CHAPTER XVIII
Under Cover of Darkness
Hobart Zircon's usually booming voice couldn't have been heard more thantwo yards away as he spoke into the tiny Megabuck radio unit.
"We're starting down the western slope of the volcano. How are things,Tony?"
Rick and Scotty, their ears close to the tiny earphone Zircon held out,heard Briotti's reply. The kidnaped scientists had given up trying todissuade them.
"Everything normal, Hobart. The lookout is settling down now. He's oneof the regulars. He relaxes completely as a sleeping cat, but he's wideawake. Don't let his appearance deceive you."
"We won't," Zircon promised. "We'll call you again as we get into thedanger zone. Chahda?"
The Hindu boy answered instantly. "Here."
"Fine. Keep listening and you'll know how we're doing."
"Will do. Tell Rick shoot straight."
Rick grinned. It was good advice. Nevertheless, apprehension had kepthim in a sweat. He had never before been in a position where success orfailure--and probably all their lives--hung on a single shot.
Scotty put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "This is just anothershot, old son. You've made far tougher ones on the course back home."
"He's right." Hobart Zircon added. "You showed this afternoon that youcould hit a small target with that unwieldy club you invented. Let'sgo."
Scotty took the lead, following the route he and Rick had explored thenight before. Rick followed close on his heels, and Zircon brought upthe rear. In spite of his bulk, the scientist was light-footed andsilent.
They reached a point where the boys had tied a rope to a boulder thenight before and now they paused to attach the rope ladder Rick carried.It was one of four they had fashioned. Two already had been placed.Zircon carried the last one. Scotty went down first, with Zirconfollowing cautiously.
The ropes creaked, but held. Zircon stepped to firm ground and Rickfollowed down the ladder. They negotiated a bend in the trail, thenScotty stopped and held up his hand.
Rick took Shannon's bow from the quiver. While he was getting ready,Zircon made a last check with Tony and Chahda. When Rick signaled,Scotty led the way down the last few dozen yards of steep lava to thefinal shelf.
There, just out of sight of the guard, Scotty unslung his rifle. Thedark-haired boy went forward and peered over the edge of rock thatshielded them. For a long moment he surveyed the scene below, thenbacked away. Rick caught his gesture. It was time.
He had planned how he would do this. He couldn't shoot in a lying-downposition, and kneeling would expose him to the guard just as surely asstanding upright would do--if the guard happened to be looking. So, hewould shoot while standing erect. His accuracy would be better that way.
Rick fitted the arrow's nock to the bowstring, got his fingers inposition to draw, and flexed the bow slightly. Then, taking a deepbreath, he stepped calmly forward to the edge of rock.
It took only three steps to bring him within sight of the guard. He hada quick vision of a black velvet cap, hunched shoulders, and a rifleheld casually across the knees. He drew smoothly, held for the briefestinstant, and released the shaft.
Scotty was at his side, rifle ready, the moment the shaft left the bow.
It wasn't necessary. Rick had an instant's impression of sound, like abaseball slapping into a catcher's mitt. The guard didn't even move fromhis position. His shoulders slumped a little more and his head wentforward between his knees. He stayed that way. The arrow skitteredacross the stone shelf and stopped.
Rick knew his aim had been a little off. The ball had caught the guardbehind the ear, instead of directly in the back of the head. Cold sweatbathed the boy at the nearness of it. He had almost missed!
But there wasn't time to think about that now. Scotty and Zircon werealready moving into action. The big scientist unwound the rope ladderfrom around his waist while Scotty drove spikes into a cleft in thelava. His wooden mallet, muffled with cloth padding, made only a dull,almost inaudible sound.
Zircon secured the end of the ladder to the spikes, then put his weighton it, testing. It held. He moved forward, and lowered the free end overthe cliff.
Rick and Scotty stood by to give a hand to the men on the ledge below.They were already on their way, Howard Shannon first.
Rick eyed the village anxiously. He was sure they were practicallyinvisible against the dark lava, but he wouldn't feel secure until theyhad moved out of sight.
Shannon reached the top, and Rick and Scotty helped him over. A Filipinoboy was next up, and Rick knew this must be the famous Elpidio Torres.The boy came up the ladder like a sailor and scrambled over the topwithout help.
Tony Briotti was last. The youthful archaeologist wasted no time inswarming up the ladder to the top, and in a moment the six of them wereshaking hands in silent glee.
Scotty pulled the ladder up, so it wouldn't be seen dangling, thenwhispered urgently, "Let's get going."
By prearrangement, Scotty led the way with Zircon next in line, followedby Shannon, Briotti, and the Filipino boy, with Rick bringing up therear. He paused long enough to unstring the bow and put it back in thequiver.
As the group paused before making the difficult stage of the journeyaround the cone, Rick took the Megabuck unit from Tony. In theexcitement no one had called Chahda.
"On our way back now, Chahda," Rick said calmly. "All six of us."
The Hindu boy's yell of triumph and relief almost shattered Rick'seardrum. He whispered, "Stow it, you wild Indian. You'll ruin myhearing."
"Sorry," Chahda said, but he didn't sound it. "Hurry back now. I waitfor word to come."
Rick followed as the group started off again. He wondered how the guardwas doing. By all reckoning, the man should still be unconscious. He'dbetter be!
The party reached the eastern slope of the volcano, directly under thecone, and started the last descent. The rope ladders made the tripcomparatively easy, except for the final drop before the ground leveledoff somewhat. It was a rough stretch, too long for a ladder. A singlerope had been saved for the purpose. Rick took it from Scotty and madeit fast around a spike they had driven earlier. Zircon was the first touse it. He went down swiftly, keeping hold of the rope in case of aslip.
