Rick Brant 10 The Golden Skull

by John Blaine

  Tony’s excavations had taken him down another two feet, but with Chahda and Scotty holding onto his legs, Rick was able to reach in and take the object from Tony’s outstretched hands. It was bulky, slightly larger than a human head, and it was heavy-as heavy as lead, or gold!

  Scotty and Chahda pulled Rick out of the pit,then they lowered the rope for Tony. In a moment he was working on the object, wiping and brushing. There was a yellow gleam to it now, and the shape was becoming more and more skull-like as the mud was removed. Tony worked rapidly, and in a few moments he held it up for them to see. It was a skull, finely executed of heavy sheet gold, and the workmanship bore the unmistakable stamp of Alta Yuan.

  “We’ve succeeded,” Tony said, his voice hushed.“Beyond my wildest expectations!”

  And in that moment Dog Meat and Angel called simultaneously.

  The Ifugao warriors were advancing across the field in ominous silence, spears ready. Nast and Lazada were nowhere in sight, but at the head of the warriors was Nangolat!

  Hastily the golden artifacts were put out of sight in the recess and Tony walked to meet the oncoming Ifugaos.

  Scotty pulled the retractor of his rifle and a cartridge rammed into the firing chamber. He held the rifle casually, but ready for instant action.

  Nangolat came closer, and his face was distorted with emotion. He held the spear in his fist, ready for stabbing or throwing. When he spoke, his voice, usually moderate, was nearly a scream.

  “I almost believed you,” he sobbed. “But now I know the truth! You are here to desecrate our temples and to rob us of the precious relics of my people.”

  Then the Ifugao saw that the dragon had been moved. He bared his teeth with fury and his eyes were glazed, black with emotion. He was beyond reason.

  “Die!” he screamed. “Die!”

  His hand flashed back for the throw. Scotty’s rifle spoke sharply and the heavy slug caught the blade of Nangolat’s spear. The Ifugao was whirled around bodily. He fell as the spear was wrenched from him and hurled a dozen yards away.

  It was the signal. The Ifugao warriors rushed, launching spears as they came. Rick pulled Tony back to the shelter of the truck. Angel, Scotty, and Chahda were calmly firing at the oncoming wave, shooting low with deadly accuracy. From the terrace above, Balaban was firing down with good effect, while Dog Meat whammed away with the shotgun.

  Spears bounced off the truck, the jeep, and the dragon. Now and then one hung quivering in the wall of the recess, but the Spindrift group had good shielding and there were no casualties.

  The attackers were wavering now. A priest with a knot of chicken feathers in his hair leaped forward, Page 79

  holding a skull high. Rick guessed it was an important symbol of some kind, because he saw the warriors rally. He sighted in and his shot blasted the skull into fragments. The wave broke and retreated.

  Tony made a quick examination to be sure there were no casualties. Out on the meadow several wounded Ifugaos, all of them with leg wounds, were being helped to safety.

  “We can thank Nast and Lazada for this,” Tony said bitterly. Do you realize that we are in a very bad position?”

  The Ifugao warriors were reforming. Nangolat, recovered from the numbing shock of Scotty’s shot, stormed among them, getting them ready for another assault. But Nangolat was no longer waving a spear. He was now armed with a rifle.

  CHAPTER XVII

  Make or Break

  Can stand off their assaults,” Tony said. “We can’t stand sniping. Not for long, at any rate.”

  Scotty grinned. “Neither can Nangolat. Let’s see if I can fix his wagon.”

  They watched as Scotty wet his finger, tested for wind direction,then set the sights on his rifle. On the other side of the road Nangolat was exhorting his troops like a good general, waving his rifle to emphasize his words.

  Scotty took a classic sharpshooter’s position, relaxed but braced. Rick saw him inhale and hold it. The rifle muzzle moved slowly, following Nangolat’s movements. Then, suddenly, the rifle spoke.

  Nangolat was thrown into the midst of his warriors, while his rifle, its stock shattered, flailed into the ranks and knocked two warriors down. And then Nangolat went berserk. He snatched a spear from one of his men, turned, and ran toward the defenders, screaming. A priest barked an order and two warriors dashed forward, caught Nangolat, and hauled him back by force.

