meadow and noted that Dog Meat was trotting
toward them, but he paid no attention because his mind was working on
the problem.

"It could be a crypt of some kind," he said. He went to the truck and
got a shovel. "I have an idea." He went to work.

Dog Meat arrived and chattered excitedly. Angel came running, listened,
and translated.

"The village is up in arms. Nangolat is making a speech and the young
men are getting ready to make war."

Rick dug, working on a shaft under the dragon's pedestal. The earth was
packed hard and he had to get a pick. Tony relieved him, and they took
turns until the shaft slanted in to what they estimated was a point
directly under the center of the pedestal.

"Now," Rick said, and took the probe. He put it into the shaft and
watched expectantly while Tony adjusted the controls. Suddenly the scope
flickered, breaking up the Christmas tree pattern. There were at least
three different responses, two of them definitely in the metals range.

"This is it!" Tony yelled. "It has to be! Rick, that was an inspiration.
The cache is right under the dragon!"

There was another yell, from outside the recess. It was Balaban, on the
terrace above. "They come!"

For the moment the find was forgotten. The Spindrift party stood between
the truck and jeep watching as nearly a hundred Ifugao warriors walked
with menacing silence to the edge of the meadow and stopped.

Nangolat, naked except for a breechcloth, stepped from the ranks of
Ifugao warriors. He held a spear a foot taller than he, a vicious weapon
with a triangular point and flared base.

The Ifugao walked ceremoniously across the meadow to a point twenty
yards in front of the recess. "You're trapped," he said. His voice
trembled with hatred. "You can't get away from us now. Come out and
throw down your weapons."

Tony stepped forward, rifle held carelessly under his arm. He stopped
ten paces in front of the Ifugao.

"We and you want the same thing," he said. "The artifacts."

Nangolat thrust the metal-shod base of his spear into the earth. "We
want the same thing, but for different reasons. I want to preserve the
sacred objects of my people. You want to desecrate them."

"That's not true," Tony replied. "When we touch them it will be with
reverence, with respect for the gods of Banaue. Then, when we have
collected them all, we will buy many pigs for a great feast of
thanksgiving for all the people of Ifugao. The sacred objects will b