diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/51608.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/51608.txt | 5593 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 5593 deletions
diff --git a/old/51608.txt b/old/51608.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b59c367..0000000 --- a/old/51608.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5593 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mystery of the Chinese Ring, by Andy Adams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Mystery of the Chinese Ring - A Biff Brewster Mystery Adventure - -Author: Andy Adams - -Release Date: March 31, 2016 [EBook #51608] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE RING *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -[Illustration: _The boys passed booths selling everything from hot soups -to shiny silks_] - - A BIFF BREWSTER - MYSTERY ADVENTURE - - - - - MYSTERY - OF THE - CHINESE - RING - - - [Illustration: Compass] - - By ANDY ADAMS - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS - NEW YORK - - (c) GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC., 1960 - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - Contents - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I A Mysterious Gift 1 - II Beware, Biff! 8 - III Under Chinese Eyes 13 - IV A Fortune Cooky 22 - V Jack Hudson 31 - VI Interrupted Message 39 - VII A "Spirited" Box 49 - VIII Still Missing 55 - IX Into the Jungle 64 - X The Barrier 70 - XI Inside China 81 - XII Shooting the Yangtze Rapids 90 - XIII The First Clue 101 - XIV The Circling Plane 112 - XV Bandits! 120 - XVI Strange Discovery 128 - XVII A Red Hot Lead 135 - XVIII The House of Kwang 144 - XIX Uncle Charlie's Story 152 - XX Muscles "Muscles" In 161 - XXI Out of the Frying Pan 168 - XXII Hong Kong and Points East 175 - - - - - MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE RING - - - - - CHAPTER 1 - A Mysterious Gift - - -Biff Brewster was suddenly awake--wide awake. The gray light of dawn -outlined the window of his first-floor bedroom. Something--or -someone--was outside. He felt sure of it. Something had prodded him out -of his deep sleep with startling suddenness. - -For a moment he lay still, eyes on the window, his ears sharply tuned -for the slightest sound. He knew, of course, that he might have been -awakened by a stray dog, or a night-prowling cat. But he didn't think -so. - -Very carefully, Biff slipped out of his bed. Bare-footed, he padded -noiselessly toward the window, taking care to remain outside the dim -shaft of early light coming through. He moved to one side of the window -and peered out cautiously. He detected a slight movement beneath a -gnarled apple tree about thirty feet away. Then suddenly, swiftly, a -figure emerged from behind the protection of the tree's drooping limbs. -The figure came at a run toward the window. It was a man, small and -slight of build. He was wearing blue jeans and a sweat shirt. On the -shirt's front there was an athletic letter--Biff couldn't make it -out--cut from luminous cloth, making it glow faintly in the dawn's -light. - -Biff drew back, pressing his body against the wall. A moment later a -white object, the size of a baseball, came hurtling into the room, -tearing a hole in the screen. It fell with a dull plop on Biff's pillow. -Biff held his breath, waiting. The man was leaving the yard on the run. -At the sidewalk, he slowed to a casual saunter. Apparently he did not -want to risk attracting the attention of some early riser. - -Biff waited. He counted slowly to a hundred, to make sure his strange -visitor was gone. Once more he looked out the window. Nothing moved in -the eerie light of the dawn. Biff turned away. Had he waited a few -seconds longer, he would have seen two men leave the shadows of a corner -tree and stealthily follow the hurler of the object. - -Biff snapped on the reading light by his bed and picked up the object -that had been tossed through his window. It was a round white rock, one -of those used to outline his mother's herb garden. More interesting was -the heavy piece of twine tied tightly around it. At the other end of the -twine was a ring. It was a man's heavy ring, set with a square-cut green -stone. Biff examined it carefully. The stone was dull, not glittering. -He wasn't sure, but he thought it was jade. He looked at the ring more -closely. On its face there was an intricately etched marking. "A -design?" he wondered. "No, it looks more like Chinese writing." - -[Illustration: _Nothing moved in the eerie light of dawn_] - -Twisted into a knot around the ring was a small piece of paper. Biff -unfolded it carefully and smoothed it out. - -"_Fortune shines upon, and the gods protect, the wearer of this ring_," -he read. - -"'Protect!'" Biff thought angrily. "Why, that rock could have conked me -but good if I hadn't left my bed." - -Biff reread the printed message. "Now what, just what," he thought, "has -this got to do with me?" He stretched out on his bed, cupping his hands -behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. Unable to read any sense -into the message, or the mysterious manner in which the ring had come to -him, Biff jumped out of bed and made for the shower. - -Under the pelting needlelike spray, he threw back his broad shoulders -and let the water sting his face and soak his light-brown hair. -Afterward he toweled himself vigorously, dressed quickly, and placed the -ring on his key chain. He knew his father would be up, even though it -was only six-thirty. Maybe his father would have some ideas about this -or, at least, a couple of good guesses. - -Biff bounded into the kitchen. - -"Morning, Dad. Say, what do you think happened--" He stopped short as he -saw his mother come out of the pantry. He didn't want to mention the -ring incident in front of her. Not yet, anyway. Not until he had -discussed it with his father. He knew his mother already was worried -enough about his impending trip to far-off Rangoon. Tomorrow was the day -he was leaving. - -"Good morning, Biff," his father greeted him. "What were you saying?" - -"Er--I was just saying it so happens I'm hungry enough to eat a -crocodile. Good morning, Mother. What's for breakfast?" - -"Certainly not crocodile," Mrs. Brewster replied. "Even if you and your -father do say crocodile steaks are delicious. Ugh!" She gave a quick -shudder. - -Father and son looked at one another and smiled. They had had to eat -crocodile on their Brazilian adventure when their food supplies had run -short. - -"What's on the program this nice bright Saturday morning?" Biff's mother -asked, putting large portions of scrambled eggs and bacon before Biff -and his father. - -Before a reply could be made, Biff's brother and sister, Ted and Monica, -eleven-year-old twins, burst into the room. - -"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" they shouted together. - -"Gee, Biff, just think, tomorrow you'll be on your way to Rangoon in -Burma, to visit Uncle Charlie," Ted said enviously. - -"Wish I could go, too," Monica chimed in. - -"You! Why, you're a girl," Ted said derisively. - -"Now, no arguments, you two," Mrs. Brewster said. "Drink your orange -juice. I'll start your eggs." - -"How far from Indianapolis is it to Rangoon?" Monica asked. - -"Quite a way. Six or seven thousand miles at least," Mr. Brewster -replied. - -"You ever been there, Dad?" Ted asked. - -"No. I envy Biff. Rangoon is one of the places in this world I've missed -so far." - -"And about the only one, Dad, isn't it?" Biff asked. - -"There are a few others," his father replied. "Maybe if I had started -out as young as you are, I'd have made them, too. For a -sixteen-year-old, you've been about this world of ours quite a bit, me -boy-o. Well, I'm all for it." - -"I am too, Dad," Biff agreed. "Remember the time in Brazil, when we--" - -"Hold it!" Mrs. Brewster interrupted, laughing. "Don't you two get -started talking about your adventures. There's just this one more day -before Biff leaves, and my goodness, what a lot has to be done!" - -Biff smiled. He knew there was hardly anything left to be done. His -mother had finished packing for him the day before. - -Just as Mrs. Brewster brought the twins their eggs, the telephone rang. -Monica started to get up. She answered every phone call. - -"You sit still and eat those eggs while they're hot, young lady. I'll -take the call," Mrs. Brewster said. - -Biff and his father saw a puzzled look come over her face as she -answered the telephone. - -"Yes? I understand. This morning? All right, I'll tell them." - -When she returned to the breakfast table she said, "That was Charlie's -friend, that Chinese merchant, Mr. Ling. Ling Tang, isn't it?" - -"Why, yes. What did he want?" Tom Brewster asked. - -"He said it is most urgent that you and Biff