  “The old priest had sense enough to know Nangolat wouldn’t make it,” Angel said.

  “All right,” Tony said crisply. “We’re trapped in here. It’s not a bad place to be trapped for a while.

  They can’t get at us without crossing open spaces, and there is enoughoverhang to the wall to prevent them from dropping rocks on our heads. Also, Balaban is up there to warn us if they try anything from that direction. But we can’t stay here forever. We need help. How do we get it?”

  “It has to be the constabulary atBaguio ,” Rick said. ‘There isn’t any other help nearby. If worst comes to worst, I suppose we could call the American ambassador and try to get him to send Air Force troops from Clark Field.”

  “By the time diplomatic protocol and military red tape got untangled we’d be old men,” Scotty objected.

  “If we lived to be old men. Also, you overlooked one little thing. How do we get a message to them?”

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  “Wait until night and one of us sneak out.”

  Tony looked at his watch. “We won’t last until night,” he said succinctly. “It’s still early morning.”

  Rick examined the terrain between the cave and the road, noting where the station wagon Lazada had brought was parked.

  “I’m going,” he said. “Let history record that Rick Brant carried a message to . . .”

  “Not Garcia,” Chahda said. “That was inCuba , says my Worrold Alminack . Carry message to cops.”

  “How?”Scotty demanded.

  “You create a diversion. I’ll get in the jeep and make a run for it.”

  Scotty considered. “It could work. But I’ll do it.”

  “My idea,” Rick said firmly. “I’ll do it.”

  Tony was deep in thought. After all, the safety of the expedition was his responsibility. “I got us into this,” he said. “Bad judgment is no excuse. I was certain it would work out.”

  “Would have, if Lazada had stayed home,” Chahda said. “I go with Rick. He drive, I shoot. Okay?”

  “There doesn’t seem to be any alternative,” Tony agreed. “Staying or going makes little difference, so far as danger is concerned. All right, Rick. We can create a diversion when they start to charge next time. If we start the truck and roll it toward the village, I’m sure we can create a little excitement.”

  “That’s smart,” Scotty approved. “The truck would go right on across the road, across the terrace, and tumble down. It wouldn’t hit the village, though. It would land on the next terrace.”

  “I doubt that they’d think of that in the excitement,”’ Tony commented. “But take away the jeep and truck and you take away our good cover from spears. We need an earthwork fort, quickly. All hands turn to.”

  There were tools enough. While the Ifugao warriors argued among themselves, and Nangolat, somewhat calmed down, tried to work them up to a new pitch of excitement, the Spindrift group dug. Within a few minutes there was a very respectable earthen berm across the front of the recess. The riflemen could lie behind it and be reasonably protected from spears.

  They were just in time, too. The Ifugaos were steadying down and Nangolat had a spear in his hand once more.

  “I’ll start the truck,” Scotty said quickly. “Head for them, then jump out, leaving it in first. Don’t start the jeep until I’m moving. We should be able to hold them off until you return in the Sky Wagon.”

  Rick suddenly realized that the steel poles for die pickup cable were with the gear on the truck. He reminded Scotty of the fact. “I’ll snatch Tony’s loot right out of your hands,” he said. “Tha
t will take some of the heart out of them.”

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  “Or make them madder,” Scotty added. They hurried to unload the truck. Chahda checked his rifle.

  “Make or break,” Rick said.“If I make it, fine. If not, that breaks our chances down to zero. But I’ll make it.”

  Scotty ran for the truck cab, climbed in, and started the engine. The Ifugaos stopped their yelling to look. For a moment they milled around, uncertain,then Scotty threw the truck into gear and started directly for them.

  Rick and Chahda jumped into the jeep. Rick started the engine and pulled out the choke slightly to avoid a possible stall. Scotty leaped from the truck, leaving the unmanned vehicle to bounce across the meadow directly toward the ranks of the Ifugaos! They hesitated, then scattered-and Rick stepped on the gas.

  He angled the jeep across the meadow, coaxing maximum speed out of it, paying no attention to ruts or bumps. From beside him came the sharp crack of Chahda’s rifle. Once a spear passed overhead and dug into the rice beyond.

