Orient are willing to take long chances."

Rick stared through the port at the lights of Manila. He was very
thoughtful. Let Tony try to brush the incident aside. He knew better. He
knew it in his bones. There was trouble ahead for the Spindrifters.

He caught Scotty's worried frown, and he knew that his pal's thoughts
were the same.

CHAPTER II

Manila After Dark

Out of the _Asiatic Dream's_ forward hold swung the sleek shape of an
airplane fuselage. Rick bristled with nervous energy as he watched. He
yelled, "Watch it! Take it easy with that winch!"

Scotty patted him on the shoulder. "Take it easy yourself before you pop
a gusset. They're doing all right."

Rick didn't take his eyes off the plane. "Okay. But if they drop it,
we'll hike into the mountains instead of flying in style. Hey, you! Lift
it! Lift it clear of the rail!"

The plane was Rick's new Sky Wagon, a powerful little four-place job
that had replaced his beloved Cub, wrecked by saboteurs, as related in
_Stairway to Danger_. It had less than ten hours' flying time, and he
didn't want it wrecked by having a careless winchman bash it against
something. But in spite of his fears, the fuselage was lowered safely
onto the waiting truck, the wings in their crates were brought out, and
in a short time the boys were riding with the plane out to Manila
International Airport.

The day was still young. The freighter had anchored off the Manila port
area during the night, berthing in the early hours. The Spindrift party
had checked into the Manila Hotel, and Tony, leaving the boys to
supervise the unloading and clearance of their equipment, had gone off
to the University of the Philippines. Now the crates of equipment were
in the customs shed waiting to be picked up, and the plane was en route
to the airport to be assembled. Everything was going smoothly,
except ...

"Chahda," Rick mused. "Where do you suppose he went?"

"The day I can figure out Chahda's comings and goings is the day I
polish my crystal ball and solve the rest of the world's mysteries. He's
probably off studying _The World Almanac_."

Chahda had been registered at the Manila Hotel but had checked out three
days before their arrival. He had left no forwarding address and no
message.

"He's probably somewhere in the Indian colony of Manila," Rick
speculated. "Quite a few Indians here, mostly Hindus. They call 'em
Bombays, Tony said."

"He'll show up," Scotty said. "He alw