see him before Biff leaves -for Rangoon." - - - - - CHAPTER II - Beware, Biff! - - -"I think we'd better get down to Ling Tang's shop this morning," Mr. -Brewster said. "It must be something important for him to have called so -early. Especially if he knows Biff is leaving for Burma tomorrow." - -Biff waited until his father had finished his second cup of coffee, and -then rose from the table. - -"All set, Dad?" he asked. "I'll get the car." - -Not until they were in the car did Biff bring up the subject of the -ring. - -"What do you think of this, Dad?" He took his key chain from his pocket, -removed the ring, and placed it in his father's hand. - -Thomas Brewster looked at the ring carefully. "It's a beautiful ring. -Jade. Where did you get it?" - -"Someone threw it at me this morning," Biff said, a grin on his tanned -face. - -"Threw it at you? What do you mean?" - -Biff explained quickly, then handed the note to his father. - -"Read this." - -Mr. Brewster read the words: "_Fortune shines upon, and the gods -protect, the wearer of this ring._" He looked back at his son, shaking -his head in puzzlement. - -"This is all? You haven't any idea who the man was?" - -"Not the faintest, Dad." - -"H-m-m." Mr. Brewster studied the ring again. "Jade, and it looks -Chinese. That call from Ling Tang may be connected with this in some -way." - -"Hey! Maybe you've hit on something!" Biff exclaimed. - -It was nine o'clock when Biff and his father entered the small Chinese -curio shop of Ling Tang. Ling Tang, a small, neat man in his middle -thirties, greeted them with a deep bow. - -"You honor my humble establishment by your presence," he said. - -"Rather it is you who honor us by inviting us here," Mr. Brewster -replied, falling easily into the polite form of greeting used by the -Chinese. - -Ling Tang's shop was filled with graceful Chinese urns and vases, -beautifully decorated with green and red dragons, flowers, and -tree-filled valleys. Chinese fans hung from wires stretched from wall to -wall. In glass-covered cases were carved idols of jade and delicate -pieces of ivory. A heavy aroma of incense filled the small store. - -Ling Tang had attended Butler University in Indianapolis with Charles -Keene, the uncle Biff was going to visit. They had become close friends, -and this had led to a friendship with the entire Brewster family. On -graduating, Ling Tang had returned to China. After several years, when -the political atmosphere of Red China had put a stern, cruel check on -freedom of movement and freedom of speech, Ling Tang had fled his -beloved country and returned to America. He had opened his shop and -thrived. - -"We received your message, Tang," Mr. Brewster said. - -Ling Tang placed the tips of his long, well-cared-for fingers together. - -"It is true that your son goes to Burma soon?" - -"Yes. Tomorrow." - -Tang's face remained expressionless. "Perhaps what I have to tell you is -of no importance. I do not wish to alarm you." He paused. "This trip was -arranged several months ago?" - -Biff and his father nodded their heads. - -"And there has been no attempt to keep it secret?" - -"There was no need to," Thomas Brewster stated. - -"I wonder. Was the boy's trip not arranged when my good friend Charles -Keene visited here last?" - -"Yes. But I don't see--" Biff began. - -"Your Uncle Charles had just returned from Cape Canaveral, had he not?" - -Biff nodded his head. Uncle Charlie had been in the Navy for several -years. He was a pilot in the squadron of planes assigned to tracking -missiles fired from the Cape into the South Atlantic. It was the -squadron's task to recover the instrument-loaded nose cones dropped from -the powerful rockets. - -Uncle Charlie had bounced around the world quite a bit. He had flown a -fighter plane during the Korean conflict and had traveled as much as he -could about the Orient on his furlough time. He remained in the Navy -following Korea, and was delighted when he was assigned to Canaveral. -But after two years there, his traveling feet told him, "I want out." So -he had resigned his commission to join an old pilot friend establishing -a fleet of planes for Explorations Unlimited, in Burma. Charles Keene -wanted badly to get back to the Orient. He was fascinated by the eastern -countries so different from his own. - -"I'm interested in the money, too," he told the Brewster family on his -visit. "There're plenty of American businesses building up in the -Orient. Flying for this outfit in Burma is real opportunity and big -money. I want some of both before I'm too old." - -Explorations Unlimited had its headquarters at Unhao, on the Irrawaddy -River, northeast of Rangoon near the Chinese border. - -"Why don't you ship Biff out to me for a few weeks?" Uncle Charlie had -suggested. "He could get a glimpse of the other side of the world--learn -a lot, too." - -Those words had been music to Biff's young ears. A family council had -been held, and it had been agreed that the trip would be a good way for -Biff to spend the remainder of his summer vacation. - -"About a month after your uncle's visit," Tang continued, "two men, -countrymen of mine, traveling on Burmese passports, arrived here. They -asked many questions about your uncle." - -"I still don't see what that has to do with Biff's going to Rangoon," -Mr. Brewster said. - -"I try your patience," Tang said. "Now to my point. Only last night -these same two men came again to our city. This time, _they were most -curious about your son, Biff_." - - - - - CHAPTER III - Under Chinese Eyes - - -"You said two men," Biff repeated. "I'll just bet you that one of them -was the joker who paid me a visit this morning!" - -"You had a visitor? Early this morning?" Ling Tang asked. - -"I'll say I did. Not a visitor, though. A spy, maybe--sneaking around -the yard and--" - -"Hold it, Biff," his father interrupted. "Why don't you show Mr. Ling -what the intruder brought you?" - -"Brought me," Biff muttered to himself as he opened the safety catch of -his key chain. "Some way to bring anything to someone!" He removed the -ring from a tangle of keys--to his foot-locker, his suitcase, a "secret" -box, and to several things he had long since forgotten about. Taking the -ring by the thick circle of gold, he held it out to the Chinese -gentleman. - -Ling took the ring in his thin hands. He looked at it carefully. - -"A beautiful piece of jade," he murmured. Bringing the ring closer to -his eyes, he took a loupe--a jeweler's magnifying glass--from his pocket -to inspect the ring more minutely. While he did this, Biff filled him in -on how the ring had been "delivered." - -"Exquisitely carved," Tang said, removing the loupe from his eye. - -"What's carved on it?" Biff asked. - -"It's the Chinese character which, roughly, would stand for the capital -letter 'K.'" - -"Does that have any significance for you, Tang?" Mr. Brewster asked. - -"Indeed it does. This is the ring of the great House of Kwang. Before -the Communists took over, it was one of the richest and strongest houses -in all China. This ring was worn by the Great Lord of the house, and by -his sons, the young lords." - -"It's funny I should get one of them," Biff said, laughing. "I'm no -young lord." - -Ling Tang smiled. "Most mysterious, true," he agreed. - -"And if they wanted to give me a ring, why didn't they just send it to -me, instead of throwing it through my window and ruining the screen?" - -"You did receive it in a most dramatic fashion." - -"You can bet all the tea in China I did," Biff said. - -"Perhaps, young man," Ling said, "you received it as you did, so that he -who presented it to you could keep his identity a secret. Even more -important"--Ling paused to drive home his point--"he did it to keep you -from seeing what he looked like." - -Biff and his father exchanged concerned glances. - -"Were you acquainted with the House of Kwang? Did you know its master?" -Mr. Brewster asked. - -"It is an old, old family, once strong, once rich." An expression of -sadness passed fleetingly across Tang's face. "Until the Reds moved in -and made ruthless changes, the House of Kwang lived in the same age-old -feudal manner as had the founder of the family generations ago. They had -rich farm lands and houses of many courts. In the Old Lord's house, he -who was called the Ancient One, there were more than a hundred courts. -In America you would call them apartments or suites. Each court had its -sleeping room. A room for eating. And a room, beautifully decorated with -a small fish pond in its center, where the lords of the house would go -to think and meditate and honor the memories of their fathers and their -fathers' fathers." - -"And this no longer exists?" Mr. Brewster asked his friend. - -"Gone. All gone. The farm lands divided up into small communes; the -mines, the grain-storage