The Golden Skull: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story
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CHAPTER XV
Under the Dragon's Claws
The Spindrift group jumped into action. Rick, Tony, and Chahda carriedthe earth scanner into the recess and set it up. Scotty consulted withAngel, and at a word from the Filipino, Balaban the Igorot climbed thewall to the terrace above their heads where he sprawled among the ricewith rifle ready.
Angel moved to the left about fifty feet, while Scotty moved the samedistance to the right. Dog Meat ran down the meadow to the road, crossedthe terrace, and took up a watch on the village.
"Work fast," Tony said. "They must know we're here. If they didn't seeus, they at least heard the motors."
Rick was already at work. He plugged in the probe, checked the controls,then turned them over to Tony. The scientist set the controls and turnedon the activation switch.
Rick moved the probe in a long sweep, starting in front of the dragon,while Tony and Chahda watched the scope.
"Standard pattern," Tony reported. "Keep it moving ... no change ... nochange...."
Rick stepped sideways and moved the probe through a slightly differentarc. "No change...."
Again Rick took a step and swung the probe. He kept moving until theprobe had nearly covered the ground in front of the dragon, then he tooka position next to the bronze statue and covered the ground directlyunder its nose.
"Wait!" There was excitement in Tony's voice. "You're on something!"
"Metal?" Rick asked quickly.
"No. It's not a metal response. Some kind of stone, but not the usualtype found around here."
Tony had a pad out and was making a sketch of the recess, marking theposition of the dragon. Then, while Rick moved the probe through a newarc, his pencil shaded in the area where the odd response showed on thescope.
Rick repeated the scanning process to one side of the dragon, and againthe response was normal until he got close. He changed sides, and theresult was the same. Then he went to the rear of the dragon, expecting achanged response there. But the results were identical. At last he gaveup, feeling a bit let down, and joined Tony and Chahda. They wereexamining Tony's sketch.
"Plenty clear to me," Chahda said. "Right under old man dragon is roundhole. See?"
Chahda was right. The changed responses, when charted on Tony's sketch,showed a circle about six feet in diameter with its center directlyunder the dragon.
"But no metal," Tony said. "That's odd."
Rick frowned. "It can't be an underground base for the dragon," he said."A base would be close to the surface. This response seems to startabout two feet under."
He stared out across the meadow and noted that Dog Meat was trottingtoward them, but he paid no attention because his mind was working onthe problem.
"It could be a crypt of some kind," he said. He went to the truck andgot a shovel. "I have an idea." He went to work.
Dog Meat arrived and chattered excitedly. Angel came running, listened,and translated.
"The village is up in arms. Nangolat is making a speech and the youngmen are getting ready to make war."
Rick dug, working on a shaft under the dragon's pedestal. The earth waspacked hard and he had to get a pick. Tony relieved him, and they tookturns until the shaft slanted in to what they estimated was a pointdirectly under the center of the pedestal.
"Now," Rick said, and took the probe. He put it into the shaft andwatched expectantly while Tony adjusted the controls. Suddenly the scopeflickered, breaking up the Christmas tree pattern. There were at leastthree different responses, two of them definitely in the metals range.
"This is it!" Tony yelled. "It has to be! Rick, that was an inspiration.The cache is right under the dragon!"
There was another yell, from outside the recess. It was Balaban, on theterrace above. "They come!"
For the moment the find was forgotten. The Spindrift party stood betweenthe truck and jeep watching as nearly a hundred Ifugao warriors walkedwith menacing silence to the edge of the meadow and stopped.
Nangolat, naked except for a breechcloth, stepped from the ranks ofIfugao warriors. He held a spear a foot taller than he, a vicious weaponwith a triangular point and flared base.
The Ifugao walked ceremoniously across the meadow to a point twentyyards in front of the recess. "You're trapped," he said. His voicetrembled with hatred. "You can't get away from us now. Come out andthrow down your weapons."
Tony stepped forward, rifle held carelessly under his arm. He stoppedten paces in front of the Ifugao.
"We and you want the same thing," he said. "The artifacts."
Nangolat thrust the metal-shod base of his spear into the earth. "Wewant the same thing, but for different reasons. I want to preserve thesacred objects of my people. You want to desecrate them."
"That's not true," Tony replied. "When we touch them it will be withreverence, with respect for the gods of Banaue. Then, when we havecollected them all, we will buy many pigs for a great feast ofthanksgiving for all the people of Ifugao. The sacred objects will beused by your priests for ceremonies. Then you, Nangolat, will go with uswhen we carry them to Manila. In Manila we will measure them andphotograph them and make sketches. These methods are familiar to you."
Tony paused, searching Nangolat's face for some sign of a change in hisattitude. "When we are done, we will ask to see the president of thePhilippines. We will petition him to assist in the building of atemple-museum on this very spot. My scientific foundation will give thefirst donation for this purpose. Dr. Okola will help. Then, I hope, thesacred objects can come back to Ifugao to stay forever, in a place whereall Ifugaos may see them."
Tony held out his hand, palm upward. "Is that desecration?"
Nangolat leaned forward, half bowing in his excitement. "The artifactsmust not leave Ifugao!"
"You know Dr. Okola," Tony replied. "Would he insist that they go toManila? I would not. I could take photographs and measurements righthere. The objects need not leave here, so far as I am concerned. Thatwould be between you and the Filipino authorities."
Nangolat was obviously impressed. "Wait," he commanded. "I must talkwith the priests."
He turned on his heel and walked back to the waiting Ifugao warriors.Several men detached themselves from the group and followed as he ledthe way across the terrace toward the village.
Rick breathed freely for the first time. "Tony, I think he's going forit!"
"I certainly hope so," the scientist said with relief. "But regardlessof how the decision goes, the artifacts must be collected. Let's getsome work done."
How to get the dragon away from the underground crypt was solved withthe truck winch. The cable was passed around the pedestal and the wholebusiness hauled forward. Then Rick, Scotty, Angel, and Chahda began todig while Tony examined each inch of progress for signs that the cryptwas being reached.
A whistle came from outside. Dog Meat beckoned. The party stoppeddigging and hurried out in time to see a station wagon come to a halt onthe road above the village. Six men got out and were met by an elderlyIfugao. But before they were ushered to the village they took time tostare at the Spindrift expedition.
The Spindrift group stared back with a combination of fear,disappointment, and disgust. Four of the men were strangers. One was anAmerican--James Nast. The sixth was the Assistant Secretary of theInterior!