wrapped her arms around Parker's neck. "Save
me, Beel, save me!"

Parker caught her wrists, jerked her arms loose from his neck, and rose
quickly to his feet. He hoped fervidly that his eyes had been deceiving
him and that standing up would cause this mirage to disappear.

His eyes continued to deceive him. The three men did not disappear. They
continued to walk across the water toward the raft. They moved with the
sureness of men who know where they are going.

Behind them, suddenly outlined against the fat sun that was wallowing in
the sea, rocky, grim, and forbidding, the mysterious island was now
visible. It had reappeared. They had found it.

Three men coming from it had found them.

The shark found the three men.

Parker saw the triangular fin cut through the water toward them. Like a
speed boat taking off on a race, the fin gathered momentum.

The three men saw it coming.

"Ho!" one yelled.

"A shark!" the second said.

"Have at him, boys!" the third shouted.

* * * * *

The shark charged them. Drawing their swords, the three men executed a
nimble dance on the surface of the sea. They thrust downward--their
swords entering the water with no difficulty whatsoever although their
feet did not enter it--drew them back dripping red. They skipped lightly
out of the way of the wounded and infuriated monster.

"Zounds!"

"Chop the sea pig down!"

"Carve his heart out!"

Old battle cries rang in the air as they fought the shark. Blood colored
the surface of the sea.

The wounded shark suddenly took its death blow. It dived, was gone from
sight, then broke the surface a hundred yards away. It beat the water
into foam, threshing out its life.

With pleased interest, the three men watched the shark die. Dipping
their blades into the sea to clean the blood from them, they wiped them
dry on their pants legs.

Again they moved toward the raft.

Parker's hand went to the pistol inside his leather jacket. He loosed it
in its holster but did not draw it.

Mercedes moaned and covered her eyes. At the other end of the boat,
Retch had risen to his feet.

Bracing himself, Bill Parker waited for--whatever was to happen. Out of
the corner of his eye, he saw Retch slowly drawing his gun.

"Damn it, Retch, put that gun away!" Parker shouted. "Don't shoot until
you know what the hell is going on."

Retch turned, the gun visible in his hand. "What the hell--" Retch
didn't put t