CHAPTER XII
Search the Wide Seas
There was an atmosphere of rising excitement on the _Swift Arrow_. Rickfelt it, and knew the others did, too. Little by little they werenarrowing the search. With only a few island groups remaining, he feltsure it would not be long before the pirate stronghold was located.
The _Swift Arrow_ had poked its sharp bow into nearly every port in thevast Tawi Tawi Group, and had put into the port of Dungun on the mainisland to refuel. Since the pirate attack of two nights before, theSpindrifters had practically eliminated the Tawi Tawi islands aspossibilities for the pirate hideout.
Hobart Zircon, checking their progress on the chart, called the boystogether.
"There's only one island group remaining in this immediate area," Zirconpointed out, "and I'm not even sure it's in Philippines waters."
Rick studied the place on the chart indicated by the big scientist.There were only three tiny islands in the Datu Amman Group.
"They're pretty far to the southeast," Rick commented. "Just about onthe border of Indonesia and the Philippines. Do we head for them next?"
Zircon poked a big finger at the chart. "I think we'd better. Then, ifwe find nothing, we can head southwest toward Sibutu Island."
"These Datu Amman islands aren't very big," Rick pointed out. "Butthat's the general direction from which the pirates have been coming. Wehave to eliminate every island in this area before going on to Sibutuand Borneo."
"We've got full tanks," Scotty observed. "Might as well get started."
"I think this also," Chahda agreed. "We not miss any islands. Besides,these far out of way, not on ship lanes. Could be good place forpirates."
"My thoughts exactly," Zircon stated. "Who has the wheel?...Chahda?... All right. Head southeast, and I'll plot a course."
"Why not use both engines?" Rick suggested. "Then we can get therebefore dark. If nothing turns up, we can travel all night from there toSibutu. It's all open water."
"If we use both engines, someone had better keep watch from on top ofthe pilothouse," Scotty added. "Then, if we see vintas, we can throttledown. That way, we won't have to give up our disguise of being a partialcripple."
"Good idea," Zircon approved. "Suppose you start, Scotty? Rick canrelieve you later."
Rick grinned. "That's what you get for having ideas. Tell you what,I'll toss you. Heads I take the first watch topside, tails I'll startmaking lunch."
"Sold." Scotty produced a centavo and they flipped. Rick won and climbedto the top of the pilothouse while Scotty went below to preparesandwiches.
Rick sat in a canvas chair Zircon handed up to him and watched the sea,now and then sweeping the horizon with Shannon's long glass. The _SwiftArrow_ cut the water cleanly, with both engines roaring atthree-quarters throttle.
They were cruising the Celebes Sea now, the Sulu Archipelago rapidlyfalling astern. It was a calm, clear day without even a single whitecapto mar the blue perfection of the sea. Now and then a school of flyingfish broke water from under the MTB's bow, and twice Rick spottedsharks, one of them a hammerhead. There were no vintas in sight.
Zircon handed up sandwiches and coffee, then relieved Chahda at thewheel. The Hindu boy's shoulder was healing nicely, but it was still alittle stiff and he was careful not to move his arm more than necessaryfor fear of breaking open the wound.
The afternoon wore on without sign of a sail. Scotty relieved Rick, whorelaxed on the afterdeck. The boy glanced at his watch. They should bepicking up the islands soon.
Suddenly Scotty sang out, "Sail ho."
"How many?" Rick called.
"Just one. On the horizon, off the port bow."
Rick relieved Chahda at the helm, and the Hindu boy hurried below,saying that he wanted a cold drink before the fight started. Rickwatched for the vinta sail, but before the craft was visible from hislower vantage point, Scotty called out again. "Land! Behind the vinta.Looks like a coral atoll. I can see the tips of palms."
Zircon checked the chart. "It should be the most westerly of the threeislands," the physicist reported. "Scotty, any more vintas?"
"Just the one."
"Head for the island," Zircon instructed Rick. "We'll want a closelook."
Chahda emerged from the galley with cold cokes for all hands, and theydrank while waiting for the boat to get within examination distance ofthe island. It was clearly visible within a short time. As Scotty hadsaid, it was a coral atoll, the highest point not more than ten feetabove sea level.
They passed the vinta at a distance of a hundred yards. There were onlythree men aboard, and they were fishing. Then Rick cut closer to theisland while Scotty kept a sharp lookout for shoal waters and coralheads.
Details were clearly visible now. There were a dozen huts on the island,and only a handful of people were visible. Zircon took the long glassfrom Scotty and inspected carefully, "Apparently it's a small fishingcommunity. I see nets, and another three vintas pulled up on shore.There seems to be ... Wait!"
Rick watched as the scientist swung the long glass into the air,followed something for a moment, then lowered it, his face grim.
"I caught a glimpse of a man releasing something into the air, andmanaged to pick it up with the glass. It was a pigeon. And you know whatthat means!"
The boys did. "Which way did it go?" Rick asked.
"Due east."
Rick swung the MTB onto an easterly course without another word. He knewfrom the chart that the biggest island of the three in the Datu AmmanGroup lay that way. The third island was about ten miles to the north.Release of the carrier pigeon could mean only that the island they werenow passing was a lookout position, from which the people on the biggestisland had now been notified of their arrival. And that meant ... what?Rick had a good idea, which inspection should soon prove!
"Land ho!" Scotty called down. "It's a peak of some sort."
Rick saw it a few moments later, a golden glitter on the ocean as thefast-setting sun struck land.
The four watched as the land mass slowly took shape. "It's a mountain,all right," Zircon said, excitement in his booming voice. "Looks like avolcanic cone. Can you see it clearly, Scotty?"
