id thoughtfully. "Did Connel go up this road or is
there another one?"

"No evidence," Scotty replied.

Rick pointed to the gatepost. "Who do we know that's named Guevara?"

Scotty breathed, "Sure! The lieutenant governor!"

"And he took Connel to the hospital to see Ruiz," Rick reminded, "so
they're acquainted."

He switched off the lights. "That's probably the answer. Connel was
invited to pay a social call. Why not? This probably has nothing to do
with the project at all."

Scotty sighed audibly. "The trouble with you is that you come up with
sensible answers. We might as well go on back to the hotel."

"Might as well . . ." Rick began, then stopped as light appeared dimly
through the foliage up the private driveway. They were headlights!

"We've got to get out of here," he said, and threw the jeep into gear.
For a moment he hesitated. If he went up the dirt road to the hotel,
Connel would surely see them. If Rick went back toward San Souci and the
oncoming car was not Connel, but someone from Casa Guevara, the car
might also turn toward San Souci, and the boys would be seen.

Rick thought quickly. About a hundred yards toward San Souci there was a
break in the foliage that he had almost investigated until he saw that
no tracks led into it. He quickly switched into four-wheel drive and
swung the jeep in its own length. The lights were closer now. Rick
accelerated and found the opening through the jungle scrub. The jeep
bounced as he drove into it, then swung until they were behind a screen
of palmetto. He killed the engine.

Scotty piled out, Rick close behind him. They hurried to the edge of the
highway, careful to keep masked by the palmetto, and watched.

A jeep emerged from the driveway to Casa Guevara. In the back-scattered
light from its headlights they saw that Connel was the driver. He was
alone. They watched until his taillights flickered out beyond a bend in
the road.

[Illustration: _Connel was alone in the jeep_]

"Interesting," Rick said. "Does a social call last for less than a half
hour? Answer: no, not in San Luz. There's Spanish-style hospitality
here, and Connel would have been there for hours."

"He came on business," Scotty said slowly. "But what kind of business
would he have with the lieutenant governor?"

"That," Rick said grimly, "is what we need to find out."

CHAPTER VIII

The Governor Vanishes

Far below the surface of San Luz, white-hot rock, flowing like
inc