uit and the rest rough clothing would be my suggestion."

Scotty changed the subject. "Sir, have you any idea what might have
happened to our friends?"

The officer shrugged. "No more than you have. Scientists generally are
not rich enough to rob, but they are not so poor that they can be harmed
with impunity. Robbery is always possible, although unlikely, with one
exception. Did they have any weapons with them?"

"Shannon had a hunting bow and arrows," Mr. Brant replied. "He planned
to collect some specimens. Briotti had no weapon at all."

"Then that eliminates the only robbery possibility I can think of. Had
they been well armed, Moros might have attacked to get their weapons.
The Moro loves weapons of all kinds, and may even kill to get them--a
point you might remember."

Rick shook his head. "It's hard to imagine why anyone would want to harm
them--if anyone did. I think we'd better get to Mindanao as soon as
possible. When do we leave, Dad?"

"Tomorrow night, son. I made reservations for you while I was in New
York this morning."

"Are we going to take special equipment?" Scotty asked.

Rick had been thinking about that very point. "I'm planning to take the
Megabuck network. It will be useful if we have to separate."

The little network of three miniature radio units, transmitters, and
receivers combined, had been of invaluable help in rounding up a group
of foreign agents bent on stealing the plans for a United States
intercontinental ballistic missile.

The unusual name, Megabuck, had grown out of a joke Rick had conceived
about a "million bucks" television quiz program. Two of the sets were
pocket size, and used hearing-aid-type earphones. The third had been
made in the form of an ornamental hair band for Rick's sister Barby to
wear. The tiny microphone worked by sound induction through the bones of
the head. The earphone was incorporated into one end of the band.

Zircon and Scotty agreed that the radio units might come in handy, and
the physicist added, "I have a pocket-size, battery-operated wire
recorder I use for making notes. I think I'll take that. It may be
helpful for recording conversations for later translation."

"A good idea," the colonel approved. "The local dialect is called
Chebucano. Of course many people speak some English. Have you an atlas?
I think it might be useful if we went over a map of Mindanao and the
Sulu Sea area."

The map study was very helpful. The three absorbed C