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."
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.
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, but Scotty was already untying her. The moment her hands were free, she pulled the gag from her mouth and announced, "Well! You took long enough getting here!"
Rick didn't know what to say to that. He didn't have a chance to say anything. His sister rushed over, put her arms around him, and squeezed.
"You were wonderful," she said. "Scotty, he held four of them at bay. I never knew you could fight like that, Rick Brant!"
Rick grinned. "I didn't do so much. You took one of them out of play by stamping on him. And Jan gave me an opening with as fine a kick as I've seen off a football field."
The two JANIG agents had produced handcuffs, and the men and women were manacled together in a continuous chain.
"Outside," one agent commanded. "Get into the pram."
"You've got nothing on us," the man in the striped shirt protested. "We were only protecting ourselves against this wild man who barged in here."
"Were you protecting yourselves against the two girls?" Scotty asked.