house snatched away. But the family still -clings together. They still resist. Many of them are in hiding from -local Red officials. The earthly possessions of the House of Kwang have -been torn from them. But the family is still a proud one. They aid one -another, even to helping the older members escape into the free world." - -Thomas Brewster had been doing some heavy thinking. "Tang," he said. -"Tell me this. In what part of China was the House of Kwang located?" - -"In the province of Yunnan, south and somewhat west of Kunming, the -capital of the province." - -Mr. Brewster was creating the map of China in his mind's eye. "That -would be near the border of Burma." - -Ling Tang nodded his head gravely. - -"Not far from Unhao, on the Irrawaddy River?" Biff's father inquired. - -"Your memory of China is excellent, my friend. Once the Old Lord, Tao -Kwang, made annual pilgrimages to Rangoon to visit the shrine of the -Gautama Buddha, the magnificent pagoda of Shwe Dagon." - -Biff was beginning to put the pieces together. "I still don't get it -loud and clear, but Uncle Charlie's located at Unhao. That's where I'm -going. And Uncle Charlie's in Rangoon a lot, isn't he?" - -"Yes, Biff. He is." - -"But the ring--why would someone want me to have it? Do you suppose they -want me to take it with me?" - -"That, my boy, is the question we'd all like to have the answer to," Mr. -Brewster replied. - -"Gosh. Maybe I shouldn't take the ring with me." - -Tang spoke up quickly. "Oh, but I think you should. Its manner of -delivery hints of peril. But its message speaks of fortune and safety." - -Biff took the ring back. As he did so, a young, smiling Chinese entered -the store hurriedly. - -"So sorry, revered elder cousin, so sorry to be late. I change quickly -and take over my duties." - -Tang smiled as the young Chinese hurried to the rear of the store. Biff -had noticed the young man was wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. On the -front of the shirt was the letter "K!" Biff turned and looked sharply -after him. - -"Who was that, sir?" Biff inquired of Ling Tang. - -"My young cousin--one of them," Tang said. "He works afternoons for the -Kirby Ice Cream Co. He is much enthused about your game of soft ball. He -is of the team called the Kirby Koolers." - -"Well, thanks for your information, Tang. Guess we'd better be going," -Mr. Brewster said. - -"I'll say hello to Uncle Charlie for you, Mr. Ling," Biff said. - -"That will be most kind of you," the Chinese replied. - -Both bowed to Ling Tang, and he returned their gesture with a deep bow -of his own. - -Biff and his father were thoughtful as they walked to their parked car. -Something was building. No doubt about that. But what? What was the -answer to, or the connection between, the spying stranger, the ring, and -Biff's coming visit to his Uncle Charlie? The answers to those questions -were not to be found that day. - -At home, Mrs. Brewster's first question was, "Biff, who ruined the -screen in your room?" - -Biff looked helplessly at his father, who merely shrugged his shoulders. - -"A rock, Mother. This morning, early. Fooling around...." - -"I thought, young man, you were old enough to know better than to toss -rocks around carelessly." - -Biff heaved a sigh of relief. He was going to get out of this easily. -Neither he nor his father wanted to tell Mrs. Brewster the real reason -for the hole in the screen. They didn't want to worry her. - -"Now," Mrs. Brewster said briskly, "we've lots to do today. We'll have -no time in the morning. We'll have to leave for the airport early. Now -here's what I want you to do, Biff...." - - -On the morning of his departure, Biff again woke early. He could hear -noises throughout the house and sniffed at the friendly smells of -breakfast being prepared. Everybody was up. They were all going with him -to the airport. Biff looked at his watch. It was nearly seven by the -time he was dressed. In one hour and fifteen minutes he would be -air-borne, on his way to Chicago, the first leg in a journey that would -take him halfway around the world. - -Breakfast was a funny kind of a meal that morning--not the food, but the -way the whole family acted. The twins, of course, kept up a steady, -excited chatter. Any trip to the airport made them bubble like a bottle -of pop. But Biff and his mother and father either all tried to talk at -the same time, or suddenly remained silent at the same time. - -"Biff gets all the breaks," Ted complained. "Don't see why I can't go, -too." - -"Because you're too young, that's why," retorted his twin sister, -Monica. "You're just eleven." - -"You are, too," the younger boy shot back. "Way you act, anybody'd think -you were older'n me." - -"Your time will come, Ted," Mr. Brewster said, acting as a peacemaker -between his youngest children. "When you're five years older, like Biff, -the world will still be here. There'll be plenty of chances for you to -spread your wings and fly." - -"Right," said Ted emphatically. "And I'll go by rocket." - -"But what about me? I'm a girl," Monica wailed. - -"Yes, Tom. Answer that one," Martha Brewster said with a laugh. "Don't -worry, Monica," she continued, "we women will show these men a thing or -two." - -"Like what?" the girl said, pouting. - -"Like how fast you can get ready. Right now. We have to leave for the -airport." - -As they drove into the busy terminal, Biff felt a lump in the pit of his -stomach. First signs of homesickness, he thought. It had happened -before. Biff always felt homesick at these last moments. But once he was -under way, the feeling left him. Except sometimes late at night, just -before he fell asleep. - -This time, though, it was different. This was the first time Biff was -going to be all on his own. Before, his adventures had been shared with -his father. True, he'd be with his Uncle Charlie, but as nice a guy as -Uncle Charlie was, uncles weren't the same as fathers. - -Biff checked in and had his ticket cleared. At the gate, he ruffled his -brother's hair, gave him a quick hug, and turned to Monica. He lifted -her off her feet and planted a big "smack" on her plump cheek. -Unashamedly, he embraced his mother in front of the crowded gate, then -turned to his father. - -The two shook hands, and Mr. Brewster placed a hand on Biff's shoulder. - -"You have the ring in a safe place?" he asked softly. - -Biff nodded his head and touched his side trouser pocket. He had -fastened the key chain to a longer, stronger chain which was attached to -his belt loop. - -"I wouldn't display it, Biff." - -Biff nodded. He felt tears coming to his eyes, but he was through the -gate and up the plane's loading platform before anyone could see them. -Moments later, the plane was taxiing out to the runway for the take-off. -Biff, looking through the window, could see his family waving. - -After the plane's four engines had been warmed up and tested, the giant -airliner lurched forward, and in seconds was air-borne. First stop -Chicago. Change to a jetliner for San Francisco. Next stop Hawaii. Then -Tokyo, Hong Kong, and finally Rangoon. - -Biff unfastened his seat belt when the lighted sign snapped off, and -looked about him. The plane was only half filled. He glanced to the -rear, and his heart started pounding. Seated in the last seat on the -plane's starboard side were two Chinese. They returned Biff's stare -without expression. One of them, Biff noticed, seemed to have but one -good eye. The other eye was nothing but a thin slit. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - A Fortune Cooky - - -Biff's connections at Chicago with the jetliner for San Francisco went -without a hitch. In less than an hour the sleek, silvery plane was in -the air, circling over the bustling city of Chicago. It pointed its -slender nose westward, and began a race with the sun to the Pacific -Ocean. - -The liner seemed to hang motionless over the broad plains of the West. -Even the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains passed backward beneath -the plane slowly, as if the plane were barely moving, instead of slicing -through the air at nearly 700 miles per hour. - -Once they were in the air, Biff, as casually as he could, had let his -eyes sweep the length of the plane, trying to see if the two Chinese -were still with him. There were no Orientals on this flight. - -By early afternoon the plane had left the mountains behind it and was -starting its long glide to lose altitude as it neared San Francisco. Far -ahead, Biff could see the blue waters of the Pacific, sparkling under -the rays of the sun, now standing high in the sky. Before he realized -it, the plane was circling over San Francisco Bay. Biff saw the -beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, arching gracefully over the harbor. - -After a two-hour layover, during which time Biff's papers and baggage -were cleared by customs, the boy boarded the plane which was to take him -to his final destination, Burma. - -The sun had a good lead on the plane by the time the huge airliner took -off. It would soon disappear over the horizon, and darkness would greet -the touch-down in Honolulu. - -Once the plane was over the water, Biff turned in his seat for a final -glance at his homeland. He could just see the hills of San Francisco, -fading rapidly behind him. As he turned more toward the front, his eye -was caught by two Chinese passengers. - -Biff looked at them closely. They were dressed in long, flowing robes. -The robes were brightly colored in greens and reds and were -gold-trimmed. Their wearers had tight skull caps worn low on their -foreheads, and each wore heavy, dark sun glasses. Could they be the same -two who had been on the plane with him from Indianapolis to Chicago? For -a closer look, Biff walked to the rear of the plane for a drink of -water. He stood just in back of the pair and inspected the men closely. -They could be the same men, he decided. But he couldn't be sure. It was -difficult for him to tell one Chinese from another. And the change, if -these were the same two, from American clothes to Oriental, made such a -difference that it was impossible for Biff to be certain. - -Biff decided on a bold move. He stopped at the seat where the two -Orientals sat impassively, staring straight ahead. - -"I'm going to Rangoon," he said, a friendly smile breaking out on his -face. "To a place very near the Chinese border. Are you going to -Rangoon, or Hong Kong?" - -There was no answer. - -"Don't you speak English?" Biff asked. - -"I'm afraid they don't," a voice said behind him. - -Biff whirled. It was the stewardess. "Can I help you?" she asked. - -"No," Biff said lamely. "I was just--er--just going to get a glass of -water." - -The stewardess moved on. Biff downed the glass of water which he didn't -need and started back to his seat. As he came to the side where the -Chinese were sitting, he decided to try a little trick. - -He bent toward the floor of the plane. - -"Is that your glasses case on the floor?" he asked. - -The Chinese in the outside seat bent forward. His hand reached down, -feeling by his feet. Then, quickly realizing he had given himself away, -he sat up straight, and stared ahead. - -A big smile of satisfaction decorated Biff's face as he settled himself -in his seat. He knew one thing about them at least. They understood -English--but good! And they could have taken another airline from -Chicago to San Francisco. - -Biff's swift flight was without further incident as the plane sped -across the Pacific. Then he was on the last leg--the flight from Hong -Kong to Rangoon. - -It was the middle of the afternoon, an hour after the take-off from Hong -Kong. Rangoon was still nearly three hours away. The stewardesses were -serving tea. With it they served almond cookies and, as a favor from the -air lines, each passenger received a fortune cooky, a small delicate -piece of folded, crisply cooked dough. Inside each fortune cooky was a -narrow ribbon of paper on which was printed a short saying--usually -humorous. Biff remembered them from the Chinese restaurant he went to -with the family every so often back in Indianapolis. - -He smiled as he remembered one he had once gotten. It had read: "Man who -count chickens before they hatch is egghead." - -Biff finished his tea. He reached for the fortune cooky. Just as he did -so, someone lurched against his shoulder, upsetting the tray. Cup, -saucer, and fortune cooky fell to the floor. Both Biff and the awkward -passenger reached to pick up the scrambled tray. Biff's eyes met his -helper's--it was one of the two Chinese! There was no reason for him to -have stumbled. The plane was flying smoothly. It appeared to Biff that -the shoulder bumping had been intentional. - -"So sorry," the Chinese said. His dark glasses glinted as he -straightened up. "Too bad. Fortune cooky smashed to bits. But slip of -paper still okay." - -Smiling briefly, he handed Biff the slender slip of tissue paper, and -made his way hurriedly forward. - -Biff watched him go, still puzzled by the man's action. The boy smoothed -out the slip. It had only a Chinese character scrawled on it. Through -the Chinese printing had been drawn a red "X." "Now what the dickens is -this?" Biff thought. He started to crumple the paper, but something -about it held his attention. There was something familiar about it. Then -he had it. Carefully, he took out his key chain. He bent low, and -compared the character on the cooky slip with that on the surface of the -ring's green stone. They were identical--the letter "K!"--the seal of -the lords of the House of Kwang. - -Was this a warning of some kind? Did the red "X" cancel out the -protection and good fortune the ring was supposed to insure? But why? -Why? Biff's brain kept signaling that one word with its question mark. - -The plane climbed over the coastal mountains of Viet Nam, dropped down -to skim over the rice fields of Thailand, then swung out over the Bay of -Bengal for its approach to Rangoon. - -As the plane banked, Biff could see the many mouths of the Irrawaddy -River, spread out like long fingers from the broad, brown arm of the -river itself. - -The plane came low over the bay on its approach to the city, and Biff -could see the colorful sails of the _dhows_, the native craft which -dotted the harbor. Some of the sails were bright red, some dirty brown. -Many wore patches of every color of the rainbow. - -The plane followed the course of the Hlaing River, twenty-one miles -inland to the city of Rangoon. Standing out against the low, white -buildings, Biff saw the pagoda of Shwe Dagon, rising nearly 400 feet -skyward. It was entirely covered with gold leaf which glistened in the -setting sun. Then he remembered. Ling Tang had told him this was the -important shrine of Buddha where the head of the House of Kwang used to -worship. - -Biff stretched and twisted. In spite of the cooky accident and the red -"X," he smiled. "Almost there, at last," he said to the passing -stewardess. - -The long trip had been pleasant enough, but being confined to a plane -for three days and three nights had become monotonous. Just as soon as -he could, Biff bounded down the ramp from the airliner and ran eagerly -to the entrance of the airport terminal. - -Through the portal into the terminal, Biff was caught up in a swirling -mass of figures. Fat merchants, skinny students, long-robed mandarins, -ragged beggars, and men in the uniforms of all the world's military -forces milled about the huge room. Biff searched the crowds, trying to -spot his Uncle Charlie. He was nowhere to be seen. - -Worried minutes followed. Then Biff saw a tall, very thin Oriental, -wearing a long, straight white robe approach. The man came up to Biff. -With hands clasped to his chest, he bowed low. - -"Sahib Brewster?" he asked. - -"I'm Biff Brewster," the boy answered, thinking, "Gee, I'm a sahib!" - -"I come from Sahib Charles Keene. He had planned to meet you. However, -an emergency arose, and he had to fly to the north. But he should be -back at Unhao by the time we get there." - -"Oh." Biff was slightly shaken by this unexpected turn of events. "And -how do we get there, then?" - -"It is all arranged. Another pilot was dispatched to pick you up when -your uncle was unable to come himself. Come. If you will follow me, even -now the plane is ready." The Oriental turned, and a path in the human -mass seemed to open for him. - -Biff followed, still not sure of this man. - -"Hey," he called. "Wait a minute!" - -The Oriental paused and turned to the boy. - -"I'd like to know your name," Biff said. "I don't like calling people -just 'hey.'" - -The Oriental's puzzled expression changed to a slight smile as -understanding of Biff's "hey" came to him. "I am called Nam Palung, head -of the servants in your uncle's house." - -"Okay, Nam. But what about getting through customs?" - -"That is all arranged. Your uncle is a man of much importance and -influence. Come. We must hurry before darkness spreads its mantle upon -the land." - -Biff didn't like being rushed like this. "Yeah, but what about my -luggage--my suitcase and trunk?" - -"Even now they precede us to the plane. All is cared for." - -The whole business seemed a bit cockeyed to Biff, but then, shrugging -his shoulders, he followed Nam to the northern exit of the terminal. - -Nam walked quickly, his fast, short steps limited by the skirt of his -robe. Even so, Biff had to step up his pace to stay with the man. - -Suspicion again came to Biff as they left the terminal building and -appeared to be taking a direction away from the airport. - -"Look, Nam. Just where are we going? The