The Veiled Lady

by Lee Falk

  The Phantom crouched, then leaped. He went sailing over the five feet of bubbling boiling water between the side of the copter and the narrow ledge.

  "He'll fall," said Jan, inhaling sharply.

  "No, he's made it," said Karl, "Get hold of the pad-die and be ready."

  The Phantom worked his way along the ledge, moving closer to the great blind lizard. When he was opposite the enormous scaled head, the lizard became aware of him and swiveled its blind eyes in his direction.

  "It's going to get him," breathed Jan.

  The Phantom edged by the lizard, reaching the wider stretch of cavern safely. Turning now, he kicked Out at the beast. "Hey, you!" he shouted. "Over here! Come and get me!"

  Slowly, laboriously, the monster lizard turned. Its great long tongue began to whip at the dodging Phantom.

  "This is like waiting for a drawbridge to go up," said Gabe, his eyes on the Phantom and the lizard.

  "Over here, over here!" taunted the Phantom. "Come on over and catch me!"

  The lizard hissed, its forefeet thrashing at the boiling water, which did no harm to its imperturbable hide.

  "That's it!" encouraged the Phantom. "You've almost got me! Only a few more steps!"

  The lizard waddled toward him.

  "It's clear," said Karl, beginning to paddle.

  "Now!" the Phantom called to them.

  Jan, too, began using the makeshift oar with all her might. "What about the Phantom?"

  "He said go," said Karl. "So we go."

  "Boy, that thing gets uglier the closer you get," observed Gabe as they passed the giant lizard.

  'When they were parallel to its large snub tail, Jan said, "We can't leave the Phantom here, Karl."

  "I don't believe he intends to sacrifice himself for us, Jan," Karl told her. "He must have something in mind." The current was flowing faster, puffing at their raft. "Though I'm having a tough time keeping the boat here."

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  The monster lizard had its head aimed straight at the masked man now. Its great jaws swung slowly open.

  "I've had," said the Phantom, "about enough of you, old fellow." With a mighty leap, he left the ledge, vaulted over the monster's great gaping jaws, and landed smack on its scaly head.

  "Hey!" said Gabe. "He's right on top of the damn thing."

  The lizard's jaws snapped shut, catching only humid air. Its head started to turn.

  Like a skilled tightrope walker, the Phantom ran, sure-footed, along the lizard's ridged back. Before the blind sluggish monster knew what had happened, the masked man had leaped again.

  This time the Phantom landed square on the copter. "Okay," he said, "let's get going, people." He retrieved his paddle from the girl and took over.

  "That was marvelous," said Jan. "I never thought you'd.. . well, yes, I guess I did think you'd make it."

  "Save your congratulations," the Phantom told her. "He may get himself turned around and make another try for us."

  "Yeah, he's starting to move this way," announced Gabe.

  The swift current and the strong rowing of the Phantom and Karl quickly lengthened the distance between the raft and the monster.

  As the scaly creature came lumbering through the water in their wake, it suddenly gave a high-pitched shriek.

  "The lava," said Gabe. "The lava's caught up with him. We're going to get it next."

  The Phantom turned his oar back to Jan, and then grabbed up a coiled rope. He rapidly fashioned a loop.

  When they were all outside the cave, clinging to the rocky mountainside a hundred feet from the ground, Gabe said, "I never thought I'd be out here again. Boy, it's-"

  Then came the most enormous explosion so far.

  "Faint light up ahead," he said. "We must be nearing the falls. Gabe, grab the other end of this rope and make it fast to the copter."

  Gabe did that. "Yeah, I can see sunlight up ahead. I hope we get to the sunshine before the lava gets to us.

  Far behind them, the giant lizard cried out once more.

  "Here we go." The Phantom threw his loop of rope, caught an outcropping of jagged cave wall, and tightened.

  The loop held, the copter-raft jerked to a stop, yawing slightly, shaking in the tremendous pull of the down-rushing water.

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  Jumping from the craft, the Phantom landed on a wide ledge. "We're in luck," he told them. "We can walk along here." He'd brought another rope with him. Looping it over his shoulder, he helped Jan and Gabe up beside him onto the rocky ledge.

  Karl was the last to leave the copter. "We're still a few yards ahead of the lava."

  The Phantom jogged along the ledge. The cavern opened wide up ahead, a great hole in the mountain through which the boiling waters of the River of Fire gushed. "Yes, we're okay," he called back.

  "See, we can follow the ledge out this way and then climb out. That'll put us above the falls, clear of the boiling water. I thought I remembered seeing this ridge here when I was down below a few days ago."

  "Can we climb down the side of from there?" asked Jan.

  The Phantom said, "Yes, we should be able to."

  He worked his way up along the ledge and out into the open. "Yes, we can anchor a rope around this outcropping of rock out here."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Colonel Weeks paced the Jungle Patrol airfield while his helicopter was being readied. His pipe had gone out and he was swinging it as he walked, like a scythe. "Why did I wait so long?" he said. "We should have gone in after that girl the moment we lost radio contact."