Scotty followed, then Shannon. The lanky zoologist was halfway down whenRick felt the rope tighten with a jerk and he heard Shannon's chokedcry of pain. Rick rechecked to be sure the rope was secure, thenmotioned to Briotti and the Filipino boy. "Go on. We've got to get downto him."
Scotty and Zircon, climbing back from below, reached Shannon's sidebefore Rick and the others could get there. In a few moments the sixwere clustered together.
"A rock turned under me," Shannon explained. "I felt the bone snap in myleg. You'd better go on. You can send help back to me later."
"Nonsense," Zircon grated. "Boys, what can we use for a splint?"
Rick was already pulling arrows out of the quiver. "These are Dr.Shannon's. I'm sure he won't mind if we use them."
"You have my permission," Shannon said with a painful chuckle.
The blunt-headed arrows were quickly lashed into two bundles. Rick andScotty shed their light jackets and Scotty's knife flashed in the faintstarlight as he sliced them into padding. Rick took the extra bowstringsfrom the quiver and handed them to Zircon. The bowstrings would makeideal ties. Within a short time Shannon's leg was securely splinted andZircon was giving instructions.
"Scotty, go untie the rope and bring it down. You and Rick will holdfrom above, while Tony and I carry Howard. You, Mr. Torres, will pleasestay directly in front of us to test the footing and warn us of loosestones."
"Of course, sir," the Filipino boy replied quickly.
Scotty returned from his climb with the rope coiled. He made severalturns around Shannon's waist, pulled the rope up under his armpits, andsecured it with a bowline.
"Slow and easy does it," Zircon directed.
Slow was the key word. Rick and Scotty kept the safety line taut whileBr
iotti and Zircon moved the injured man an inch at a time, bracingthemselves against the rock and feeling for each step. Zircon, the mostpowerful of them all, had to carry most of the scientist's weight.
Rick was worried. The trip across the volcano had taken quite a whileand now time was running out on them. He looked at the luminous dial ofhis watch and realized with a sudden chill that dawn was only a halfhour away. "We've got to hurry," he said.
"They change the lookout just before dawn," Tony said. "Even if he'sstill unconscious we won't have much time once they find him!"
"You're right." Zircon stopped and began untying the rope that securedShannon.
"What are you doing?" Scotty asked anxiously.
"Changing methods," Zircon said grimly. He handed the rope to Scotty."Cut off a length and tie Howard to me. Then secure the remainder undermy armpits."
Rick knew that it would be a terrible strain on the big scientist, butit would be faster--if his strength held out.
Zircon picked Shannon up in his arms, and Scotty lashed them together,making a kind of sling that would help support Shannon's weight. Then hetied one end of the remaining rope around Zircon's barrel chest, upunder his armpits.
Rick, Scotty, Briotti, and the Filipino boy grasped the rope and held itfirmly while the big scientist walked upright down the remaining slope,one slow step after another, the others following but always keeping therope tight in case he started to fall.
They negotiated the hardest part of the slope, then Zircon leaned backagainst a boulder and rested for a moment. The final hundred yardswasn't steep, but it was strewn with loose boulders and lava chunks.Zircon wouldn't be able to speed up much. Rick looked at his watchagain, then at the sky. He didn't say anything. The big physicist wasdoing more than any man should be asked to do. He couldn't do it anyfaster.
Scotty moved to his side. "Got arrows left?"
"Yes. Most of the big broadheads and half a dozen of the smallbroadheads. Why?"
"We may need them. I'm scared. The guard's relief must know by now thathis pal got conked."
"We're both scared," Rick corrected. "But what can we do?"
"Be ready to fight."
Zircon called hoarsely, "Let's go!"
They were off again, the scientist plodding slowly ahead, down the laststretch to the cove. About half of the distance had been covered whenRick saw the first sail. It was close to shore, near the cove wherethey had anchored the vinta.
Zircon saw it, too. He called softly, "Scotty! Leave the rope to theothers. Get ahead of me and cover us. But don't shoot until they startsomething."
Scotty moved ahead, unslinging his rifle as he went.
Zircon speeded up as much as possible. Fortunately, the going was easiernow and the big scientist could make better time. Rick helped to keepthe rope braced, and tried to divide his attention between watching theuncertain footing and looking for other sails.
The first pirate vinta was nosing into the cove when two others cameinto sight. And, at nearly the same moment, Zircon reached the smallpatch of level ground at the cove's edge.
Rick dropped the rope and hurried to the big scientist's side, drawinghis knife. He cut the ropes that bound Shannon to Zircon, and theylowered the injured zoologist to a sitting position with a big rock athis back.
Dawn was breaking fast now. Already Rick could see details more clearlyand he knew it was only minutes to practically full daylight. TheSpindrift group could see the pirate vintas clearly now against the sea,but the pirates could not yet see them because they were still inshadow, dark rock at their backs. Still, the pirates would try the covefirst. It was the logical place.
He estimated their chances quickly, and saw that the situation washopeless. There was no chance of getting their vinta past the pirates.They would have to fight. He drew the bow sections out of the quiver andgot ready. Next to him, Zircon was checking the clip in his pistol.
Rick took the Megabuck network unit from his pocket and called softly,"Chahda!"
"Here, Rick. Long time wait. How things go?"
"Not good. Shannon broke a leg. Also, we're at the cove, which isfilling up with pirate vintas. We're cut off."
Chahda whistled. "I say plenty no good! Look, you figure way to get toclear water. I figure way to pick you up. Starting right now!"
"Okay," Rick said, without knowing how it could be done. "Come on in,but don't get trapped!"
There was a sudden chorus of pirate yells, then one of the Moros fired ashot. Scotty's rifle snapped, and pirate rifles answered. The fight wason! Rick grabbed a broadhead arrow from the quiver and hurried forward.