  Then Rick slowed for the stone blocks at the edge of the meadow and let the jeep climb over them to the road. A spear clanged off the rear and another ripped the rear-seat cushion. Chahda fired one shot after another, muttering to himself in Hindi.

  They were on the road! Rick gave the jeep all it would take. In his rear-view mirror he caught a glimpse of Ifugaos pursuing him, of the truck stopped at the edge of the meadow,then they were around the curve of a terrace wall, free.

  Rick kept the accelerator to the floor except on the worst curves. They climbed out of the valley, crossed the ridge, and emerged at their camp. Pilipil was waiting. They slowed long enough to yell instructions to strike the tents and cooking gear, and load them in the jeep and be ready to leave on a moment’s notice, then they drove down the mountain at breakneck speed, with Chahda holding on for dear life. Fortunately, they had to pass through only one gate, and the gatekeeper waved them right through. They passed Igorot villages, narrowly missing chickens and pigs,then bounced across a river bed and into Bontoc.

  The trip had taken one hour. The boys pulled up in front of the road commissioner’s office and ran in.

  De losSantos met them. “You are excited!” he exclaimed. “Is something wrong?”

  “Very wrong,” Rick replied. “We must use your phone. How do I getBaguio ?”

  “I will get it for you. Who do you want?”

  “The constabulary!”

  Santoslooked startled, but he cranked the phone several times, talked in Ilokano , and finally handed the phone to Rick.

  A voice at the other end said, “Constabulary detachment. Corporal Alvarez.”

  Rick said quickly, “We need help at Banaue.A party of Americans are trapped by Ifugaos. Unless they get help quickly, they’ll all be killed!”

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  Corporal Alvarez replied, “There must be a mistake. The Ifugaos are peaceful.”

  “Not any more,” Rick yelled. “I just came from there. They’re throwing spears. They mean business!”

  Suddenly the corporal was unable to understand. Rick yelled, begged, and threatened, to no avail. At last he hung up, defeated. “Something’s fishy,” he said.“Very fishy. The corporal knew what I meant, I’m sure. He treated it as a joke. Chahda, Lazada is behind this!”

  Santoscoughed. Rick whirled on him. “What do you know about it?”

  “Nothing, I assure you.”

  The man was lying. Rick was sure of it. He grabbed him by the lapels and said, “Talk. Talk! My friends may Jose their lives unless we can do something.”

  Chahda took a hunting knife from his belt and put the point againstSantos ’ throat. “Talk,” he said gently.

  “You have two seconds.” He pushed a little.

  Santos’ light-brown complexion turned dirty gray. “All right,” he gasped. “I am a good man, but Lazada is my boss. I do not like what he has done. Last night he stayed here, and I heard him talk to the American, Nast. They laughed about how they had told the constabulary that a group of crazy Americans were up here and would be calling them with a practical joke, to which they should not pay attention.

  They told the constabulary this both inBaguio andManila .”

  “And they believed him, because he is Assistant Secretary of the Interior,” Rick said bitterly.“Now what? We’ll never convince them. He couldn’t order them not to help, so he planted a story that would do the same thing. The only thing I can do now is call the American ambassador and see if he can go through diplomatic channels to get help.”

  “Take too much time,” Chahda said. “It will be too late.”

  Santosmuttered in the native dialect.

  “What was that?” Rick asked sharply.

  “Filipino saying,What good is hay to a dead horse”

  “Wait!” Rick had a quick mental image of the Filipino officer who had first spoken the phrase. Colonel Felix Rojas. He would believe the story. Hadn’t he warned them?

  “Get meManila ,” Rick said.“Quickly. Constabulary Headquarters”

  It took time. It seemed like an hour, but was only fifteen minutes. And Colonel Felix Rojas was on the wire.

  Rick talked fast, telling the colonel the whole story, including Chahda’s espionage activities. When he had finished, Rojas said crisply, “No time to get troops there. It will take planes. I will send a fighter plane first. Then willcome a platoon of paratroopers, if I can get the Army to move fast enough. But it will be two hours before the troopers can get there, even with the best speed possible. The fighter will be there in an hour. Tell your friends to hold out. Return toManila as soon as your party is safe. See no one, talk to no one until you see me.”

