Part 17 (1/2)
There was no particular pattern The Ifugao farmers had simply used every possible inch of space toof rice
In some places the step from one terrace to the next was only a foot or two In other places the step up to the terrace above was forty feet
The retaining walls of the terraces were native stone, irregular pieces laid together by expert Ifugao masons without benefit of mortar or concrete The sareat wall of China
Rick found his voice ”I've seen pictures, but they didn't tell even part of the story This is fantastic!”
”It's the reed ”And when you think that the engineers are primitive people, with only hand tools, that el Manotok had seen the terraces before, he said, but added, ”I'lad to see them from the air You can understand nohy Santos said there was no place to land”
Rick certainly could understand The only level places in the entire valley were the flat surfaces of the terraces, and no terrace was large enough to land on In fact, most terraces were too s a plow across theao rice planters had to far for a landing place in the i down the valley, just to get a good look, then head back for Baguio,” Rick said
”Good idea,” Scotty agreed ”We need to lay soet busy Can you fly fairly low?”
”Yes There's rooet trapped Let's go down and look”
The town of Banaue was easy to find A double row of stores was situated on a single unpaved street atop a slight plateau in the valley botto the storekeepers and their few custoes around the valley,” Angel said He pointed to one or two of the to the mountainside between terraces
The huts were of straw bundles, discolored by smoke and dust ”The stores have kerosene, thread, aos do not need much--or, if they need it, they do not know that they do”
Rick thought that one over as he cliuio The course would intersect the Bontoc Road, which he would then follow into town
”What's our next step?” he asked
”We've got to find Tony, of course I have a hunch that eren't thorough enough in looking over the Bontoc Road Nangolat _had_ to be on it Where else could he go? Or where else _would_ he go?”
”That luel offered
Rick's first reaction was to ask what lumber, then he remembered that an Army truck like theirs, but loaded with lumber, had been on the Bontoc Road
”Of course! Who would suspect a load of lumber, especially since this is lumber country?”
Scotty nodded ”It's possible To that luht we'll cover Baguio again to make sure our enemies aren't still around Perhaps we can find Chahda”
”If we haven't found Dr Briotti by too to the police”
”There's sorimly ”And that's Mr Irineo Lazada!”
CHAPTER X
Ambush
The hotel had received no word of Tony Briotti Rick and Scotty hadn't really expected any word They were certain that he had been kidnaped by Nast Even the reason for the kidnaping was no longer iel Manotok left before the boys were ready for dinner He hoped to pick up some inforossip whichunusual which could have a bearing on the young archaeologist's disappearance