ished scientist father, had introduced them to the game back
home on Spindrift Island.

Watching them was Dr. Anthony Briotti. Clad in tropical tan shorts and
nothing else, he looked like a college athlete. Little about him
suggested that he was an archaeologist with an international reputation.

Presently he rose and left the cabin, heading for the deck. He didn't
bother to say where he was going; he knew the boys wouldn't even notice.
On deck, Briotti leaned against the rail and peered ahead to where the
rocky fortress of Corregidor loomed at the mouth of Manila Bay. His
pulse beat faster at the sight of the famous island. He knew its
outline. He had commanded a destroyer during World War II. Even though
the faint light of a new moon showed only vague outlines, he recognized
the old Spanish prison rock below the overhang of Corregidor, and he
remembered that his guns had blasted at the Japanese from that very
point.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow move fleetingly. He turned
but saw nothing. Then, because he was busy with his memories, he turned
back to the dim, haunting view of Corregidor and thought no more about
it.

Below, Rick Brant moved his king diagonally across the three-dimensional
chessboard and said triumphantly, "Checkmate!"

Scotty rose, drew back one muscular leg as though to kick the set into
the air, then grinned. "Had to let you win. Bad for morale to lose all
the time. Next time I'll teach you how to lose."

Rick snorted. "You let me win like a mother bear would let me walk off
with her cubs. It's my remarkable intellect that won that game, and
nothing else."

"Won by your wits, eh?" Scotty mopped his wet face. "And you only half
armed!"

Rick shied a chessman at him. "Wait until we teach this game to Chahda."

Scotty chuckled. "He'll probably beat us both at once, then we'll find
out he learned how to play from the latest edition of _The World
Almanac_."

Chahda, their Hindu friend, had learned about America by memorizing an
old copy of the _Almanac_, and he quoted from it at every opportunity.
Since their first meeting in Bombay during the adventure of _The Lost
City_, the Indian boy had been with them on several expeditions. Now he
was to meet them in Manila to help them in their search for one of
ancient history's most fabulous treasures.

Rick, a tall, slim boy, with light-brown hair and brown eyes, led the
way up the ladder to the deck. Scotty, bigger and slightly da