d talk with," Scotty grumbled. "A
lot of use this joker will be!"

The monk's cowl turned slowly toward Scotty. The figure moved
majestically toward the boy, then the hands lifted again. From under the
cowl a sepulchral voice issued.

"Could be more use than you think, muttonhead."

For an instant there was stunned silence, then Rick and Scotty leaped
for the robed figure with yells of delight. Rick hit him high and Scotty
hit him low. They held him down and pulled the cowl from him, then
pommeled him unmercifully, while Zircon cheered them on.

Only when the monk begged for mercy did they let him up. He tossed the
robe aside and grinned at them.

"Okay," Chahda said. "You win. But it took you plenty time to get here!
Why you take so long?"

The slim Hindu boy hugged them solemnly, one at a time, and shook hands
with Sing. "Now," he announced, "I eat. Got plenty sick of sheep meat,
you bet!"

Then they were all laughing and talking at once while the cook hastened
to prepare a meal. In a few moments Chahda was attacking a high-piled
plate and talking between bites.

"Good you came now," he said. "I got plenty worry. You find Bradley?"

Zircon told him of the meeting in the hotel.

Chahda nodded. "Good. I think he show up soon."

"Start at the beginning," Rick demanded. "There's a whole lot we don't
know. In fact, if you come right down to it, we don't know anything."

"Okay." Chahda took a sip of coffee. "I start at start. In Bombay."

Chahda had been visiting with his family in Bombay when Bradley arrived
in the Indian city. The two had met by accident. Chahda had gone to the
Taj Mahal Hotel to write a letter to the boys, because there was no
paper or ink at home. Bradley, who happened to be in the lobby, had
noticed the address on the envelope as Chahda handed it to the desk
clerk.

Once the scientist discovered that Chahda knew the Spindrift group and
had been on expeditions with them, the rest followed naturally. Bradley,
realizing that the clever little Hindu boy would be of great value in
his undercover work, had hired him. Chahda didn't say so, but Rick could
understand that such was the case.

Chahda's duties had been those of general assistant. He had cared for
baggage, run errands, acted as secretary, and on a few occasions had
been assigned to follow people in whose destinations Bradley was
interested. The two had gone from Bombay to New Delhi and Calcutta, then
to Singapore. At Singapore, w