The Golden Skull: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story
Page 11
CHAPTER XI
Warriors Three
Rick got guns, but it took time. There were no sporting goods stores inBaguio. In fact, there were no stores that carried rifles. A few carriedpistols, mostly Italian and English makes. But Rick knew that a pistolis better for morale than for actual use. Few people can hit anythingwith a pistol, and fewer still can hit a moving target.
He supposed that Scotty and Angel had picked up the rifles of theambushers, but since he didn't know the calibers, he couldn't getammunition for them. What he finally procured were a shotgun, 12-gaugewith an ample supply of shells, and a United States Army carbine, withabout ten clips. These were private purchases from a store owner who waswilling to sell his personal arsenal.
It was late when Rick got started for Bontoc. He watched for Scotty andAngel on the road but failed to catch up with them. They had reachedBontoc before him, as he found when he circled to land. They cleared theroad and stood by while he brought the Sky Wagon down.
Angel had already hired two Igorots to guard the plane. They weretough-looking customers who wore hard-rock miner's helmets, a sign thatthey had mined gold in Baguio.
The Sky Wagon was pulled off the road into a field and the Igorots satdown next to it, short spears handy to their reach. The plane would beall right. Rick got into the jeep with Scotty and Angel, and the firstthing he saw was their collection of armaments. They had four rifles,two of them old Army Springfield rifles, and two carbines.
"We are now well armed," he said. "Where's the enemy?"
"After that ambush," Scotty replied, starting the motor, "I'm no longersure. We certainly didn't expect that."
"I think we brought it on ourselves," Rick said. "Last night we gaveLazada and Nast a hard time. I'll bet Lazada sent out that expeditionjust for laughs." A thought struck him. "By the way, where are the twoIgorot boys you hired yesterday? How come they aren't guarding theplane?"
"We thought we'd take them with us, as extra hands," Scotty explained."They live at the southern edge of town. We're going there now. We'vealready talked with Pilipil. He's getting a third boy for us to hire."
"Hey, take it easy," Rick complained. "Explain as you go. What didPilipil say, and why the third boy?"
"Our truck has gone over the mountain into Ifugao country. It was thelumber truck, as we might have known. Nangolat was driving, and Tony anda third man were with them. That was yesterday. We didn't tell Pilipiland his friend to follow the truck, so they didn't. But a third Igorotboy did follow, and he returned to Bontoc this morning. He's withPilipil now. We'll go pick them up and head for Banaue. And we'll getTony."
Rick was still a little confused, but he guessed Scotty knew what he wastalking about. "Who is the Igorot who trailed our truck?"
"Don't know. He was sleeping at Pilipil's when we got here."
Ahead, Pilipil was standing in front of a board shack, waving. It wasevidently his home. The jeep pulled up and Rick, Scotty, and Angel gotout. Pilipil shook hands all around. "You come in," he said. "We talk.Make plan."
He led the way into the shack. Within, two other young Igorots wereseated cross-legged on the floor. One of them was Pilipil's friend,Balaban, who had been with him on the day they first landed.
The third Igorot--as might have been expected--was Chahda.
Scotty pointed to the Hindu boy, who was watching them with an impassivestare, as though he had never seen them before.
"Pilipil, how do you know this boy good? Can be trusted?"
Pilipil shrugged and showed betel-stained teeth in a smile. "Not know.Maybe no good. But say he know you."
Scotty looked stern. "You. What have you to say for yourself?"
"Plenty," Chahda said. "Am plenty tired of pulling Spindrift chestnutsout of fire. You know how cold it gets in these mountain? Last night Ifreeze. I almost attack whole Ifugao village barehanded, just to getblankets from supplies on truck. Tonight you take off clothes, put onbreechcloth, and stand out in cold. I stay in nice warm hotel, inBaguio. Worrold Alm-in-ack say this tropical country. Hah! Like NorthPole is tropical."
Rick and Scotty grinned sympathetically. "If you weren't so in love withbeing mysterious and adventurous," Rick pointed out, "you could sleep incomfortable beds in warm rooms. But no. You have to be Chahda theVanishing Hindu. And a good thing, too, otherwise Scotty and I would befloundering most of the time, not knowing where to turn next. Is Tonyokay?"
Chahda rose. He looked astonishingly like Pilipil and Balaban. Fromhaircut to bare feet he was an Igorot. Only his brown eyes,proportionally bigger than those of the real Igorots, were different.
"Tony is okay. Or was last night. My pal Dog Meat is keeping eye on him.You see Nast?"
"In Baguio, last night." Scotty told Chahda of their visit with Nast andLazada.
Chahda nodded. "Nast and Nangolat in cahoots. Nast picks up Tony atairport, takes him to hut near Trinidad Valley. I see all this. At hutis Nangolat, with truck of lumber. Nast turns Tony over to Nangolat, soI drop Nast and follow Tony. Me and Dog Meat, we have fine time. You flyoverhead, too, but see nothing. Not even me. You getting blind, I think.Lose famous Brant eyesight."
"We saw the lumber truck," Rick admitted. "But where were you?"
"Little way behind in jeep."
Rick remembered that they had seen a couple of jeeps on the road but hadpaid no attention. He could see now what had probably happened.Nangolat, after stealing the earth scanner, had taken the truck to thehut at Trinidad Valley and camouflaged it with lumber. Tony had gone tothe airport, but had not found Nangolat--he had found Nast. But why?Rick put the question aloud.
"Mix up in schedule," Chahda said. "Nast and Nangolat were to meet atairport and wait for all of you. Catch whole lot at once when you go toairport in the morning. But Nangolat has luck, and he gets earthscanner. He takes truck to Trinidad, so you won't find it and getscanner back. Nast comes to airport in morning, and finds no Nangolat,but he finds Tony. So he takes Tony and goes to Trinidad Valley to hutwhich he knows about, and there is Nangolat."
"How do you know all this?" Scotty demanded.
Chahda grinned. "From Nast. He reports to Lazada by telephone. I listen.Easy. Who would think poor Igorot boy know anything?"
Rick shook his head in admiration. Leave it to Chahda. "Now what, MasterSpy?"
Chahda motioned to Pilipil and Balaban. "We three mighty Igorotwarriors. Tonight we lead you to Ifugao, and we get Tony and the truckand our other stuffs. Then we get to work and find this golden skull."
"You mean we just walk in and take Tony away from the Ifugaos?" Scottydemanded.
"Not that simple," Chahda said. "Ifugaos not wanting to give Tony up, Ithink. First he help them find sacred stuff lost for many generations,then they need new head to sacrifice to sacred stuff, so they use his.Neat, huh? I think we don't get Tony back without a fight."