e them. He
couldn't order them not to help, so he planted a story that would do the
same thing. The only thing I can do now is call the American ambassador
and see if he can go through diplomatic channels to get help."

"Take too much time," Chahda said. "It will be too late."

Santos muttered in the native dialect.

"What was that?" Rick asked sharply.

"Filipino saying. 'What good is hay to a dead horse.'"

"Wait!" Rick had a quick mental image of the Filipino officer who had
first spoken the phrase. Colonel Felix Rojas. He would believe the
story. Hadn't he warned them?

"Get me Manila," Rick said. "Quickly. Constabulary Headquarters!"

It took time. It seemed like an hour, but was only fifteen minutes. And
Colonel Felix Rojas was on the wire.

Rick talked fast, telling the colonel the whole story, including
Chahda's espionage activities. When he had finished, Rojas said crisply,
"No time to get troops there. It will take planes. I will send a fighter
plane first. Then will come a platoon of paratroopers, if I can get the
Army to move fast enough. But it will be two hours before the troopers
can get there, even with the best speed possible. The fighter will be
there in an hour. Tell your friends to hold out. Return to Manila as
soon as your party is safe. See no one, talk to no one until you see
me."

The colonel rang off.

"An hour," Rick said. "And an hour after that before the paratroopers
arrive. Can they hold out?"

"They must," Chahda said flatly.

CHAPTER XVIII

The Sky Wagon

The Sky Wagon climbed out of the valley at Bontoc and Rick set a course
for Banaue. He took his pad and wrote a note to his friends, telling
them of his conversation with Colonel Rojas and of the trick Lazada had
pulled. He wrapped the note around a wrench and tied it with a piece of
string.

Behind him, Chahda was busy with the bags for the cable pickup. He had
already removed the hatch. He tied the bags in two bundles and put them
in a handy place, to be tossed to the Spindrift group, then he got into
the seat next to Rick.

"We pick up stuff, even though constabulary coming to rescue?"

Rick nodded. "The plane can do nothing but scare the Ifugaos off. That
wouldn't prevent them from trying to capture the golden skull, anyway.
And even after troops land, that stuff is too valuable and too tempting.
Don't forget Lazada is on the scene. He could take over from the
troopers and they wouldn't dare say no."