Part 12 (2/2)

”Here at Sanariapo,” stated Mr. Brewster, ”there is no one for them to tell.”

”They might pa.s.s the word along to Puerto Ayacu-cho, below the lower rapids,” returned Nara. ”I'll go ahead on the first truck with Igo and Ubi, so I can check on any rumors.”

It took most of the day to make trucking arrangements, and to transport boats as well as cargo over the modern highway that spans the intervening streams on big steel bridges. Biff found the trip interesting, with stretches of open country and barren hills as well as wooded slopes and forested areas.

The highway followed the right bank of the Orinoco, which belongs to Venezuela, while the land on the other side of the river is part of the Republic of Colombia. At Puerto Ayacucho, they found Igo and Ubi waiting to load the ore sacks into Nara's monteria, when it arrived. But there was no sign of Nara.

According to Igo and Ubi, Nara had gone somewhere immediately after arriving in Puerto Ayacucho. But Mr. Brewster, inquiring at stores, hotels, and elsewhere, was unable to find anyone who had even seen the old white-haired prospector.

”The only place left,” Mr. Brewster declared, URUBU AGAIN 163.

chuckling, ”is the governor's office. Maybe Joe Nara is having lunch with His Excellency. Should we try there?”

”I don't think so,” returned Hal Whitman dryly. ”From the way Nara looks for trouble, we might do better if we asked at the local calaboose.”

Mr. Brewster smiled at that reference to the town jail.

”I've already asked there,” he said. Then, turning to the boys, he added, ”Look around for Nara, and if you don't have any luck, I guess we'll have to call on the governor's office to help us find him.”

Kamuka noticed some natives lounging near an old shack on the high bank of the river.

”Maybe they have seen Senhor Nara,” Kamuka said to Biff. ”But you will have to ask them. They do not speak Portuguese as I do. They talk Spanish, which you understand.”

When they approached the group, Biff addressed the nearest native, who was huddled by the wall, his chin buried deep in his red bandanna neckerchief and his gaze turned toward the river.

”Oiga, amigo,” began Biff. ”Soy buscando un viejo tonpelo bianco-”

Biff was saying that he was looking for an old man with white hair, but he got no further. The slouchy native came to his feet and spun about with a snarl.

As Biff dropped back, he found himself staring into the vicious, hawkish face of Urubu!

CHAPTER XIX.

Partners in Crime ”LOOK out, Biff! He may have a knife!”

The warning came from Kamuka as the Indian boy grabbed Biff's arm, hauling him away from Urubu. But there was no way for them to dodge, except toward the wall, as Urubu was between them and the corner of the building.

Then, from around that very corner came a limber figure, a thin man clad in dungarees and a big sombrero, whose tight fists moved like pistons as they jabbed at Urubu's face. Jolted backward, Urubu dropped the knife that he was pulling from beneath his s.h.i.+rt. Warding off a few blows, he turned and ran wildly for a landing below the riverbank.

The boys turned to thank their rescuer, who had lost his big sombrero and was stooping to pick up the wide-brimmed hat. They were amazed when they saw his smiling face and white hair. The man who had routed Urubu was Joe Nara.

PARTNERS IN CRIME 165.

”The way to spot snoopers,” advised Nara, ”is to go snooping for them. n.o.body would know old Joe Nara in this outfit, particularly with his white hair out of sight.”

Nara chuckled as he put on the sombrero, showing how quick and complete the change was. Then Nara pointed to the river where a small, squat motor-boat was scudding downstream.

”There goes Urubu,” said Nara, ”with another rat who was waiting for him, probably Pepito. They're going to tell their boss Serbot that the gold rush is coming his way.”

The boys couldn't see the boat closely, because they faced the glare of the late afternoon sun. When they told Mr. Brewster what had happened, he agreed with Nara.

”We'll keep going downstream, though,” Mr. Brewster decided, ”until we reach the rapids above Puerto Carreno, the only town on the Colombian side of the river.”

”Can we go through those rapids?” asked Biff.

”Yes, they are quite navigable,” his father replied, ”but that is where Serbot and his crew will be waiting to attack us. If we get by the rapids, we'll be all right, because Mr. Stannart should be at Puerto Carreno in his yacht, by this time.”

”Can he come that far up the Orinoco, Dad?”

”Yes, he can make it,” replied Mr. Brewster. ”And in his letter he said he would, unless we met him farther downriver. Since we have taken longer than 166 .

the time he allotted us, we should find him there. Then we'll close the mining deal with you, Joe.”

”If we get there,” put in Nara glumly. ”We can't go around those rapids unless we take a back trail, and Serbot will be watching that, too.”

As the loaded flotilla continued down the river, Mr. Brewster continued to weigh the coming problem. He was hoping that a solution might crop up, and as the expedition approached the rapids, the answer came.

Back from the river on the Venezuelan side stood an old, abandoned blockhouse flanked by a few dilapidated mud huts.

”We'll make camp there,” Mr. Brewster decided. ”We can bring enough supplies into the blockhouse to hold Serbot off if he tries to attack us.”

”Do you think he has spies watching for us now?” asked Biff.

”Very probably,” his father rejoined. ”And when he learns that we aren't coming down the river, he will have to come up here to find us.”

Mr. Brewster signaled the other boats to sh.o.r.e, and when they landed, he explained full details of his plan.

”Tomorrow, Nara,” stated Mr. Brewster, ”I want you to move your Wai Wai Indians down by a back trail to the rapids. They should be able to creep up on Serbot's crew without his knowing it.”

Nara nodded agreement.

”As soon as Serbot becomes impatient and starts PARTNERS IN CRIME 167.

up here,” Mr. Brewster went on, ”the Wai Wais can spring a surprise attack on any men that he leaves there. Then, before Serbot has time to attack us here, we'll come down the river in the boats. We'll pick your men up at the rapids, where they will have cleared the way for us.”

”But what about my monteria?” asked Nara, tilting his head in canny style. ”It has all the gold ore. Remember?”

”We'll bring it with the other boats,” promised Mr. Brewster. ”It means more to me than to you, Nara, because you have lots more back at El Dorado. But these are the samples that I need to show Mr. Stannart and close the deal for Ajax.”

”But suppose Serbot does attack here?”

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