Part 18 (2/2)
Rick figured that at the end of that time he would either reclaim the note, or that all of them would be in need of help, and the Aet the letter and use it as a reason for sending a strong note to the Philippine Government, or maybe call out the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force Rick was a little vague on just ould happen
The note written, he tried to read for a while Scotty and Angel were not well started, and it would be pointless for hio on to Bontoc alone He wondered where Chahda was, and what he was doing The Hindu boy had his oay of operating, and it was one Rick and Scotty could not hope to copy Chahda had the gift of h he belonged to it
Rick hoped that Chahda, so a protective eye on Tony
He couldn't read He tried napping, but that was no good, either At last, unable to reer, he took a taxi to the airport, topped off the Sky Wagon's tanks with gas, checked the plane thoroughly, got a weather report and took off
He climbed to fifteen thousand feet and scanned the terrain for land its name on the map Then he picked up the Bontoc Road and searched for the highest point, where it e across a peak over seven thousand feet above sea level
If he had estimated Scotty's travel ti into the brilliant sunlight of the peaks He wished for binoculars, but they had failed to bring any, one of those oversights that happen on any expedition
There was a little traffic on the road A car of some kind was at the peak, probably stopped to allow the occupants to see thedriven off the road into a grove of trees just beyond the peak That was odd
He identified the jeep In a o down and wave Then he would go back to the airport, have lunch, and fly on to Bontoc That way, he would get there only slightly ahead of Scotty and Angel
He lost altitude Below,out of the car which had driven into the scant cover of a scrub-pine grove Rick watched as they walked to the peak Sunlight reflected fro to have their picnic lunch while looking over the wonderful mountains of northern Luzon Good idea Probably that hy they had parked the car off the road
Then he saw that they were not stopping at the peak, but were taking positions along the road a short distance beyond it Again, sunlight glinted from metal as one of them sat down in a copse just off the road
Sweat suddenly poured on Rick's forehead He wasn't watching si set up--and it could only be for one vehicle, because there was only one in sight along the el!
Rick spun the Sky Wagon up on a wing and let it slide He held the slide for long moments while the altiistered eight thousand feet did he level off, only a thousand feet above the el, then he saw theood speed In about twenty seconds they would reach it
He gauged the amount of clearance he had It wasn't much Then he put the stick forward and dove for the road He leveled off so low that his prop wash kicked up dust The jeep seeli up in a cliainst the seat He leveled off and looked for the jeep It was still ht he was just playing! He should have written a note and dropped it, but now there was no time The jeep would be in the ambush before he could let his friends knohy he had buzzed theon that he could throw at the enemy But he could at least try to make the at the places where the attackers waited
The ae All they had to do was sit still Rick could not hurt the on the to have the plane roar past scarcely two feet above one's head, and Rick knew the attackers would be worried about the possibility of an accident
One man had weak nerves On Rick's second pass he stood up and ran, heading for the co shelter of the trees Scotty saw him The jeep braked to a halt
Instantly the ael jumped from the exposed jeep and took to the ditch Rick dove at the rifleained a little altitude and circled, esti the one who had run for the car That left three effective ones Scotty and Angel were unarrave mistake
They should have purchased weapons However, since he had been able to warn the as he was overhead, ready to dive on the attackers if they should try for a better position, the tere all right
Rick thought he saay out At least there was no har He took the pad of paper he kept in the door pocket and printed a e to the attackers
YOU HAVE LOST NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU GO, I CAN FOLLOW I CAN HAVE THE POLICE TRAP YOU AT BONTOC OR BAGUIO I CAN CARRY POLICE TO BONTOC FASTER THAN YOU CAN DRIVE THERE BUT IF YOU LEAVE YOUR RIFLES IN THE ROAD, GO TO YOUR CAR, AND HEAD FOR BAGUIO, I WILL DO NOTHING
He searched for a weight and found his e kit, a war surplus iteht so spot without tackle Fro line co He lashed the sinker to the folded paper Now to toss it out so it would land a his distance When he saw the peak rushi+ng at hihted paper, cliet it
Apparently itthemselves for a moment, then carried their rifles to the el realized that so on, but prudently remained under cover Not until the ae and wave at Rick He waggled his wings, then turned and uns and ammunition, and there was no time like the present to buy them!
CHAPTER XI