All Joe realized was that he was being shot at, while his legs manifested an overwhelming desire to get away.
Even if he had so wished, he could not very well have stayed to explain to the excited man with the smoking revolver.

So he took to his heels for the beach, colliding with another man with a dark lantern who came running around the end of one of the piles of iron.

This second man quickly regained his feet, and peppered away at Joe as he flew down the bank.
He dashed out into the water for the boat.

French Pete at the bow-oars and 'Frisco Kid at the stroke had the skiff's nose pointed seaward and were calmly awaiting his arrival.

They had their oars ready for the start, but they held them quietly at rest, for all that both men on the bank had begun to fire at them.