  Walking at his side, Sergeant Barnum said, "That's hindsight talking, sir. We had no way of knowing would go up. She's been dormant all these years."

  "I suppose you're right, Barnum," admitted the colonel. "Still, I feel completely responsible for Doctor Love. If she's killed by this

  Barnum nodded at the JP copter. "They're signaling to us, sir. Let's go."

  Striding across the field toward the ship, Weeks said, "I should never have allowed her to go down there in the first place."

  Barnum stepped aside to allow the commander to precede him into the copter. "You shouldn't feel so paternal, sir."

  The colonel frowned at him for a few seconds, then smiled a little. "I guess that's part of the job, Barnum."

  Soon the Jungle Patrol ship was whirring up into the afternoon, leaving Mawitaan behind and heading for the Llongo country and .

  "What's the latest on the volcano?" the sergeant asked the red-haired young pilot.

  "They're moving everybody within a five-mile radius of ," answered the pilot. "The whole country around there is suffering from earthquakes. Looks like she'll erupt for sure."

  Colonel Weeks said, "Let's hope we get there in time."

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  "You're not figuring on going down into that volcano, sir?" the stocky Sergeant Barnum wanted to know.

  "Huh?" blurted the redheaded pilot before he got control of himself.

  "I'm not sure," said the gray-haired colonel. "If I do, you needn't worry. I won't risk anyone but myself."

  Barnum decided to try to change the subject. "How about that Barber guy?"

  The colonel was watching the landscape unroll below them. "What did you say, Sergeant?"

  "I was speculating about Barber," said Sergeant Barnum. "The so-called mastermind behind the plot.

  What do you think of that treasure business?"

  "It's hard to tell," said the colonel. "I suppose a fortune in gold and jewels could have been thrown into centuries ago."

  "Barber sure believes in it," said the sergeant. "He's convinced Doctor Love went into the volcano to get herself the treasure."

  "People with obsessions sometimes get to believing everybody shares them." The colonel tapped the pilot's shoulder. "See if you can contact Sandy or Smythe in one of our patrol ships near the volcano."

  "Yes, sir," replied the red-haired boy. In a moment he said, "Here's Sandy, sir."

  "Sandy, this is Colonel Weeks."

&nbs
p; "I guess you know about what's happening here, sir.

  "Yes, we're on our way out there to you now. How does it look?"

  "Bad," replied Sandy. "Very bad, Colonel. Smoke is pouring up out of the volcano now-black smoke, yellow smoke. The whole peak is trembling and quakes are shaking up the whole countryside."

  "I don't suppose," asked the colonel slowly, "you've spotted any sign of anyone inside?"

  "No, sir. Sorry. Not a trace of Doctor Love. If she's still alive in there now, sir, well

  "Yes, I know, Sandy."

  "There is one thing, sir. This morning a couple of teenage boys from the Llongo tribe came to the base to tell us they thought they saw another copter flying up and into ."

  "Yes, I know about that."

  "What was it, sir, some kind of private rescue team?"

  "Some kind of private hijackers," replied the colonel. "Any trace of them?"

  "Nope," answered Sandy. "Like I said, all you can see now is smoke and more smoke. It's really shooting out of the old mountain now. And flecks of fire are showing up. It's like the biggest

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  fireworks' display you've ever seen. Or maybe like the end of the world, with fire and brimstone."

  To Sergeant Barnum, the colonel said, "We'll never get there before it goes."

  "Doesn't seem like it," agreed the sergeant.

  All signs of civilization were gone below them now. They were flying over jungle. Gazing down, Colonel Weeks said, "They say the Deep Woods is down there someplace. And somewhere down there may be the Phantom."

  "I thought he was just an ancient legend, sir," said the young pilot. "Isn't he?"

  "The Phantom is more than a legend," said the gray-haired colonel. "I wish I had someone like him helping me now."

  "Colonel Weeks," came Sandy's voice out of the radio. "Colonel Weeks?"

  "Go ahead, Sandy. What is it?"

  " is erupting," Sandy told him. Over the radio came a terrific explosion. "Can you hear that? She's spewing lava now; it's running down the side of the mountain. I'm glad we got the people out of the area in time."

  "All except Doctor Love," said the colonel, slumping back in his seat.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The Phantom tested the rope. "You first, Karl," he said. "That way you can take care of any emergencies on the ground."

  The four of them were huddled on the mountainside, clear of the sputtering falls which were beginning to shoot out lava.

  Karl gave Jan a smile before starting his climb down the shaking side of the volcano.

  The air all around them was a sooty orange color. There was a strong smell of sulphur.

  Jan rubbed her eyes. "It's raining ash and rocks," she said. "Be careful, Karl."

  The bearded biologist was twenty feet down the rope.