airstrips are back that way." - -"Those, Sahib Brewster," Nam replied, "are for the commercial airlines -planes. Private planes, such as those used by Explorations Unlimited, -use a different part of the field." - -Biff's suspicions dropped a degree. Nam's explanation made sense. His -suspicions dropped still further when Nam reached a jeep, and with a low -bow, indicated that Biff was to get in. - -An American jeep, Biff thought. They're found everywhere. The small -vehicle represented home and safety to Biff. He hopped aboard, and Nam -took his place behind the wheel. Biff looked across the airport where a -mile away, several small planes were clustered. He figured that was -where they were heading. He heard a rustling behind him and turned -abruptly. In the jeep's rear seat now sat, as if they had appeared out -of thin air, two more Orientals. Both were dressed like Nam. But, as -Biff looked at them more closely, he noticed that each man's hand was -partly thrust into a fold of his robe, and each hand clasped the hilt of -a slender dagger. Biff turned to Nam, alarmed. - -"Who are those men--with knives--" His voice shook in spite of his -attempt to control it. - -Nam interrupted. His manner was no longer courteous, his voice no longer -smooth. His reply was stem and harsh. - -"You will remain silent. Any outcry, any attempt to escape, and my men -have been told to use those knives." - - - - - CHAPTER V - Jack Hudson - - -Nam Palung meant business. There was no question about that. But Biff -had no intention of yielding without a struggle. He would make his -escape if at all possible. Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying -to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly -as he had been told. - -Biff promised himself one thing. Once he was free of Nam Palung he, Biff -Brewster, was going to give himself, Biff Brewster, one swift kick. He -had been played for a sucker, a trusting, easy-to-take American, and he -had filled the role perfectly. How, he now thought, could he have been -so taken in? - -The jeep rolled across the field. Biff shot a sidelong glance at Nam -Palung. The jeep moved at a steady pace, not fast enough to attract -attention. It was headed toward a gate in the high wire fence -surrounding the airfield through which service trucks passed. He noticed -that the gate was blocked by an iron bar, raised to allow a vehicle to -pass underneath it. When raised, the bar on its upright poles looked -like a football goal post. - -As the jeep drew near and fell in line behind a truck and a small car, -Biff noticed the bar was raised just sufficiently to allow about a -foot's clearance for the vehicle passing beneath. An idea came into -Biff's head. He turned to look over his shoulder at his knife-bearing -guards. - -"Keep your head straight forward," Nam ordered. "And no tricks as we -pass the gateman." - -Biff watched the truck ahead pass through. It slowed down without -stopping as it passed under the raised bar. The bar was lowered to stop -position after the truck's tail-gate went through. Next came the smaller -car, its roof much lower than the truck's. Again the bar was raised, but -this time, just high enough to accommodate the car, leaving about two -feet between it and the car's top. - -Now the jeep approached the bar barricade. The bar began rising slowly. -Biff watched it, his heart in his mouth. "Don't let them raise it too -high," he prayed. Biff leaned slightly forward, placing his weight on -his firmly planted feet. He tensed his leg and thigh muscles until they -felt like tightly coiled steel springs. - -The bar was about three feet higher than tall Nam's head. Biff waited -until the front of the jeep was directly under the bar. Then he leaped -up as if he'd been blasted off a launching pad. His hands seized the -bar. Like a trapeze artist, he swung his body forward in a giant arc. At -the top of his swing, when his body was parallel to the ground, Biff -twisted his head, looking over his shoulder as his body started a swift -downward stroke. At the split second, he lashed out with his feet. One -foot struck the left knife-wielder square on the side of his head. The -man shot over the side of the jeep as if jerked by the hand of a giant. - -Biff's other foot struck the second knife-wielder full in his chest, -toppling him out the back of the jeep. - -Now Biff was propelling himself into the backward arc of his swing. -Again his body came swiftly downward. He lashed at Nam, planting both -his feet solidly in the Oriental's shoulders. Nam shot forward, his head -striking the windshield. - -Biff swung his body sideways, and dropped to the ground. He ran back -toward the terminal building, nearly half a mile away. After a hundred -yards, he slowed to catch his breath. Turning, he looked back at the -jeep. There was no need to run. Nam still lay sprawled over the steering -wheel. One of the knife-bearers was out of sight, apparently still -sprawled on the ground on the other side of the jeep. The other guard -was just rising from behind the jeep. Biff saw him stagger, still not -fully recovered. - -[Illustration: _He ran back toward the terminal building_] - -There would be no more trouble with those three, Biff said to himself. -Not right away, at any rate. The boy continued toward the terminal -building at a rapid walk. He didn't run, no need to, and if he did, he -might attract attention. He might be stopped. Explanations would be -demanded. The gate-keeper might come up and describe what had happened. - -Biff needed time to think. What was his next move? - -"Guess I'll have to play it by ear," he told himself, and what, he -wondered, had happened to Uncle Charlie? Had he been waylaid by those -same three? - -Inside the teeming terminal building, Biff mingled with the constantly -moving crowds. He hoped he wouldn't be noticeable, but there was little -chance of that. In his American clothes, gray slacks and open-necked -shirt, he was as noticeable as an Oriental dressed in mandarin clothes -would have been at the Indianapolis airport. - -There was only one thing to do, Biff decided. Go to the airline check-in -counter and see if any message had been left him by his uncle. The boy -approached the counter cautiously. He wanted to look around before -identifying himself. - -Biff sidled up to the counter. A tall, handsome man, about thirty years -old, was leaning over the counter, questioning the clerk intensely. He -was wearing white drill trousers and a white shirt open at the collar. A -well-shaped, close-cropped head topped a strong neck and broad -shoulders. He spoke to the clerk in a voice filled with authority. -Unless he was badly fooled again, Biff felt sure that this man was an -American, and there was something about him that the boy liked -immediately. - -"Hold it," Biff told himself. "Let's not jump too fast this time." - -Standing behind the man, Biff saw him take out a worn wallet from his -hip pocket. - -"Now you listen to me. I'm Jack Hudson. I'm a pilot for Explorations -Unlimited. Here, take a look at my papers. I'm here to meet a boy named -Biff Brewster, and I want to know where he is. Right now!" - -The clerk leaned on the counter. He carefully inspected the list of -names on the paper in front of him. - -"So sorry. No name like one you say on this list." - -"Is that your passenger manifest list?" the man, Jack Hudson, demanded. - -The clerk nodded his head. - -Without asking, without waiting, Hudson snatched the list from the man's -hand. - -"Here. You can't do that!" - -Hudson ignored the clerk. His eye ran down the list quickly. - -"And just what do you think this name is?" Hudson held his index finger -beside one of the names. - -"Oh, so sorry. I guess I no understand your talk." - -"Fat chance," Hudson said angrily. "Now you just tell me where that boy -is." - -Biff had made up his mind. He couldn't be mistaken in this man of -action. - -"I think you're looking for me, sir," Biff said and placed his hand on -Jack Hudson's arm. - -Hudson swung around. He looked Biff up and down, slowly, carefully, -sizing him up, before answering. - -"If I weren't so glad to see you, I'd ask where the devil you've been." -Then, seeing Biff's face fall, Hudson smiled, a warm, immediately -friendly smile. "But the important thing is I've found you." - -"I guess it is mostly my fault that you've had trouble meeting me," Biff -confessed. "I had a little mixup with--" He cut his sentence short. -Perhaps he had better wait until he got to know Jack Hudson better -before revealing all the mysterious happenings that had taken place from -that early hour in the morning four days ago, back in Indianapolis. - -"Well, part of it's my fault, too," Jack said. "Or the weather's. Coming -in from Unhao, I ran into a terrific headwind. Should have allowed for -it. These winds spring up all the time in these parts. I was late. But -come on now, we've got to clear you with customs and get your gear." - -Jack Hudson, with a forcefulness sharp enough to cut any red tape, -literally bulldozed Biff through a maze of inspections, checks, and -rechecks. - -"I'm slipping," he grinned at Biff when the boy had been cleared. "Took -me thirty-one minutes. My record's twenty-nine. Come on. We've got to -make with the plane back to Unhao. Fast. Lots to be done." - -"That sure suits me. I'm anxious to see my uncle." - -"Hope he's there when we get back." A frown creased Jack's face as he -spoke. - -"He will be, won't he? That's what I was told, that the emergency came -up quickly and--" Biff ended his sentence feeling foolish. He suddenly -remembered who had told him the story. - -"Emergency? I don't know of any emergency. Your uncle wasn't even in -Unhao today. It was arranged for me to pick you up before he left." - -"Before he left? What do you mean?" Biff was getting puzzled. - -"Your uncle flew out of Unhao over a week ago." - - - - - CHAPTER VI - Interrupted Message - - -Darkness had spread over the airfield by the time Biff and Jack Hudson -reached the "Explorations" plane. It was a twin-engine Cessna, a -five-passenger, capable of a speed of 250 miles per hour. - -"Hop in, Biff," Jack said. "Be my co-pilot." - -Jack stowed Biff's gear, and took his place in the pilot's seat. As -quick to action as Hudson was, he was also a sober, careful pilot. He -warmed up the plane's motors. He tested the wing flaps. He made a -thorough instrument check. Then he called the tower for take-off -instructions. - -The plane moved to its assigned runway. Once more Jack revved up his -engines. Then, the brakes released, the plane started rolling down the -runway. Once it was air-borne, Jack put the plane in a steep climb, made -a wide circle over the city of Rangoon, then headed north, following the -Irrawaddy River. - -"How long before we get there?" Biff asked. - -"About four hours. If we don't hit any weather. Unhao's about fifty -miles north of Myitkyina. 'Bout eleven hundred miles from here." - -"How big's Unhao. Is it much of a place?" Biff asked. - -Jack grinned. "Take a look back at Rangoon. That's the last civilization -you're going to see for a while." - -The plane sped through the night. As the moon rose out of the South -China Sea, its light turned the Irrawaddy River, thousands of feet -below, into a slender silvery ribbon, reflecting the moon's rays like a -long sliver of mirror. - -Jack Hudson put the plane on automatic pilot. He reached behind him and -brought out two boxes. He handed one to Biff. - -"Hungry?" - -Biff hadn't thought about eating. But now, he realized he was ravenous. -"I'll say I am. Thanks a lot." He practically tore open the box and -chomped on the sandwiches with an appetite that made Jack wonder when -the boy had last eaten. - -Just before midnight, Hudson switched on the plane's radio transmitter -and called the landing strip at Unhao. - -"Keep your eyes dead ahead for the next few minutes," he told Biff. "I -always get a thrill out of it." - -Biff did as he was told. He peered intently through the windshield into -the night. Clouds had obscured the moon, and all was darkness. Not a -light could be seen anywhere. - -Suddenly, as if by magic, the letter "X" blazed out of the jungle, -twenty miles ahead. It was so startling that Biff gasped in amazement. - -"Our landing field. I told them we'd be in in about ten minutes and to -turn on the lights. We have two runways. One from southwest to -northeast. The other from southeast to northwest. They bisect in the -center, forming a perfect 'X.' I think it's a wonderful sight." - -"It sure is," Biff replied. - -For the next few minutes, Jack's entire attention was devoted to the -landing. The plane swooped out of the dark, flashed over the landing -field, circled and entered its final glide path. Biff felt the lurch -which told him they had touched down. Jack taxied the plane toward the -hangars. - -"Well, here we are," he said to Biff. "Welcome to Unhao." - -Despite the excitement of landing in this strange isolated spot in Upper -Burma, Biff couldn't hold back a yawn. He was just plain, dog-tired. It -had been four nights since he had slept in a bed. Oh, he had slept. But -sleeping in a sitting position, he told himself, would never replace the -good, old stretch-out type of snooze. - -Native servants swarmed around the plane. Biff and his gear were -deposited in a jeep standing by. Jack hopped behind the wheel. The jeep, -with natives clinging to every possible foot and hand-hold, headed -through the night toward Headquarters House, a quarter of a mile away. - -Headquarters House was a combination office, communications center, and -living quarters for the staff of Explorations Unlimited. Sleeping rooms, -resembling those of Bachelor Officers' Quarters on an army post, filled -one ell of the building. Into one of these went Biff. Moments after his -head hit the pillow, he was in a deep sleep, in spite of the murky heat -that was unrelieved by the lateness of the night. - -Around five o'clock in the morning, as dawn was transforming the -night-blackened jungle into a greenish maze, Biff was awakened by the -sound of running feet passing his door. These were followed by others. -The whole building seemed to spring to life. Something was up. - -Biff jumped out of bed. First he went to the window. Looking out, he saw -a tremendous animal faintly outlined in the morning mists not more than -thirty feet away. Just as he was about to call out, he saw the floppy -ears and the swaying trunk of the animal raise toward the sky, and let -go with a trumpeting that rattled the windows. Biff had to smile at -himself. What was an elephant doing wandering around loose at that time -of the morning? "Some difference from home," he thought. - -Biff dressed quickly. He hurried down the hallway toward the center of -Headquarters House. Sounds of activity came from the communications -center. He paused in the doorway. Jack Hudson and two other men were -bunched together around a short-wave receiver. Static crackled -throughout the room. One of the men picked up a hand microphone. - -"This is H H One, calling. This is Happy Harry One calling X 0369. Come -in X 0369. Repeat: Come in X 0369. We were beginning to read you. -Acknowledge. Do you read us?" - -His answer was a roar of static. - -Jack Hudson shook his head. His concern and the intense looks on the -faces of the other men told Biff they were troubled. - -"Was it Keene, Mike?" Jack demanded. "Was it Charlie?" - -Biff heard Jack's question, and he felt a sudden pang of fear. - -The radio operator, Mike Dawson, shook his head. "I can't say for sure. -I think it must have been. But the voice was so faint. And the static--" - -"Could you make out anything? Any of the words?" Jack's voice was -insistent. - -Mike shook his head worriedly. "The sender didn't identify. I did think -I caught some of the words, but I can't say for sure--" - -"Well, what were they, man? What were they?" - -"I--I thought he said, 'They're coming for me.... My position is lati--' -And right then transmission broke off completely. That's when I buzzed -your rooms. I've been working this mike ever since. And getting nothing. -But nothing." - -Biff stepped into the room. He crossed to the three men. - -"Was that my uncle you were talking about?" - -Mike and the other man looked at Jack Hudson. It was obvious that they -wouldn't speak unless he gave them the go-ahead. Jack looked at Biff. He -didn't reply at once. Then, having reached his decision, he answered. - -"Yes, Biff. I'm afraid it was." - -"_Afraid?