Part 1 (2/2)
For a few moments there was confusion as the officers and crew tried to find out what had happened, and then the searchlight on the bridge was manned and its white beam cut the water
There was no swiht reflected fro toward shore with a bone in its teeth
A few moments later the three Spindrifters stood in the captain's office, staring at a Filipino bolo, a long, slightly curving machete with a square tip Tony hefted it and shuddered ”If you hadn't yelled--well, this thing landed right where my head had been a second before”
”If I hadn't said anything,” Rick replied, ”it wouldn't have been anywhere near your neck I put the finger on you by calling your nauy , until he heard us call Then, when you answered, he knew you were the one he was after, and he went for you”
Tony stared, incredulous ”But why? I can't iorot would board the shi+p for the express purpose of killing me!”
It was Rick's turn to stare ”How did you knoas an Igorot?”
”Either an Igorot or an Ifugao,” Tony replied ”I caught a glimpse of his head structure as he jumped onto the rail Besides, the haircut is distinctive It looks as though a bowl had been put on the head and all hair reorot was a primitive native of the Philippine Mountain Province All of they frohly the saular Filipino as Aao natives were htly more advanced culture They, too, lived in Mountain Province, the objective of the Spindrift expedition
The trip had grown out of an earlier expedition to Kwangara Island in the western Pacific Dr Anthony Briotti had helped translate the tablets found in the sunken temple of Alta Yuan, and had discovered the connection between the early people of the Philippines--of whoaos were the descendants--and the white dragon worshi+pers of Alta Yuan
One plaque froao rice terraces of Mountain Province in unold which was said to have ic properties
Tony Briotti had been so enthusiastic about locating this fabulous skull, and proving the connection between Alta Yuan and the Philippines, that Hartson Brant, head of the Spindrift Foundation, had ements for the small expedition None of the other Spindrift scientists could be spared, so Tony Briotti had only Rick and Scotty as assistants Chahda was to join theht that was help aplenty No other helpers were needed
”I don't believe it,” Tony stated ”It is siorot could have boarded this shi+p with the express intention of killing ht he was discovered, and headed for the rail where his banca was tied I was in the way That's all”
”No one saw the banca approach,” the shi+p's captain said, ”but of course it could have We've been traveling at only a few knots, and the banca could have approached froerous, but a clever native could do it They're like cats
Make fine sailors” He added, ”Never heard of it being done before, but there's no reason to think it was an atte chances”
Rick stared through the port at the lights of Manila He was very thoughtful Let Tony try to brush the incident aside He knew better He knew it in his bones There was trouble ahead for the Spindrifters
He caught Scotty's worried frown, and he knew that his pal's thoughts were the same
CHAPTER II
Manila After Dark
Out of the _Asiatic Dreae Rick bristled with nervous energy as he watched He yelled, ”Watch it! Take it easy with that winch!”
Scotty patted hiusset They're doing all right”
Rick didn't take his eyes off the plane ”Okay But if they drop it, we'll hike into thein style Hey, you! Lift it! Lift it clear of the rail!”
The plane was Rick's new Sky Wagon, a powerful little four-place job that had replaced his beloved Cub, wrecked by saboteurs, as related in _Stairway to Danger_ It had less than ten hours' flying ti a careless winch But in spite of his fears, the fuselage was lowered safely onto the waiting truck, the wings in their crates were brought out, and in a short ti with the plane out to Manila International Airport