Part 24 (1/2)

The sea off the west coast of San Luz was alive with s.h.i.+ps. Rick counted up to twenty-five and then gave up. Some of the s.h.i.+ps were moving, and he was sure he had counted the same one three times. He identified cruisers, destroyers, one aircraft carrier with a squadron of helicopters aboard, and landing s.h.i.+ps of several kinds.

One huge landing s.h.i.+p was nosed right up to the sh.o.r.e, and from it rolled tons of heavy equipment. From an attack transport, the equipment's operators, a U. S. Naval Construction Battalion--Seabees--were disembarking by the hundreds.

Scotty asked, ”How many different kinds of flags can you see? I've counted six so far. U. S., British, Dutch, Venezuelan, Colombian, and Panamanian.”

”It's an international job, all right,” Rick agreed. ”And when the UN observers arrive tonight you can run up a few more flags, too.”

”Reminds me of the amphibious exercises we used to have in the Marines,” Scotty commented to Rick.

Nearby, Hartson Brant and the other scientists were deep in conversation with a group of civilians and Navy officers. The officers were the engineers, from the Naval Construction Battalion. Last night had been spent in working with them on the details of the problem. It would be their job to drive the big hole down into the earth below El Viejo, working against time to intercept the rising magma.

Scientists had arrived, too, and they were taking over much of the detail of keeping track of the magma. Each scientist had his own special field of interest, but all were anxious to have the data from tracings.

There were geophysicists, including volcanologists and seismologists; mineralogists and more geologists.

”Nothing much left for us to do,” Rick said, a little sadly.

”Except watch,” Scotty corrected. ”That's enough! Great crumbling craters, what do you want? A mystery every day?”

Rick had to grin. ”I guess this is enough. But one thing I want to do is go over to the volcanic pipe and see how Guevara and Connel are making out.”

”You will have an escort,” a voice said from behind them. They turned to greet Ricardo Montoya. ”Now that we can turn our attention to that pair, I think we should have a talk with them. To make the talk easier, we will put bars between us.”

”You're going to arrest them?” Rick asked.

”Of course! What did you think?”

”Right now?”

”If you want to come along, join me. Now is as good a time as any. If we can find them, of course.”

The boys joined Montoya in the front seat of a military vehicle. The back was loaded with his men. Montoya at once steered for the trail to the volcanic pipe. It was only a thousand yards to the north from the point selected for the big hole. Even around the site of the hole there were diamond seekers, and it was hard to find a piece of ground that had not been tried with a shovel.

As they got closer to the diamond field the numbers of treasure hunters increased until, as Scotty remarked, they were thicker than fleas at a mutt show. Montoya had to lean on the horn continually, and even then the San Luzians paid little attention.

Finally the group got out and walked. It was easier to move on foot through the frantically digging mob. Strangely, there was little noise.

Each individual seemed intent on his own little hole. But the digging was futile. There was no yellow ground under the flying shovels.

Then the group did reach yellow ground, and met rifles in the hands of Guevara's peons. Evidently Guevara had put a ring of men around the volcanic pipe and planned to hold it by force of arms.

Rick looked at Montoya. What would he do now?

The young officer looked haughtily at the nearest peons and demanded in Spanish, ”Do you know me?”

One of them nodded respectfully. ”_Si_, Senor Capitan Montoya.”

”Good. You will stand aside. I am inspecting Senor Guevara's mine.” He stalked through as though there was not the slightest question that the peons would allow it. The boys and the police officers followed on his heels.

A shelter had been erected on one side of the volcanic pipe. Only blue ground showed, and there was a power scoop digging out more. Watching the shovel were Guevara and Brad Connel.