ut, and there is Nangolat."

"How do you know all this?" Scotty demanded.

Chahda grinned. "From Nast. He reports to Lazada by telephone. I listen.
Easy. Who would think poor Igorot boy know anything?"

Rick shook his head in admiration. Leave it to Chahda. "Now what, Master
Spy?"

Chahda motioned to Pilipil and Balaban. "We three mighty Igorot
warriors. Tonight we lead you to Ifugao, and we get Tony and the truck
and our other stuffs. Then we get to work and find this golden skull."

"You mean we just walk in and take Tony away from the Ifugaos?" Scotty
demanded.

"Not that simple," Chahda said. "Ifugaos not wanting to give Tony up, I
think. First he help them find sacred stuff lost for many generations,
then they need new head to sacrifice to sacred stuff, so they use his.
Neat, huh? I think we don't get Tony back without a fight."

CHAPTER XII

The Ifugao Village

The terraced mountain wall fell away below to the valley floor. Halfway
between Rick and the dark sheen of the river was a level area which
Chahda said was the village. However, it was too dark to see very much.

"We'll break our necks if we try to climb around among these terraces,"
Scotty whispered.

Chahda admitted, "Good possibility. But what else is there? Later moon
will be up a little. We not go down yet. Study lay of land."

They had left their jeeps on the roadway that passed above the village.
So far as they knew, no one had seen them approach. Now, perhaps a
hundred feet above the cluster of huts, they sat at the edge of a
terrace and waited for the moon to rise.

Rick studied the landscape below. His feet dangled over thirty feet of
vertical wall. He would have to make his way down that wall to the next
terrace, and then down the next and the next until he emerged at the
village level. He would be very much like an ant climbing down the three
stone steps at home, except that he wasn't as sure-footed as an ant on
vertical surfaces.

Then, once the bottom was reached, they had to find Tony, free him, and
take him up the terraces to the jeeps. Rick shook his head. They
probably would have to fight every inch of the way, and there was no
assurance that they would make it.

In the village below, someone was adding wood to a small open fire in
the central area that served as a village common. Rick could make out
several figures. Scotty moved closer to him. "We need a way to cover our
retreat. Any ideas?"

"No good ones. We