_" Biff felt a tingle of fear race up his spine. "What do you -mean? Is my uncle in danger?" - -Jack Hudson's shoulders sagged. He shook his head as if trying to rid -himself of unpleasant thoughts. "Come along, Biff. I'll tell you about -it over some coffee." At the door, he turned back. "Keep trying, Mike. -You might raise him. And if you do--" - -"I'll buzz you fast." - -In the mess hall, the servants had already set the breakfast table. Two -of them padded about the room silently on their bare feet. Biff sat down -to a plate containing an oval-shaped, reddish fruit, streaked with -white. - -"It's the fruit of the durian tree. Try it. We think it's delicious. If -you don't like it, though, there's fresh pineapple or guava." - -The taste was like nothing Biff had ever eaten before. He didn't know -whether he liked it or not. And he didn't care. There were more -important things than breakfast fruit right now. - -"Tell me about Uncle Charlie." - -Jack sipped some coffee. "I'll tell you what I can, Biff. It won't be -much. I don't know it all myself. I know where he went, and I think I -know why. The why is what I can't tell you." - -"Was there danger in this trip of Uncle Charlie's?" - -"Danger? Perhaps. Always dangerous crossing the border. But Charlie -should have been able to handle it." - -Biff felt his heart pound. - -"Your uncle left here exactly eight days ago. He left early in the -morning. He needed the cover of night to fly across the border." - -"The border? What border?" Biff asked. - -"The border into Red China. That border's closed, you know, especially -to Americans." - -Jack paused to light a cigarette. - -"He took off in a light, four-place plane. It's the type plane that -Charlie could land or take off in on a dime. It carried extra fuel -tanks." - -"How long did he expect to be gone?" - -"He didn't know for certain. Not more than four or five days, he said." - -Four or five days, Biff thought. And eight days had passed. - -"We've been expecting him, Watching for him. I've flown from dawn to -daylight myself the last three days, hoping to spot him or his plane, if -he was forced down. Nothing. He didn't break radio silence once from the -time he left." - -"Until this morning," Biff cut in. - -"Yes. Until this morning. If that was Charlie." - -"Have you any idea where he was going in China?" Jack shook his head. -"Not exactly. With the extra tanks, he had fuel for about twelve hundred -miles. So, since he had to return, he must have expected to find what he -was looking for not more than five hundred miles inside China." - -"And you can't tell me your ideas of what his search was for?" - -Jack hesitated. "All I could tell you would be the results of my own -speculations. Your uncle was at Cape Canaveral, as you know, and he must -know a lot about guided missiles. He was one of the Navy's top young -officers. Well--put your thinking cap on. Maybe between us we can come -up with something." - -Biff thought hard. There were many parts to this puzzle. He thought he -himself was probably one of them. But fitting them together into an -answer--that would take more than minutes, hours, or even days to do. -Too many important parts of the puzzle were still missing. Biff thought -that perhaps now he should fill Jack in on his own small mystery. His -hand went to his key chain and touched the jade ring. He made a -decision. He wouldn't mention the ring. He would only tell Jack about -what had happened when he arrived at the Rangoon airport. - -Quickly he told Jack the story. As he poured it out rapidly, Jack's look -of worried concern deepened. - -"There must be some connection. Charlie disappears, and you're almost -kidnaped. Describe the man again." - -Biff sketched the three men in as best he could. "I only saw the one -called Nam Pulang closely. He said he was the Number One man here at -Explorations." - -"Never heard of him. Was he Chinese, or Burmese?" - -"I'd say Chinese," Biff answered. "Although I don't really know how -Burmese look." - -Jack was thoughtful. - -"But Jack," Biff said, "we're not just going to sit here, are we? Can't -we do something? Can't we go into China and find Uncle Charlie?" - -"Go into China? Impossible. You get any such idea out of your head." - -That idea, though, was very much in Biff's head. The idea had been -growing from the moment he first heard of his uncle's disappearance. - -"I mean that," Jack said. "You have no idea of the difficulty in -crossing the border. It's patroled night and day. And the border guards -shoot to kill." - -Man and boy sat in silence, both deep in thought. The silence was -suddenly broken. A native boy about Biff's age, but smaller, came -running into the room. - -"Sahib Jack! Come on run! Come on run! Quick! Quick!" He ran out of the -room. - -Biff and Jack were at his heels. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - A "Spirited" Box - - -The native boy raced across the open compound toward the group of low -buildings where the servants slept. Jack and Biff ran side by side, ten -feet behind the boy. - -"What is it, Chuba? What is it?" Jack called. But the boy didn't answer -until he reached the door of one of the small white cabins. There he -stopped, gasping for breath, and turned to Jack and Biff. His face was -contorted with fear; his eyes were opened wide and filled with terror. - -"Now get hold of yourself, Chuba. Steady. We're right here. What's -inside your cabin that's so frightening?" - -Chuba's voice trembled as he spoke. "The evil ones. They come. They come -to punish Chuba and the father of Chuba." - -"The evil ones? What are you talking about?" Jack's voice was firm, but -his tone was kind. He had to quiet this boy's fears. - -"It has been spoken," Chuba said, his voice trembling. "Many, many years -ago, the gods spoke to the ancestors of my father. They said"--and here -the boy's voice almost broke--"they said that evil will befall any -member of the House of Chin Fu who leaves his land to become a slave of -the white man." - -Biff watched the boy. He felt sympathy toward him, yet it was hard for -Biff to believe that such superstitious beliefs could still cast their -spell in these modern days. - -"That's nonsense, Chuba. You and your father are not slaves. You are -honorable workers. Without your help, we could not live here. You are -well paid, and you hold positions of responsibility and dignity. Enough -of this. Just what is inside your cabin?" - -"Chuba not know. But is bad. Very bad. It is voices of the evil ones, -casting spell on Chuba and his honorable father." - -"All right. Come on and show us what it is." - -"Please, Sahib Jack. You to go first." - -"Okay. Come on, Biff." - -Jack and Biff entered the one-room cabin. It was small, but comfortably -furnished. Beds stood against the walls on either side of the room. At -the rear there was a small, compact kitchen. Biff and Jack inspected the -room quickly. They saw nothing unusual. - -Chuba stood behind them, standing on tiptoes. - -"There!" he said. "Watch, and you shall hear evil spirits." He pointed -to a small box on the floor by one of the beds. - -As they watched, a low growl came from the box. The growl grew louder. -It became a wail. Then it turned into the high, piercing scream of a -siren. It held this chilling, blood-curdling pitch for about ten -seconds. Then the lid of the box slowly raised. A yellowish hand -emerged. It bent over the front of the box. One finger touched a small -button. The high scream dropped down to a wail, then to a growl, then -stopped. The hand withdrew into the box. The lid closed. All was silent -again. - -Biff put a restraining hand on Chuba, keeping the boy from fleeing in -terror. On Biff's face a slow grin was spreading. He wanted to laugh, -but one glance at Chuba's stricken face stopped him. This was a serious -thing to Chuba. Chuba would feel Biff was laughing at him, insulting -him. - -Jack stared at the box in amazement. "Now just what on earth is that -thing?" He scratched his head. Biff started across the room toward the -box. - -"Hold it, Biff. We don't know what that gadget might be. Might be a -bomb." - -Now Biff did laugh. Even Jack was concerned. Not terror-stricken like -Chuba, but the weird performance of the box had undoubtedly alarmed -Jack. - -Biff reached for the box, bent over, and picked it up. Chuba cowered -behind Jack. But the native boy's curiosity got the better of him. He -watched Biff's every move, his eyes wide. - -"It's only a toy, Jack," Biff said. "My kid brother got one last -Christmas. It was the newest thing out. Caused a sensation." - -"Let me take a look at it," Jack said, and Biff handed it to him. - -A great feeling of relief had come over Biff. When Chuba had come -rushing in, crying out in a voice filled with fright, Biff had figured -that another in the series of strange happenings had taken place. To -discover that all the excitement was only about a toy relaxed Biff -completely for the first time since he had arrived in the Orient. - -Jack inspected the toy somewhat gingerly. "How does it work?" - -Biff took the box back. "Look. I'll show you." He raised the lid of the -box, and as he did so, Chuba took a step back. He was taking no chances -with evil spirits even if the Americans did. Jack's and Biff's heads -were together inspecting the box. This was too much for Chuba. He had to -see, too. He cautiously poked his head forward for a closer look. - -"See this small siren? That's where the noises come from. The toy has -two small batteries, like the ones used in a transistor radio. They -power this small motor, and it does the rest. Raises the lid and makes -this hand snake out." - -Biff looked at Chuba and smiled. A shy, friendly grin lit up the native -boy's face. "Want to see it work with the lid open?" - -Chuba nodded his head rapidly. - -Biff set the toy in motion. The siren reached its high pitch. The hand, -attached to the end of a small iron rod, snaked