"It's a cone, and not much land under it, either. Hey! Vintas ahead!Must be a hundred of them!"
Rick felt excitement surge through him. That was too many vintas for asimple fishing community on an island of small size!
"They're forming a line between us and the island!" Scotty called down amoment later.
Rick could make out the tips of sails, and as the _Swift Arrow_ forgedahead, the entire fleet slowly came into view. Scotty was right. Thevintas were in a line--like a planned defense!
The island was almost entirely visible, now. A volcanic cone, perhapsfive hundred feet high, formed most of the island. From the base of thecone, flat land spread out toward the oncoming MTB, ending in a whitebeach.
"Get within gunshot of the vintas," Zircon directed grimly. "Let's seeif they're really hostile. If they are, we'll know we've foundsomething. And forget the crippled engine disguise. It's served itspurpose."
Rick figured his course carefully. He would take the MTB on a graduallysweeping curve that would place them within gunshot, but in a positionto beat a fast retreat. In a few minutes, now, they would be inposition. He kept his fingers crossed. Things looked promising. If thiswere only the end of the search.
He throttled back a little, in order to keep a good amount of speed inreserve, and kept the MTB on the course he had planned, sweeping towardone end of the vinta line. He saw the outrigger craft back their sailsas they turned to intercept him. Then, as the long curve brought himwithin rifle range he put the helm hard over, running broadside to theline of bright sails.
Scotty called, "Watch it! Heads down!" The boy was flat on the top ofthe pilothouse now, his own rifle within reach.
As an echo to his warning Chahda yelled, "They shoot!"
Rick couldn't hear the shots above the engine roar, but he took Chahda'sword for it. H
e put the helm over again, turning the stern toward theline of boats.
Scotty jumped to the deck. "They took several shots at us, but none hit.I saw the muzzle flashes."
Zircon nodded. "I saw muzzle flashes, too. Lads, it looks as thoughwe've really found something, including a mountain. Now, I suggest wereconnoiter thoroughly."
"What's your plan?" Rick asked.
"Circle the island completely, at close range. Swing wide, to approachfrom the north, then go around the island clockwise, staying as close toshore as safety allows. We can outrun the vintas without trouble. Ifnecessary, we can even cut inside the line for a close look." The bigphysicist was almost trembling with excitement.
Rick wasted no time in swinging north, away from the vintas. Scotty wentback to the top of the pilothouse to watch for shoal waters. Once he wasfar beyond the line of vintas, Rick cut back again, pointing the bow ofthe MTB at the northern shore of the island. He took out hishandkerchief to wipe palms that were suddenly damp with nervousperspiration. This had to be the place!
He could see now that the volcanic peak occupied the entire eastern partof the island. It dropped steeply into the ocean on both the eastern andnorthern shores. The inhabitable land area was a broad shelf that slopedfrom the base of the volcano to the western shore.
As the MTB plowed toward the island more details became visible. Therewas a very small crescent of beach on the northern shore, but blackvolcanic rock dropped into the sea in most places.
"Let's see what the rest of this place looks like," Zircon directed.
Rick put the MTB on a curving course that would take them completelyaround the island, about a hundred yards offshore. They left thenorthern coast and passed the eastern edge of the island. Surf broke onthe black volcanic rock on the eastern shore, except at one point wherethere appeared to be a fair-sized cove.
The southern shore was equally forbidding until the volcanic cone waspassed. There was a large cove where the land shelf met the volcano.Docks could be seen, and a few vintas. Apparently this was the island'sboat anchorage.
Zircon nodded his satisfaction. "We seem to have something here, boys.It's an ideal spot for a pirate stronghold. Notice they didn't try tofollow us, or cut us off anywhere except on the west? That's because theisland is a natural fortress, except for the western land slope. Theyneed only look for trouble from the west."
The MTB was in sight of the pirate fleet again. They were still in abattle array to protect the vulnerable western shore. The line of vintasformed a long curve from a point just off the pirate anchorage aroundthe western shore to where the volcano rose from the land shelf on thenorth.
"I'll stay out of rifleshot," Rick said. "Take a look at the villagethrough the long glass, Professor. There may be some sign of Shannon andTony."
"I'm not hopeful about that," Zircon replied. "They'd be under cover."
The pirates made no move to follow the MTB on its curving course aroundtheir battle line. Apparently the vintas were holding position in aplanned defense. Across the vinta line, Rick could see a field of whatappeared to be grain, separated by a street from a field of what wascertainly corn. The village itself was of nipa shacks on stilts, all ofthem located near the volcano. There were a few trees, mostly mango andavocado.
"Plenty room for plenty pirates," Chahda commented.
Rick grinned mirthlessly. "You're so right." The village would providehousing for three or four hundred, anyway.
"No sign of volcanic activity," Scotty said. "It must be a dead volcano.Anyway, I don't think even pirates would be foolish enough to live undera live one."
"You're right," Zircon agreed. He waved a hand at the island. "Doesanyone doubt that this is the right place?"
No one did.
"I not seeing scientists," Chahda observed.
"They wouldn't be in the open, anyway. But did anyone see their boat?"
"All boats were vintas," Rick replied.
"I thought so, too. However, I wouldn't expect the pirates to keep the_Sampaguita_ in sight. Head back toward Tawi Tawi, Rick. We've plans tomake!"
Rick returned the scientist's jubilant grin, then he turned to look backat the rapidly receding pirate island, the volcano black and forbiddingin the gathering dusk.
"We'll be back," he promised the invisible scientists. "We'll be back!"