  "All right." The masked man tapped the girl on her shoulder. "You next, Doctor Love."

  "Shouldn't Gabe go?"

  "I'm okay," the pilot said. "Arid the old rule is women and children first, remember?"

  Jan gripped the vine rope, went over the side of the ledge.

  When she'd descended a dozen feet or so, the Phantom said, "Your turn, Gabe."

  "I can bring up the rear if you like," he offered.

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  "I'll do that."

  "Okay then," said Gabe. "Here goes."

  The explosions within the long-dormant volcano were growing louder and louder. It was like being in a city under bombardment. The air was thickening with black smoke; great flakes of ash and red-glowing rocks were falling everywhere. Tongues of flame seemed to flicker in the deepening blackness.

  Down below the Phantom, Gabe coughed. He had already made it down ten feet of rope. Karl was nearly to the ground, Jan still some fifty feet up.

  The masked man took hold of the rope and backed over the ledge. A few yards to his right scarlet-glaring lava was flowing out of the cavern they had so recently departed.

  "Hey, look out, Doctor Love!" warned Gabe.

  A flaming bit of volcanic debris had slapped against Jan's back. Her blouse was starting to smolder.

  "Hang on," said Gabe, "I'll put it out." He let go of the rope with one hand and was about to slide down to the girl.

  The mountain gave a huge shake.

  Gabe partially lost his grip on the rope. He fell. "Oh, Gabe!" cried Jan. The flames were commencing to flicker around the blackened place at the back of her blouse.

  "Don't fret." Gabe got hold of the vine rope after falling a half-dozen feet. It rubbed a wide raw welt across his palms before he slowed himself. He was now hanging only a few feet above the girl. "We got to get you put out."

  Jan was trying to reach over her shoulder to swat the burgeoning flames.

  Meantime the Phantom had been climbing quickly down the rope. He was at Gabe's side now. "Hold tight," he told the black man. The Phantom swung out around Gabe, dropping down beside the blonde girl. Holding on with one hand, he slapped a palm against her back.

  The flames died. "I feel as if I'm being congratulated for something," said Jan. "Thanks."

  Karl was on the ground now. "You okay, Jan?"

  "Yes." The girl let go of the rope, dropping the few remaining feet to earth. "Thanks to the Phantom and Gabe."

  "It wasn't anything," said Gabe. "All I did was. . . ." His voice faded; his hands went limp on the rope.

  The Phantom was on the ground next to Jan by now. "Look out," he said.

  "It's his leg again. It's bleeding."

  Unconscious, Gabe came plummeting down the mountainside from twenty-five feet up.

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  His feet firmly planted, the Phantom caught him in his arms. "There we go."

  Jan said, "Let me look at his leg and-"

  "The first thing we've got to do," said Karl, "is get away from here. Lava's starting to come over the rim up there." He gestured upward. "We've got to put distance between us and ."

  "The Llongo River is down this way," the Phantom told them. "We should be safe on its other side."

  The three of them began to run, the masked man carrying Gabe.

  From the woods nearby came the neighing of a horse.

  The Phantom halted. "Hero?"

  There was an answering neigh and the great stallion trotted out to greet him. Close behind padded Devil, the Phantom's gray wolf.

  "They must have broken away from the Llongo chief to come looking for me," said the Phantom.

  "Here, Doctor Love. Get up in the saddle, then I'll put Gabe there with you."

  Gabe was coming to. "I don't need a pony ride," he mumbled.

  Jan's foot hit the stirrup and she swung expertly up onto Hero's back. "No time for quibbling, Gabe.

  Get on board."

  The Phantom helped the wounded pilot up forward of Jan. "Hold onto the pommel if you can, Gabe."

  "Yeah, I can do that okay," said Gabe in a weak voice. "I can do that."

  The Phantom patted his stallion on the neck. "Take them to the Llongo River and wait, Hero."

  The powerful horse galloped off.

  "You and I will run," said the Phantom to Karl. "I hear jogging is good for you," replied Karl. At the edge of the wide river, the air was not nearly as bad. There had not been an explosion from for several minutes.

  "Maybe the old girl has quit showing off," Karl panted as he stopped beside the clear water.

  "Hey!" Jan called to the Phantom. "We've rim into some friends of yours."

  She and Gabe had dismounted. Beached near them was a dugout canoe and in it were several of the Bandar pygmies.

  Guran was on the shore, treating Gabe's wound. "This is a very ancient remedy," he was telling his patient.

  Devil had been watching the little man at work. He turned now, and came loping up to the Phantom.

  "Well, Guran," said the Phantom as he approached his old friend. "How do you come to be here?"

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  The little gray-brown man looked up at the Phantom. "I had what you call a hunch," he said. "A
feeling that I should return here at this time. We had to slip by the Jungle Patrol, which was not too difficult, to get here, Phantom. They seem determined that all should leave this place."