Warriors Three
Rick got guns, but it took time. There were no sporting goods stores in
Baguio. In fact, there were no stores that carried rifles. A few carried
pistols, mostly Italian and English makes. But Rick knew that a pistol
is better for morale than for actual use. Few people can hit anything
with a pistol, and fewer still can hit a moving target.
He supposed that Scotty and Angel had picked up the rifles of the
ambushers, but since he didn't know the calibers, he couldn't get
ammunition for them. What he finally procured were a shotgun, 12-gauge
with an ample supply of shells, and a United States Army carbine, with
about ten clips. These were private purchases from a store owner who was
willing to sell his personal arsenal.
It was late when Rick got started for Bontoc. He watched for Scotty and
Angel on the road but failed to catch up with them. They had reached
Bontoc before him, as he found when he circled to land. They cleared the
road and stood by while he brought the Sky Wagon down.
Angel had already hired two Igorots to guard the plane. They were
tough-looking customers who wore hard-rock miner's helmets, a sign that
they had mined gold in Baguio.
The Sky Wagon was pulled off the road into a field and the Igorots sat
down next to it, short spears handy to their reach. The plane would be
all right. Rick got into the jeep with Scotty and Angel, and the first
thing he saw was their collection of armaments. They had four rifles,
two of them old Army Springfield rifles, and two carbines.
"We are now well armed," he said. "Where's the enemy?"
"After that ambush," Scotty replied, starting the motor, "I'm no longer
sure. We certainly didn't expect that."
"I think we brought it on ourselves," Rick said. "Last night we gave
Lazada and Nast a hard time. I'll bet Lazada sent out that expedition
just for laughs." A thought struck him. "By the way, where are the two
Igorot boys you hired yesterday? How come they aren't guarding the
plane?"
"We thought we'd take them with us, as extra hands," Scotty explained.
"They live at the southern edge of town. We're going there now. We've
already talked with Pilipil. He's getting a third boy for us to hire."
"Hey, take it easy," Rick complained. "Explain as you go. What did
Pilipil say, and why the third boy?"
"Our truck has gone over the mountain into Ifugao country. It was the
lumber truck, as we might have known. Nangolat was driving, and Tony and
a third man were with them. That was yesterday. We didn't tell Pilipil
and his friend to follow the truck, so they didn't. But a third Igorot
boy did follow, and he returned to Bontoc this morning. He's with
Pilipil now. We'll go pick them up and head for Banaue. And we'll get
Tony."
Rick was still a little confused, but he guessed Scotty knew what he was
talking about. "Who is the Igorot who trailed our truck?"
"Don't know. He was sleeping at Pilipil's when we got here."
Ahead, Pilipil was standing in front of a board shack, waving. It was
evidently his home. The jeep pulled up and Rick, Scotty, and Angel got
out. Pilipil shook hands all around. "You come in," he said. "We talk.
Make plan."
He led the way into the shack. Within, two other young Igorots were
seated cross-legged on the floor. One of them was Pilipil's friend,
Balaban, who had been with him on the day they first landed.
The third Igorot--as might have been expected--was Chahda.
Scotty pointed to the Hindu boy, who was watching them with an impassive
stare, as though he had never seen them before.
"Pilipil, how do you know this boy good? Can be trusted?"
Pilipil shrugged and showed betel-stained teeth in a smile. "Not know.
Maybe no good. But say he know you."
Scotty looked stern. "You. What have you to say for yourself?"
"Plenty," Chahda said. "Am plenty tired of pulling Spindrift chestnuts
out of fire. You know how cold it gets in these mountain? Last night I
freeze. I almost attack whole Ifugao village barehanded, just to get
blankets from supplies on truck. Tonight you take off clothes, put on
breechcloth, and stand out in cold. I stay in nice warm hotel, in
Baguio. Worrold Alm-in-ack say this tropical country. Hah! Like North
Pole is tropical."
Rick and Scotty grinned sympathetically. "If you weren't so in love with
being mysterious and adventurous," Rick pointed out, "you could sleep in
comfortable beds in warm rooms. But no. You have to be Chahda the
Vanishing Hindu. And a good thing, too, otherwise Scotty and I would be
floundering most of the time, not knowing where to turn next. Is Tony
okay?"
Chahda rose. He looked astonishingly like Pilipil and Balaban. From
haircut to bare feet he was an Igorot. Only his brown eyes,
proportionally bigger than those of the real Igorots, were different.
"Tony is okay. Or was last night. My pal Dog Meat is keeping eye on him.
You see Nast?"
"In Baguio, last night." Scotty told Chahda of their visit with Nast and
Lazada.
Chahda nodded. "Nast and Nangolat in cahoots. Nast picks up Tony at
airport, takes him to hut near Trinidad Valley. I see all this. At hut
is Nangolat, with truck of lumber. Nast turns Tony over to Nangolat, so
I drop Nast and follow Tony. Me and Dog Meat, we have fine time. You fly
overhead, too, but see nothing. Not even me. You getting blind, I think.
Lose famous Brant eyesight."
"We saw the lumber truck," Rick admitted. "But where were you?"
"Little way behind in jeep."
Rick remembered that they had seen a couple of jeeps on the road but had
paid no attention. He could see now what had probably happened.
Nangolat, after stealing the earth scanner, had taken the truck to the
hut at Trinidad Valley and camouflaged it with lumber. Tony had gone to
the airport, but had not found Nangolat--he had found Nast. But why?
Rick put the question aloud.
"Mix up in schedule," Chahda said. "Nast and Nangolat were to meet at
airport and wait for all of you. Catch whole lot at once when you go to
airport in the morning. But Nangolat has luck, and he gets earth
scanner. He takes truck to Trinidad, so you won't find it and get
scanner back. Nast comes to airport in morning, and finds no Nangolat,
but he finds Tony. So he takes Tony and goes to Trinidad Valley to hut
which he knows about, and there is Nangolat."
"How do you know all this?" Scotty demanded.
Chahda grinned. "From Nast. He reports to Lazada by telephone. I listen.
Easy. Who would think poor Igorot boy know anything?"
Rick shook his head in admiration. Leave it to Chahda. "Now what, Master
Spy?"
Chahda motioned to Pilipil and Balaban. "We three mighty Igorot
warriors. Tonight we lead you to Ifugao, and we get Tony and the truck
and our other stuffs. Then we get to work and find this golden skull."
"You mean we just walk in and take Tony away from the Ifugaos?" Scotty
demanded.
"Not that simple," Chahda said. "Ifugaos not wanting to give Tony up, I
think. First he help them find sacred stuff lost for many generations,
then they need new head to sacrifice to sacred stuff, so they use his.
Neat, huh? I think we don't get Tony back without a fight."