the second policeman said,
opening his notebook. "You will have to make charges."

"No use," Tony replied. "Let's forget the whole thing. We'll never catch
up with the man, whoever he was."

Nevertheless, the police insisted on names and histories, and it was ten
minutes before the Spindrifters made their way back to the hotel. In the
main dining room they talked over cups of hot chocolate, ignoring the
curious stares of late supper guests who obviously wondered about Rick
and Scotty's disheveled condition.

Since the boys had not wanted to discuss their personal business in
front of Lazada's chauffeur there had been no chance to tell Tony about
Chahda. Now they did so, and Rick ticked off points on his fingers.

"Item One: The man on the boat who tried to chop you. Either an Igorot
or Ifugao. Item Two: Chahda checks out of the hotel and appears as a
Sikh guard at Lazada's."

"You forgot Item Three," Scotty added. "Colonel Felix Rojas. Asked us
what good is hay to a dead horse, and knew we were having dinner at
Lazada's." He described the incident to Tony.

"Item Four," Rick continued. "We find a prowler in your room. He had a
rifle cached in the walled city and waited around to use it on us. He
was either an Igorot or Ifugao." He spread his hands. "Do we need
anything more? Something is in the wind. But what?"

"A golden skull," Scotty said.

"Yes. But we don't have it. Does it make sense for anyone to try to
knock us off before we have it? Shucks, we don't even know where it is,
except that it's somewhere among the rice terraces."

"Which is like saying that somewhere in the Mohave Desert is a buried
treasure," Scotty added.

Tony Briotti sighed. "I had heard a great deal about the penchant you
two have for mysteries and excitement. Now I believe everything I've
heard and more. I can't imagine any reason for all these happenings.
They simply don't make sense."

"They do to someone," Rick said, and Scotty nodded agreement.

Their waiter approached, an envelope in his hand. "Meester Brant? This
come while you outside. You take?"

Rick took. "Must have arrived while Scotty and I were battling for the
boxing championship of the walled city." He tore it open.

"Item Five," he said. "From Chahda. 'Can't come now. Meet you in Baguio.
Watch yourselves. Big danger from Ifugao no palate.'"

Scotty held his head with both hands. "Great! How do we know whether or
not an Ifugao has no palate?"

"Look down the t