The Flaming Mountain: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story
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CHAPTER XII
The Rising Magma
The Spindrift group held a council of war in their office-conferenceroom. Inspection of the hotel had shown that damage was not as seriousas first expected. The cornices, held only by mortar, had fallen, andthe rear exterior wall had lost its brick veneer. The structural part ofthe wall, while cracked, was strong enough to hold up. The veneer wasunsafe, however, and it was agreed that all should stay well away fromthe area where Connel had been imprisoned.
"We must begin another series of shots at once," Hartson Brant said."It's apparent that the magma has moved, and rapidly. But until we getmore tracings, we won't know in what direction. Meanwhile, we _must_find the governor!"
"How?" Rick asked. "How can we find him?"
Hartson Brant smiled at his son. "It seems to me that you and Scottyhave acquired considerable reputations as detectives, Rick. I suggestyou earn them. Find the governor for us. We will give you Honorario asan interpreter, but it will be up to you. The rest of us must operate asbest we can short-handed."
"How about Connel?" Scotty demanded.
The scientist shrugged. "He's the least of my worries. Let him develophis diamond mine. My concern is with this island and the people on it.If our guess is right, Connel will be lucky to have a few days in whichto work--scarcely enough to do much mining."
"Any ideas?" Rick asked.
"Yes. Talk to the governor's family, and to his personal staff. Stayaway from Guevara. Once Connel tells him we know about the diamonds, hemay become dangerous. Do what you can, boys. After all, this isn't a bigisland and the governor must be somewhere on it."
"If he's alive," Scotty added.
Hartson Brant looked at the boy and his face grew grim. "Yes," heagreed. "If he's alive."
Rick and Scotty had always relished the adventure and excitement oftrying to solve a mystery. Sometimes the success or failure of a projecthad hung in the balance, but this one was different. The fate of anisland and nearly 32,000 people depended on solving the riddle of themissing governor. Rick felt the weight of the responsibility.
The plan he and Scotty developed was simple and logical. They wouldstart with the governor's movements on the morning of his disappearanceand continue from there.
At the governor's residence they learned from his butler that Montoyahad left the house promptly at eight o'clock, as he did every morning.He drove himself, in a small English car that he used for personaltransportation. But, as they knew from the visit to the executiveoffices, he had never arrived.
The next stop was to determine his route. It wasn't difficult; there wasonly one main road from the outskirts of Calor into town, although therewere many side streets.
With Honorario as interpreter, they began the time-consuming job ofquestioning householders along the route.
Honorario was personally interested in the job. He had learned from themof Connel's perfidy, and he said quietly, "Ruiz is my friend. We do notyet know if he will live, or, if he lives, if he will be a whole managain. I owe it to him to do my best in this matter. You may depend onme."
Not until they had reached the outskirts of Calor did they find what hadhappened. Through Honorario, an old lady who had seen it all through herwindow told them the story.
"A big military truck was across the road," Honorario reported. "It waskeeping cars from passing. The little car of the governor came, and ithad to stop. An officer got in with the governor. The truck moved awayand the governor drove off. The old woman thinks the officer waspointing a gun at the governor. She did not know it was the governor,but her words to describe him were enough."
Rick whistled. "Military? Does that mean the governor got caught by somekind of revolutionary group?"
Honorario shrugged. "Who knows? But I have heard of no revolution. Thegovernor is popular, and the people are satisfied. But you should know,my friends, that on this island the _comandante_ of our small militaryis the lieutenant governor. I think we are not dealing here withrevolution, but with Senor Jaime Guevara!"
"We're stuck," Scotty said. "I suppose we could keep on asking and tryto get a line on where the governor's car went, but that's prettyhopeless. Honorario, can we possibly find someone who is loyal to thegovernor and who knows the island?"
Honorario thought it over. "In such a case," he replied, "there is onlyone way to be sure. It is, you understand, a matter of family. Among SanLuzians, the family is first and all else is after. So, I think weshould see the nephew of the governor. He is _el capitan_ RicardoMontoya, who is deputy of police for the western part of the island."
Captain Ricardo Montoya was young, capable, and alert. Honorario foundhim in the police headquarters in central Calor and invited him to jointhe boys for coffee at a nearby cafe.
Rick looked the officer over as he entered the restaurant, and he likedwhat he saw. Montoya was built like a middleweight fighter, and hiswhite uniform was spotless. He was lighter in complexion than most SanLuzians, but even the wisp of mustache on his upper lip couldn'tconceal the firmness of his face.
He greeted them courteously, in good English. "_A sus ordenes, senores._This Honorario says you wish to speak with me?"
"We place ourselves in your hands, Senor _Capitan_," Rick said quietly."Because you are the governor's nephew and a police official, we mustassume that you are completely loyal to him."
The officer's brilliant dark eyes flashed. "It would be a grave insultto assume otherwise, senor. He is the brother of my father."
"Good," Rick said. "No insult was intended. I think we had better tellyou the entire story, then we can discuss what must be done." He startedat the beginning, with the arrival of Balgos at Spindrift, and endedwith the day's events.
"You have cast much light on what has happened," the captain stated. "Iam grateful. Now, senores, you must not believe I have been idle. I hadalready discovered how my uncle was kidnaped. It was clear that somemilitary element was involved, but I rejected the idea of revolution.The motive puzzled me. It is puzzling no longer, thanks to you. Also,while I suspected Guevara, there was no proof. My suspicion, youunderstand, was based on his character."
"Have you any idea where the governor was taken?" Scotty asked.
"I have now," Montoya said grimly. "The best possibility--and about theonly place we have not looked--is Casa Guevara."
The boys exchanged glances. "Then we ought to make up a party of loyalpeople and invade the place," Rick stated.
"No. If I know this man Guevara, any such move would mean the death ofmy uncle, if he still lives. We must find some other way."
"Can you find loyal people?" Rick asked.
"A few. You must understand most people do not feel as I do aboutGuevara. He is popular. Who knows where the loyalty of the people lies,between individuals? One cannot be certain. So, I must use only menloyal to me. There are such."
Montoya rose. "We will be allies, since we fight for the same thing,which is San Luz. Let me see what kind of plan can be made. Go back toyour hotel, and I will come for you there. We will work this thing outtogether." He shook hands with both boys, turned, and strode from therestaurant.
Rick paid for their coffee and the boys joined Honorario, who waswaiting outside in the jeep. "He's a good, tough _hombre_," Rick toldthe San Luzian. "You made a good choice."
"I am glad," Honorario said. "Someday he will be governor, like hisuncle."
While the boys were in Calor, the scientists had conducted anotherseries of shots. The tracings were spread out on the table when theyreturned, and the group was engrossed in checking them over.
Rick and Scotty waited, watching. They knew from the quiet voices andtense attitudes that something serious had been found. Then Williamsbegan to mark in the data on his sketch.
"This is where the explosion took place," he said. "Probably the magmahit a quantity of water as it entered the new channel. Notice that thechannel is one we marked on here earlier as a probable path. So far,we're guessing right. Now, my estimate is that the magma will
move fast,stopping only when it reaches this dike of solid basalt."
Hartson Brant wiped his face with his handkerchief. "It looks bad, Jeff.The magma will reach the solid layer before we could possibly get to itwith a tunnel."
"What does that mean?" Rick asked.
Hobart Zircon answered him. "It means, Rick, that we no longer have timeto dig a vent. It means the people of this island will be lucky if theycan get away in time!"