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  The colonel rang off.

  “An hour,” Rick said. “Andan hour after that before the paratroopers arrive . Can they hold out?”

  “They must,” Chahda said flatly.

  CHAPTER XVIII

  The Sky Wagon

  The Sky Wagon climbed out of the valley at Bontoc and Rick set a course for Banaue. He took his pad and wrote a note to his friends, telling them of his conversation with Colonel Rojas and of the trick Lazada had pulled. He wrapped the note around a wrench and tied it with a piece of string.

  Behind him, Chahda was busy with the bags for the cable pickup. He had already removed the hatch.

  He tied the bags in two bundles and put them in a handy place, to be tossed to the Spindrift group,then he got into the seat next to Rick.

  “We pick up stuff, even though constabulary coming to rescue?”

  Rick nodded. “The plane can do nothing but scare the Ifugaos off. That wouldn’t prevent them from trying to capture the golden skull, anyway. And even after troops land, that stuff is too valuable and too tempting. Don’t forget Lazada is on the scene. He could take over from the troopers and they wouldn’t dare say no.”

  “True,” Chahda agreed. “Better we get it. What you thinking about this deal with Lazada? Why does Nangolat trust him? And what does he want?”

  “You told us the answers inBaguio ,” Rick reminded him. “Lazada told Nangolat he couldn’t refuse a permit -which we never got, by the way-but that he would hinder us in other ways. Nangolat thinks Lazada is his friend, all right. Lazada must have told him that our real plans were to carry off the golden skull, probably toAmerica . And why?’

  “Because Lazada wants Ifugaos to massacre us after we have located skull,” Chahda said.“That way, no witness.Dead men not telling stones on witness stand. Then Lazada and Nast shoot poor Nangolat and take stuff. Or somethinglike that.”

  “Nice people,” Rick commented.

  The Sky Wagon was crossing the ridge. Soon they would be back on the scene. Chahda got into the rear seat, ready to throw the message and bags out through the access hatch.

  “Wait until I signal,” Rick reminded him, and put the Sky Wagon into a dive. He followed the road for a distance, then saw the truck and used that for a landmark. As he flashed past the Spindrif
t refuge he saw that the Ifugao warriors were in a semicircle around the edge of the meadow. Apparently the siege was Page 84

  still on.Now to drop the message. He gauged his distance and altitude. He wanted to be sure the message landed within reach.

  “Get ready,” he called, and circled until he was headed directly at the recess. When a crash into the terrace wall seemed imminent he yelled, “Now,” and zoomed up into a screaming wing over. When he circled again, Tony and Scotty were reading the message.

  The second time around, Chahda dropped the bags. Then there was a wait while Scotty and Angel set up the pickup poles.

  The Ifugaoswere obviously curious, nor were they the only ones. Rick saw Lazada, Nast, and the rest of their party emerge from the village and walk to a place on the terrace just beyond the meadow. They could not be seen by anyone within the recess, but they could watch what was going on in the meadow.

  Scotty knew that Rick could not make pickups while flying toward the recess, so he was setting up the poles in such a way that Rick could fly parallel to the terrace wall in which the recess was located.

  The pickup was very simple. Each bag was attached to a circle of cable about eight feet in diameter.

  When ready for pickup, the bag was put on the ground between the two poles and its cable was placed on angle Irons at the tops of the poles. The cable was not anchored. The only purpose of the poles was to lift the cable far enough off the ground for convenient pickup.

  Soon the first bag was in place and Scotty and Tony retired to the recess to watch. Rick pushed a button on his control board and the cable in the rear of the plane unwound. It was heavy, woven steel, terminating in a weighted six-inch hook.

  Rick knew from many previous pickups the altitude at which to fly. He circled for the run, dropped to the correct altitude, and glued the plane’s nose on the poles. The Sky Wagon passed over the poles, and the hook on its cable caught the cable stretched between the poles. That cable slid off the supports. The fast-moving plane took up the slack and the bag of artifacts was jerked from the ground. A touch of the button and the electric motor reeled it in. Chahda pulled the bag through the hatch, unhooked it, and put it in the luggage compartment. They were ready for another run.