rrace above, Balaban was firing down with
good effect, while Dog Meat whammed away with the shotgun.

Spears bounced off the truck, the jeep, and the dragon. Now and then one
hung quivering in the wall of the recess, but the Spindrift group had
good shielding and there were no casualties.

The attackers were wavering now. A priest with a knot of chicken
feathers in his hair leaped forward, holding a skull high. Rick guessed
it was an important symbol of some kind, because he saw the warriors
rally. He sighted in and his shot blasted the skull into fragments. The
wave broke and retreated.

Tony made a quick examination to be sure there were no casualties. Out
on the meadow several wounded Ifugaos, all of them with leg wounds, were
being helped to safety.

"We can thank Nast and Lazada for this," Tony said bitterly. "Do you
realize that we are in a very bad position?"

The Ifugao warriors were reforming. Nangolat, recovered from the numbing
shock of Scotty's shot, stormed among them, getting them ready for
another assault. But Nangolat was no longer waving a spear. He was now
armed with a rifle.

CHAPTER XVII

Make or Break

"We can stand off their assaults," Tony said. "We can't stand sniping.
Not for long, at any rate."

Scotty grinned. "Neither can Nangolat. Let's see if I can fix his
wagon."

They watched as Scotty wet his finger, tested for wind direction, then
set the sights on his rifle. On the other side of the road Nangolat was
exhorting his troops like a good general, waving his rifle to emphasize
his words.

Scotty took a classic sharpshooter's position, relaxed but braced. Rick
saw him inhale and hold it. The rifle muzzle moved slowly, following
Nangolat's movements. Then, suddenly, the rifle spoke.

Nangolat was thrown into the midst of his warriors, while his rifle, its
stock shattered, flailed into the ranks and knocked two warriors down.
And then Nangolat went berserk. He snatched a spear from one of his men,
turned, and ran toward the defenders, screaming. A priest barked an
order and two warriors dashed forward, caught Nangolat, and hauled him
back by force.

"The old priest had sense enough to know Nangolat wouldn't make it,"
Angel said.

"All right," Tony said crisply. "We're trapped in here. It's not a bad
place to be trapped for a while. They can't get at us without crossing
open spaces, and there is enough overhang to the wall to prevent them
from dropping rocks on our he