"I couldn't afford to let the hunter have it, and there is a chance the boat-puller doesn't know how to steer.

In which case, the hunter cannot steer and shoot at the same time." His reasoning was justified, for the boat rushed at once into the wind and the hunter sprang aft to take the boat-steerer's place.

There was no more shooting, though the rifles were still cracking merrily from the other boats.
The hunter had managed to get the boat before the wind again, but we ran down upon it, going at least two feet to its one.

A hundred yards away, I saw the boat-puller pass a rifle to the hunter.

Wolf Larsen went amidships and took the coil of the throat-halyards from its pin.