CHAPTER IV
The Headman's Secret
On the following morning Major Paulo Lacson joined the Spindrifters forbreakfast at the hotel. The young officer answered questions about theregion for an hour, but Rick refrained from bringing up the subject ofthe headman until breakfast was over. But that was deferred when Scottyasked a startling question.
"Major, what ever happened to the boat our friends came in?"
Lacson's eyebrows went up. "Boat? What boat?"
"You mean you didn't know they came by boat?" Zircon bellowedincredulously.
The major shook his head. "This is the first I have heard of a boat. Iassumed they came by air. The instructions I got from Manila were simplyto find two missing Americans, with their names and descriptions. Sincemost Americans stay at this hotel I inquired and found they had checkedout. That established their presence in Davao. It didn't occur to me tobe interested in where they had come from, although I knew from myinstructions that it was Zamboanga. Later, I checked the airline to seeif they had left by air, but there was no record."
It was incredible, but there it was. Rick knew it was the kind of slipthat often happens when the background given with instructions is notcomplete.
"I will get on this right away," Lacson said. "You have a description ofthe boat?"
"I'm afraid not. It was chartered in Zamboanga. Can you get adescription from there?"
"Of course. It's strange the detail of the boat never came to light.Why, I even had a full description of their Moro guide."
"Guide?" The three said it simultaneously. It was their turn to beastonished. No one had mentioned a third person in the party.
"You didn't know?" Lacson clapped a hand to his forehead in a gesture ofchagrin. "The lack of communications is ridiculous! Yes, they had aguide. Apparently they picked him up in Zamboanga. A young Moro, nooutstanding features, who gave his name as Azid Hajullah. We have notbeen able to find out any more about him."
Lacson rose, to get a message off about the boat, but Rick stopped himand quickly outlined his conclusion about the headman, and Chahda's tripto the Bagobo village.
The major scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "It is just possible you areright," he said at last. "I myself noted that the old man was not atease, but I attributed it to the presence of strange Americans, plus myown official status. Many primitive peoples are shy in the presence ofauthority. However, I agree the headman may have overdone it somewhat.We will see. I will phone you when I have news of the boat, and perhapsyou will let me know when you hear from this Indian friend of yours."
The morning dragged on after Lacson's departure. The three walked thestreets of Davao and found it to be quite a modern city with twonewspapers, a radio station, and some good stores. Both Rick and Scottyhad the feeling that they were being watched, but the most carefulobservation failed to uncover a tail.
Nevertheless, the boys were certain their movements were known tosomeone. If only they could discover the invisible watcher, Rickthought, and squeeze some information out of him....
The tropical sun grew hot as the day progressed, and the three returnedto the hotel and sat in the small dining room over cold limeades andchilled mango. Rick had kept the Megabuck earphone in place all morning,and as he started to order another mango, Chahda's voice sounded in hisear. "Rick, you there?"
"Here," he replied swiftly. "Go ahead."
"Got recording. I think you plenty on ball, Rick. Headman lied likechamp. Meet you hotel room right away. I just driving up. What numberroom?"
Rick told the Hindu boy and signed off. He turned to the others. "Let'sgo. Chahda's got something!"
They hurried to their room, and Zircon at once placed a call to Lacson.The constabulary office replied that the major was en route to the hoteland should be there in a few minutes.
Chahda burst into their room. The Hindu boy was grinning from ear toear. He took the tiny recorder from his pocket and handed it to Zircon."Plenty hot, you bet. Can I have drink, please?"
Scotty picked up the telephone and ordered him a double limeade withplenty of ice.
"Much thanks, Scotty. Well, this morning at dawn we merchants go toBagobo village. Sell plenty cloths, too. You know some Bagobos speak alittle English? Not much, but enough. While I sell, I start askingquestions, but I get no answer. Then, boy my age starts buying cloth fornew turban. We alone, so I try bribe. I say, 'Tell me about missingAmericans and I give cloth for free.' And you know, he starts!"
"Go on, confound it!" Zircon bellowed. "Don't keep us in suspense likethis."
"Okay, Professor. I talk fast. This boy gets no chance to say something,because headman busts in and he shoots words at boy like machine gun.Boy no more will talk to me, but I give him cloth, anyway. Because allthe time I have wire machine going!"
"Wonderful!" Rick exclaimed. "Now, if we can only get it translated!"
Scotty opened the door at a knock and admitted Major Lacson. Zirconintroduced Chahda and explained quickly what had happened. He showed theofficer the wire recorder.
"Good!" Lacson picked up the telephone and made a call. After a briefexchange in the local dialect he hung up. "We will take it to DavaoUniversity. Dr. Gonzalez, the professor of languages, will translate it.He speaks Bagobo expertly. Come. My car is outside."
Chahda hung back. "You go. Better I stay under cover while longer. Youcall me on radio when you find something."
Rick agreed, then followed the others. They piled into Lacson's commandcar and headed for the university.
"I have some news myself," Lacson reported. "Your friends came in asloop called the _Sampaguita_, which is a local flower. They tied up ata private dock on the waterfront."
"Where is the boat now?" Scotty asked.
Lacson shrugged. "Who knows? No one saw it leave, but it was there thenight your friends disappeared, and gone the following morning."
