Part 19 (1/2)

Warriors Three

Rick got guns, but it took tiuio In fact, there were no stores that carried rifles A few carried pistols, lish makes But Rick knew that a pistol is better forwith a pistol, and fewer still can hit a el had picked up the rifles of the aet aun, 12-gauge with an ample supply of shells, and a United States Army carbine, with about ten clips These were private purchases fro to sell his personal arsenal

It was late when Rick got started for Bontoc He watched for Scotty and Angel on the road but failed to catch up with them They had reached Bontoc before him, as he found when he circled to land They cleared the road and stood by while he brought the Sky Wagon down

Angel had already hired two Igorots to guard the plane They were tough-looking custon that they had on was pulled off the road into a field and the Igorots sat down next to it, short spears handy to their reach The plane would be all right Rick got into the jeep with Scotty and Angel, and the first thing he saas their collection of arfield rifles, and two carbines

”We are noell armed,” he said ”Where's the ene the er sure We certainly didn't expect that”

”I think we brought it on ourselves,” Rick said ”Last night we gave Lazada and Nast a hard tihs” A thought struck hiorot boys you hired yesterday? How coht 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've already talked with Pilipil He's getting a third boy for us to hire”

”Hey, take it easy,” Rick coo What did Pilipil say, and why the third boy?”

”Our truck has gone over the ao country It was the lu, and Tony and a third man ith them That was yesterday We didn't tell Pilipil and his friend to follow the truck, so they didn't But a third Igorot boy did follow, and he returned to Bontoc this o pick theet Tony”

Rick was still a little confused, but he guessed Scotty knehat he was talking about ”Who is the Igorot who trailed our truck?”

”Don't know He was sleeping at Pilipil's e got here”

Ahead, Pilipil was standing in front of a board shack, waving It was evidently his hoot out 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 were seated cross-legged on the floor One of them was Pilipil's friend, Balaban, who had been with hiht have been expected--was Chahda

Scotty pointed to the Hindu boy, atching theh he had never seen theood? Can be trusted?”

Pilipil shrugged and showed betel-stained teeth in a sood But say he know you”

Scotty looked stern ”You What have you to say for yourself?”

”Plenty,” Chahda said ”A Spindrift chestnuts out of fire You kno cold it gets in these ao village barehanded, just to get blankets froht you take off clothes, put on breechcloth, and stand out in cold I stay in nice waruio Worrold Alm-in-ack say this tropical country Hah! Like North Pole is tropical”

Rick and Scotty grinned sy mysterious and adventurous,” Rick pointed out, ”you could sleep in comfortable beds in war Hindu And a good thing, too, otherwise Scotty and I would be flounderingwhere to turn next Is Tony okay?”

Chahda rose He looked astonishi+ngly like Pilipil and Balaban Froorot 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 hiht” Scotty told Chahda of their visit with Nast and Lazada