tanding by as a flying reserve. Angel, take the reserve jeep
with Pilipil and Balaban. No, I've a better idea. We have too many men.
We need the extra jeep in case of a breakdown, not for the men it will
carry. Pilipil and Balaban should stay here. The rest of us split up
between the two jeeps. When we find the truck, I'll drive it, with
Chahda as guard. That will leave Rick and Tony in one jeep, and Angel
and Dog Meat in the other. Sound all right?"

It sounded fine. Angel spoke up. "I'd rather be in the first jeep, in
case we meet Nangolat."

Scotty shook his head. "Not tonight. Your turn will come later, Angel.
The first thing is to get the truck back. Pilipil, will you be all right
here until we get back?"

"I be fine. You go."

They loaded into the jeeps while Pilipil and Balaban moved into a clump
of brush and prepared to wait.

"Don't bother about silence," Scotty said. "We'll just hit and run. If
they hear us coming it won't matter, because they won't be sure what
we're after."

"How about those Ifugao natives from the village?" Tony asked. "They're
probably swarming over the road like flies."

"We not go near them," Chahda replied. "The truck is a different way.
Come on, load rifles. We go."

Rick was driving the lead jeep, Chahda on the seat next to him. Tony and
Dog Meat were in the rear seat. Scotty was with Angel in the other jeep.
The road was reasonably good, although narrow and winding. Rick roared
down into the valley as fast as prudence and Newton's laws of motion
allowed. Had he gone any faster the jeep would have tipped over on some
unexpected corner.

"Soon we there!" Chahda shouted.

Rick kept a sharp watch ahead. The yellow cones of light seemed lost in
the vast darkness of Banaue. There were no other lights.

"Watch for fork in road, go left," Chahda relayed Dog Meat's
instructions.

The fork appeared. Rick swung left--and almost bashed into the truck. It
was parked with lights out, close to a village.

Both jeeps slid to a stop. Scotty and Chahda jumped out, rifles ready,
and ran to the truck. "The keys!" Rick yelled. "Are they in it?"

"Don't need keys!" Scotty yelled back. "Turn around, quick!"

Angel was already turning his jeep. Rick followed suit, and his
headlights swung in an arc across the Ifugao village and reflected from
spear tips. The natives here had been alerted!

The truck roared into life. Rick pulled to one side and motioned Scotty
by. Then, as the truck wen