The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Golden Skull, by John Blaine

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Title: The Golden Skull

Author: John Blaine

Release Date: May 6, 2010 [EBook #32270]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE GOLDEN SKULL

A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY

BY JOHN BLAINE

GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK, N. Y.

COPYRIGHT, 1954, BY
GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

_Printed in the United States of America_

[Illustration: _The Ifugaos, faces distorted with hatred and fury,
pursued them._]

Contents

I THE HEAD-HUNTER

II MANILA AFTER DARK

III THE GODS OF BANAUE

IV INSIDE THE WALLS

V MANOTOK THE MIGHTY

VI CHAHDA CHECKS IN

VII IGOROT COUNTRY

VIII THE BONTOC ROAD

IX IFUGAO COUNTRY

X AMBUSH

XI WARRIORS THREE

XII THE IFUGAO VILLAGE

XIII THE PEACEFUL PROFESSION

XIV SIGN OF THE DRAGON

XV UNDER THE DRAGON'S CLAWS

XVI FLYING SPEARS

XVII MAKE OR BREAK

XVIII THE SKY WAGON

XIX THE NIPA HUT

XX SURPRISE PACKAGE

THE GOLDEN SKULL

CHAPTER I

The Head-hunter

It was hot in the cabin of the freighter _Asiatic Dream_. The heaviness
of the tropical heat outside the ship penetrated through the steel and
flaking paint of the deck to turn the cabin into an oven.

Rick Brant and Don Scott, stripped to their shorts, were oblivious of
the heat. They sat hunched over a three-dimensional chessboard, studying
the complex moves of their newest hobby. Now and then they glared at
each other, or paused to wipe the sweat from their faces or arms, but
otherwise they concentrated on the three-layer board and the chessmen.
The rivalry was intense, and had been ever since Hartson Brant, Rick's
distingu