
had done. The spear shaft was attached to a long wire leader, and the
leader to a safety line coiled around a spool just ahead of the pistol
grip. Scotty had deliberately fired ahead of the propeller, knowing that
the wire leader would be caught and would wrap around the shaft.

Rick saw the spear stop short as the wire caught, saw it hauled back
against the propeller and drop free as the prop blades cut it loose.
Scotty shot up for a breath, then dove instantly, toward the rapidly
falling spear.

Rick had to breathe himself. He surfaced, caught a quick breath, then
went under again. Scotty was picking up the spear. Rick saw him place it
in the gun barrel, swing the loader over the razor-sharp harpoon head,
and shove down on the spring. In a moment the gun was loaded again.
Luckily the spear had not bent when the prop blade hit it.

The boat had come to a halt, the engine dead. The propeller could no
longer turn against the wrapping of wire and heavy fishline. Scotty
hooted twice, their signal to surface, and Rick followed him up. Near
the surface they separated, Rick taking the side of the boat away from
his friend. He longed for a weapon, even a hand spear. But he was
helpless. Scotty would have to get in the first blow with the gun. But,
Rick thought, that might give him time to get over the gunwale to
grapple with the shadow.

His head broke water. He pulled the snorkel from his mouth and let it
hang. As luck would have it, the shadow saw him first. He stood up, oar
in hands, poised for a swing at Rick's head.

Scotty's voice stopped the swing. "Don't do it or you'll get three feet
of steel through you!"

The man turned and faced the needle point of Scotty's spear. The oar
dropped from his hands.

Rick gulped his relief. Apparently the shadow had no weapon.

"Jump overboard!" Scotty ordered.

The man hesitated. Scotty thrust the spear gun forward. "Jump, I said!"

The shadow did, and sank in a flurry of bubbles. When he rose to the
surface again, the point of the spear was against his back. "Hang on to
the boat with both hands," Scotty directed.

Rick got to his side with a kick of the flippers and ran his hands over
the man's clothing. He found a switch knife, which he put in his belt.
"He's clean," he said. "No other weapons."

"Take a look in the boat," Scotty suggested.

Rick did so, lifting himself up on the gunwale. There was nothing in the
boat but oars a