hought. The man was smoking a cigar with one hand and
carrying a cane with the other. He hung the cane over the wrist on the
cigar hand and held out the other.

"I am the district road commission. Leocadio de los Santos, at your
service. Mr. Lazada informed me by letter that I was to place my entire
resources at your disposal. You are Mr. Brant, Mr. Scott, and Dr.
Briotti?"

"Dr. Briotti is not with us," Rick replied. "This is Mr. Manotok."

"Ah. Delighted. Please come to my office so we may talk quietly."

Rick looked doubtful. "We shouldn't leave the plane."

"Do not fear. It will be perfectly safe."

Santos switched to the native language, speaking briefly and with
authority. The crowd obediently fell back a few paces, leaving a cleared
area around the plane. The road commissioner had the situation under
control, all right.

Nevertheless, Angel Manotok said, "I will wait here."

Rick nodded. That was best. He and Scotty followed Santos to the office,
a few hundred feet down the street. The office was on the second floor
of a frame building. The first floor was a work area filled with tools,
including a bulldozer and a road scraper.

Before discussing business, Santos insisted on refreshment. He clapped
his hands and a dungaree-clad Filipino workman appeared. Santos spoke.
In a few moments the workman reappeared. Both boys were surprised when
he offered them their favorite American beverage. It seemed strange to
be sipping coke in a place inhabited by primitive people clad in
breechcloths, some of them armed with short spears.

Rick got down to business. "Can you find out if a truck and a green
sedan have passed through Bontoc?"

"What kind of truck, please?"

Rick described it. "We don't have the make of the sedan. It may have had
five men in it." He couldn't believe that the sedan had reached Bontoc,
however.

Santos picked up his phone, reached down, and whirled a crank. The phone
rang. He spoke Ilokano into it, then received a reply from the other
end. He spoke again, then hung up. "That was the gateman at the edge of
town. No truck and no sedan passed through here today."

CHAPTER IX

Ifugao Country

There was only one difficulty, but it was a major one. Rick didn't know
whether or not the district road commissioner could be believed. Santos
was Lazada's man.

The boys finished their cokes before Rick decided on a course of action.
If Santos was lying, they would find out soon enough