The Pirates of Shan Part 5

"Will you come with us to translate, Doctor? Juan speaks enough Bagobo to get by, but I'd rather have you for this trip. It may be difficult."

"I'll be glad to. May I have a few moments to change clothing?"

"Of course. I'll take these gentlemen to the hotel and they can change, too. We'll pick you up."

Rick took advantage of the few moments in their hotel room to call Chahda. The Hindu boy answered at once.

"The recording had the answer," Rick told him. "That was a good piece of work, Chahda. We're leaving for the village at once."

"Good. Something I can do?"

"Not right now. I'll call when we get back."

Rick changed swiftly into khaki trail clothes. Their tropical suit trousers had been cleaned overnight and he didn't want to ruin his again.

Outside, Lacson was waiting. Two other command cars had joined him, each one carrying six armed troopers. The three jumped in with the major and went past the university to pick up Dr. Gonzalez.

The caravan broke all speed records getting to Calinan. Juan, the local trooper, got into the last car in line and they roared off to the road's end. This time the Spindrifters were dressed for the hike, and were well sprayed with protection against insects. Each had a hat, and a head net.

The group traveled at good speed. Then, as they emerged from the jungle trail into the clearing that led to the village, a squad of four troopers, under Juan, broke off from the party and started away at a dogtrot to make a wide circle and approach the village from the opposite side.

The rest walked straight ahead, at a slow pace that would give Juan's squad time to move into position. Rick's party reached the first house in the village and Major Lacson held up his hand. From the far side of the village came Juan's whistle blast.

The major's hand dropped. Troopers with rifles charged into the Bagobo village, scattering among the houses. Lacson drew his pistol and marched straight to the headman's house.

The headman walked to meet them, and his face stiffened as he saw the pistol. He spoke rapidly.

Gonzalez translated. "He wants to know why you come with a weapon pointed at him, and why your men raid his houses."

"Tell him we come as enemies because he lied. The Americans were here.

My men search for evidence."

The Filipino professor translated, and the headman made an expressive gesture with his hands. He sat down on a seat made of a split tanguile log and stared straight ahead, obviously intending to maintain a stony silence.

A trooper ran up, waving a tubular object which he handed to the major.

Rick saw that it was a high-powered telescope, like one Shannon had owned. His pulse quickened as Scotty removed the protective lens caps and examined the object.

"Shannon's," Scotty stated. "His initials are stamped on the side, and on the front lens cap."

The headman seemed to wilt.

Another trooper ran up, and he carried a leather quiver that Rick recognized instantly. It also was Shannon's. He knew it well, from their field archery games. In the quiver was the bow, a takedown model, and three dozen arrows.

"Major, what are we going to do?"

For reply, the officer planted himself in front of the headman, his voice harsh. "Tell him, Professor Gonzalez, that we have evidence enough. Unless he has a good explanation, we must believe that his village murdered the Americans. For this, some of his people may pay with their lives."

Dr. Gonzalez translated into Bagobo. For long minutes the headman sat quietly, then he rose to his full height and looked the officer in the eye.

"I am caught between a knife and a spear," Dr. Gonzalez translated.

"There is death either way. It is true, the Americans came. We made them welcome. For one evening they stayed. We gave them and their Moro a house to sleep in. Then, after it was dark and we slept, men came. The Americans and the Moro fought, but the men tied them up and carried them away. Then the men said that if one person in my village spoke of this, all would die. The two things we found were not taken because they were in a corner of the hut and were not seen. All else was removed."

"Ask him who the men were and why he didn't fight for the Americans,"

Lacson directed.

The Filipino language expert posed the question, then translated the reply. "He does not know the men, or their names. He did not fight because it was useless. His people would have died and the Americans would not have been saved."

"Ask him how he knows this."

The Bagobo's reply was terse. "He knows," Gonzalez said. "He will say no more."

Lacson made a sound of disgust. "He means it, too. Look at him."

Rick saw what Lacson meant. The stern face and glittering eyes indicated clearly that the headman would die before he said more about the attackers.

"Does he know where the Americans were taken?" Zircon asked.

"He does not know. The men took them down the trail. Of course some Bagobos followed. But at the road the men put the Americans and their guide into a car and drove away. Apparently there were two or three cars. The Bagobos could not follow."

"Then Shannon, Briotti, and their guide were probably on the boat when it left Davao," Rick said thoughtfully. "But where did the boat go?"

Major Lacson answered. "We don't know. But it is possible we may find out. I've sent out an all-points bulletin asking for information. We may get a lead to its whereabouts."

"We'd better," Scotty said grimly. "Unless someone has seen it, we have the whole Sulu Sea to search!"

CHAPTER V

Trail of the "Sampaguita"

The PAL plane droned westward, over the incredible swamps of the Pulangi River, toward Cotabato. Rick watched the sweltering marshland unfold below and caught glimpses of the winding brown river that turned the countryside into a mora.s.s. From Colonel Rojas' briefing he knew that the countryside was alive with crocodiles and less pleasant creatures.

In the seat next to Rick, Scotty catnapped. Zircon, across the aisle, was apparently deep in thought.

Rick hoped fervently that they weren't on a wild-goose chase. At Davao they had learned that Briotti, Shannon, and their guide had been kidnaped by some group the Bagobos feared. The reason for the kidnaping could not be guessed. No requests for ransom had been made, and the scientists had no known personal enemies.

Instead of clearing up the mystery, Rick thought, the little they had found had only deepened it. His concern for his missing friends had turned to a deep fear that they might not be found until too late. He was very conscious of the pa.s.sage of time. Nearly three weeks had elapsed since the scientists had been forcefully taken from the Bagobo village.

"Think they were taken away on the boat?" Scotty asked suddenly.

Rick turned quickly. Scotty hadn't been napping after all. "We can't be sure, but doesn't it seem likely?"

"It does to me. Of course the kidnapers might have carried them into the interior, but I can't imagine anyone carrying prisoners over those jungle trails. Besides, the boat is missing."

"There are no roads where they could have been taken by car," Rick agreed. "Lacson will try to find the cars that brought them into Davao, but even if he succeeds, it won't tell us much." He changed the subject.