tly there is no gang there. Captain Lim released the Moro you
caught, but he's back in custody again, recaptured by Lim as soon as
orders went out from Manila. Lim believes he's one of the main leaders
of the pirates, partly because he personally checked on you in Manila,
then followed you to Zamboanga. The gang nearest Zamboanga is the one
that tried to get you in the channel. Another gunboat is searching the
area right now, trying to locate an island fishing colony with too many
armed vintas and too many rifles."

"Maybe you can find pirate pigeons and turn loose," Chahda offered.
"Then planes could follow."

Rojas stared at the boy thoughtfully. "Now there is a useful idea. I'll
get off a general instruction to look for pigeon cotes."

Tony Briotti chuckled. "He's full of ideas. Now, if he can only get one
about cleaning the polish from Rick's face so we can recognize him
again, we can call this case closed."

A hail from the gunboat brought the talk to a halt. Shannon and Torres
were ready to rejoin the party. The scientist's broken leg was in a
cast, with a steel brace at the bottom so that he would be able to walk
around, cast and all, in a few days. Pete Torres had a neat bandage on
his arm; apparently the Filipino Naval medico had removed the pirate
rifle slug easily enough.

Once the group was assembled again, Rojas asked, "What are your plans?"

"Back to Manila from Zamboanga, and then to Spindrift by the first
plane," Zircon stated.

"Go if you like," Howard Shannon said calmly. "Tony and I haven't even
started our work here. We're staying."

"You can't go rambling around with a broken leg," Zircon roared.

"Whose leg is it? Besides, I work with my head, not my legs."

Scotty whispered to Rick, "Who's going to win?"

Rick grinned. "Shannon. Zircon's yelling too loud. That means he's only
arguing for effect."

His prediction was right. After a few more exchanges Zircon turned to
the boys. "You want to stay on with these stubborn idiots?"

"Maybe for a little while," Rick said, and Scotty nodded.

Zircon threw up his hands. "All right! If we all pitch in, maybe we can
leave sooner."

Chahda offered, "Pretty good vacation, maybe. I stay a while."

"If you stay, you'll need a guide, won't you?" Elpidio Torres asked
hesitatingly.

The Spindrifters stared at him, then broke into laughter.

"That makes it unanimous," Rick said with a grin. "If Pete can get
permission from his father."

Colone