Rick pondered that bit of information while Lacson and Zircon workedwith Dr. Gonzalez, a short, bald Filipino, on the translation of thewire recording. Certainly Briotti and Shannon wouldn't have walked backfrom the Bagobo village and taken the boat themselves. And if they hadwalked to Calinan and obtained a car, Lacson would have found out aboutit. There weren't so many people in the area that the rental, orborrowing of a car, by two Americans couldn't be discovered easily. Hadthey hitched a ride Lacson would surely have found that out, too. Fewcars traveled the road to Calinan.
Rick took Lacson aside and questioned him while Zircon played the wireover and over again for the Filipino language expert. The majorconfirmed that he had checked, and was satisfied that the scientists hadnot obtained a ride back from Calinan from any of the local people.There were no cars to rent, either.
Rick dropped the subject abruptly as Zircon and Gonzalez finished makingnotes and switched off the recorder.
"Dr. Gonzalez has it," Zircon said with quiet triumph. "The language isdifficult, and the headman was far from the microphone, but the sense ofwhat is on the tape is clear."
The boys and Lacson listened closely as the language professor read.
"'Say nothing, young fool! It is forbidden to speak of the white men.One word that they were here and the wrath of'--I don't know one wordhere--'will fall on the whole village. Do you want to die? Do you wantus all to die? I forbid you to speak on pain of death!'"
"They _were_ there!" Scotty exclaimed. "Now maybe we can find out whathappened."
"At once," Major Lacson added grimly. "Doctor, what does the missingword sound like?"
The Filipino professor shook his head. "It is a word I've never heard,Major. It doesn't sound like a Bagobo word at all. It's 'shoon' or'shawn.' Something like that. It's not clear."
"Will you come with us to translate, Doctor? Juan speaks enough Bagoboto 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."
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Rick took advantage of the few moments in their hotel room to callChahda. The Hindu boy answered at once.
"The recording had the answer," Rick told him. "That was a good piece ofwork, 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 suittrousers had been cleaned overnight and he didn't want to ruin hisagain.
Outside, Lacson was waiting. Two other command cars had joined him, eachone carrying six armed troopers. The three jumped in with the major andwent past the university to pick up Dr. Gonzalez.
The caravan broke all speed records getting to Calinan. Juan, the localtrooper, got into the last car in line and they roared off to the road'send. This time the Spindrifters were dressed for the hike, and were wellsprayed with protection against insects. Each had a hat, and a head net.
The group traveled at good speed. Then, as they emerged from the jungletrail into the clearing that led to the village, a squad of fourtroopers, under Juan, broke off from the party and started away at adogtrot to make a wide circle and approach the village from the oppositeside.
The rest walked straight ahead, at a slow pace that would give Juan'ssquad time to move into position. Rick's party reached the first housein the village and Major Lacson held up his hand. From the far side ofthe village came Juan's whistle blast.
The major's hand dropped. Troopers with rifles charged into the Bagobovillage, scattering among the houses. Lacson drew his pistol and marchedstraight to the headman's house.
The headman walked to meet them, and his face stiffened as he saw thepistol. He spoke rapidly.
Gonzalez translated. "He wants to know why you come with a weaponpointed 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 expressivegesture with his hands. He sat down on a seat made of a split tanguilelog and stared straight ahead, obviously intending to maintain a stonysilence.
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 hadowned. His pulse quickened as Scotty removed the protective lens capsand examined the object.
"Shannon's," Scotty stated. "His initials are stamped on the side, andon the front lens cap."
The headman seemed to wilt.
Another trooper ran up, and he carried a leather quiver that Rickrecognized instantly. It also was Shannon's. He knew it well, from theirfield archery games. In the quiver was the bow, a takedown model, andthree dozen arrows.
"Major, what are we going to do?"
For reply, the officer planted himself in front of the headman, hisvoice harsh. "Tell him, Professor Gonzalez, that we have evidenceenough. Unless he has a good explanation, we must believe that hisvillage murdered the Americans. For this, some of his people may paywith their lives."
Dr. Gonzalez translated into Bagobo. For long minutes the headman satquietly, then he rose to his full height and looked the officer in theeye.
"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 themwelcome. For one evening they stayed. We gave them and their Moro ahouse to sleep in. Then, after it was dark and we slept, men came. TheAmericans and the Moro fought, but the men tied them up and carried themaway. 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 werein 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 thereply. "He does not know the men, or their names. He did not fightbecause it was useless. His people would have died and the Americanswould not have been saved."
"Ask him how he knows this."
The Bagobo's reply was terse. "He knows," Gonzalez said. "He will say nomore."
Lacson made a sound of disgust. "He means it, too. Look at him."
Rick saw what Lacson meant. The stern face and glittering eyes indicatedclearly that the headman would die before he said more about theattackers.
"Does he know where the Americans were taken?" Zircon asked.
"He does not know. The men took them down the trail. Of course someBagobos followed. But at the road the men put the Americans and theirguide into a car and drove away. Apparently there were two or threecars. The Bagobos could not follow."
"Then Shannon, Briotti, and their guide were probably on the boat whenit left Davao," Rick said thoughtfully. "But where did the boat go?"
Major Lacson answered. "We don't know. But it is possible we may findout. I've sent out an all-points bulletin asking for information. We mayget a lead to its whereabouts."
"We'd better," Scotty said grimly. "Unless someone has seen it, we havethe whole Sulu Sea to search!"