out, flopped over the -front side of the box, and touched the cut-off button. - -"That's all there is to it. Some gadget, isn't it?" - -Jack laughed. "I can see how it must have been the toy sensation of last -Christmas. I can also see why it scared the daylights out of Chuba. It -would scare me, too, if it woke me from a sound sleep." - -"That's what happen, Sahib Jack. I sleep deep. This thing start -screaming. Chuba jump, run fast, plenty scared, for help." - -"I suppose once it's turned on, it keeps operating until the batteries -run out." - -"That's right," Biff said. "Its action is set so it goes off once about -every three minutes. You turn it off here." Biff pointed to a switch on -the bottom of the box. - -"But how it get in my father's house this morning?" Chuba demanded. - -"I can answer that one." Jack's shoulders started shaking with laughter. -Biff started laughing, too, partly from relief, and partly because when -Jack laughed everyone joined in. Chuba, his eyes darting from Jack to -Biff, decided his worries had passed. He giggled shyly at first, then -added his high laugh to the chorus. The little white cabin shook with -their hilarity. - -"The 'evil' one, Chuba," Jack said, "is a certain red-headed maintenance -mechanic called Muscles." - -"Muscles! Him play another joke on Chuba. He much cool fellow. Him way -in." - -"What's this?" Biff thought. "Jive talk from a native boy? This kid's -all right." - -"You mean this Muscles is real cool; he's way out, don't you, Chuba?" -Biff asked. - -"That's what Chuba say. He here, man, here." - -Biff slapped his thighs and doubled up again with glee. Chuba's mixed-up -talk was so far "gone," it had come back to "here." - -"How old are you, Chuba?" Jack asked. - -Chuba drew himself fully erect. He puffed out his chest. "Chuba soon be -sixteen." - -"Aren't you about the same, Biff?" Biff nodded his head. "Chuba, shake -hands with Biff Brewster. Biff's Sahib Charlie's nephew." - -The boys shook hands. There was no doubt but that they took to one -another right off. - -"Chuba, you show Biff around. I've got to get back and see if Mike's -been able to--" - -"I get it, Jack," Biff said. - -The two boys watched Jack stride back to Headquarters House. - -"Come, Sahib Biff, I show you many things." - -Biff didn't reply at once. A plan was beginning to shape up in his head. -It would work, too, with the help of Chuba. - -"Okay, Chuba. But first off--cut out that sahib stuff. To you, I'm just -plain Biff." - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - Still Missing - - -The friendship between Biff and Chuba developed rapidly. Chuba was an -odd boy, with his mixed-up jive talk, his quick Oriental mind, and his -desperate anxiety to be "like American kid." He was half a head shorter -than Biff. He had long, black, wiry hair, usually plastered down with -smelly hair tonics. These he got from Muscles. The burly mechanic tried -every new hair conditioner that came along, in an attempt to control his -unruly light brown hair. Chuba's skin was dark, so deeply tanned that -its yellowish tinge from his Chinese blood hardly showed. He looked more -Burmese than Chinese. - -His daily clothes were a pair of hand-me-down brown shorts and hand-made -sandals, ideal for the heavy, humid weather which turned the -jungle-enclosed camp into a smoking oven. The shorts Chuba got from the -Americans in the camp. Chuba did his own alterations on the shorts to -cut them down to his size. He was far from an expert tailor. One pair -had the left leg six inches longer than the right. Another pair, handed -down from a man with a forty-four-inch waist, gave Chuba a laughable -balloon effect in the rear, particularly when he ran. - -Biff's second day at the camp in Unhao began with a visit to the -communications room. Mike Dawson, the radio operator, merely shook his -head at the question written on Biff's face. - -No word from Uncle Charlie. - -Biff hurried through breakfast. He left Headquarters House, stepping -into a blazing sun already sending heat waves up from the brown dirt -surface of the camp. - -Chuba was waiting just outside the entrance to headquarters. - -"I hurry up this morning. Help my father. Now I can show you rest of -camp." Chuba's father was in charge of the servants in the camp. "My -father Number One Boss here," Chuba told Biff proudly. - -The boys roamed around for more than an hour. Chuba chattered on as fast -as any of the monkeys scampering about the trees which fringed the camp. - -"Are there elephants around here?" Biff asked. "Yesterday morning I -thought I saw one out of my bedroom window." - -"Sure. Sure. Much elephants. Wild ones." Chuba grinned. "But one you saw -must be Suzie. She dig it here big. That means likes it here," Chuba -explained. Biff smiled to himself. "When they clear jungle to make the -camp, many elephants used to push over trees, and pull them away. When -job is done, Suzie and Tiny, that's the other elephant, they won't -leave. So--who can make an elephant go when he no want to? They stay -on." - -"Where did you pick up all this jive talk, Chuba?" Biff asked. - -"Jive talk? You mean talk like American boys?" - -"They don't all talk that way. Jive talk is American slang. Some boys -use it more than others." - -"I learn it from Muscles. He has many magazines come to him by the mail -from United States. Many books of the comics, too. You like to meet up -with Muscles? He come back from Rangoon early this morning." - -"I sure would," Biff said. - -There was no mistaking Muscles. Biff spotted him as soon as they entered -the hangar. The plane maintenance mechanic, wearing only shorts, shoes, -and a long white mechanic's coat, towered over the small natives whom he -was directing. Big was the word for Muscles. Biff could only compare him -with some of the giant linesmen he had seen play for the Chicago Bears -professional football team. He and his father went to the games in -Chicago every now and then. - -As the boys approached the plane Muscles was working on, they saw the -powerful man heave an oil drum off the floor as if it were made of -tissue paper. The drum could have weighed anywhere from one hundred to -three hundred pounds. He up-ended the drum, and a heavy stream of thick -oil flowed smoothly to the intake pipe. Muscles held the drum steadily -for a couple of minutes. - -"That ought to do it," he said, and put the drum back on the floor. He -looked at the boys. - -"Well, now, if it isn't my young friend and Number One boy Chuba. Hey, -did you have a visitor yesterday morning?" A big grin cracked across -Muscles' face. It was clear that Muscles had a great liking for the -Chinese boy. - -"Friend? No friend," Chuba replied. He didn't want Muscles to think he -had been frightened by what Chuba now called his Evil Spirit Box. "I -find evil spirits in my room. They make with strange noises, like wild -animals howling." - -"Yeah?" Muscles was all interest. "So what gave? Did the evil spirits -send you?" - -"I send them. I take evil spirit's hand, shake it good, and evil -spirit's howl become purr of pussycat." - -"Didn't scare you? Gosh, and that thing cost me twenty bucks to have it -sent out from the States." Muscles was disappointed. Biff grinned. Chuba -had carried the thing off well. He wasn't going to give Muscles the -satisfaction of knowing how really frightened he had been. - -"And you must be Biff Brewster." Muscles turned away from Chuba. -"Charlie Keene's nephew." - -"You're right the first time, Muscles. I've sure heard a lot about you. -Particularly from Chuba." - -"I'm going to make an American kid out of that rascal, no matter what. -Say, I'm awfully sorry about your uncle." He paused, as he saw a worried -look come over Biff's face. Then he hurried on rapidly. "But don't -worry. Charlie Keene can take care of himself. He always has. I was with -him in Korea, and I know. He'll get back. If he doesn't, we'll go in and -get him." - -Going into Red China to hunt for his uncle had been a thought growing -more and more prominent in Biff's mind. If no word came from Uncle -Charlie soon, Biff knew that he couldn't just sit around and wait any -longer. He'd have to do something. - -After a few more minutes of talk with Muscles, Biff and Chuba left the -hangar. Biff was silent as they walked across the hot field to the shade -of a small coconut palm grove. Chuba kept rattling on, but his words -just bounced off Biff's ears. Biff seated himself against the leaning -trunk of a palm. - -"Sit down a minute, Chuba. I want to ask you some questions." - -"Shoots. Chuba will make with the answers." - -Biff frowned. "Tell me, just how tough would it be to slip across the -border into China?" - -"For Chuba, easy. Very easy. I do it many times." - -"How about me? Think I could get across?" - -"Not by yourself. But with Chuba for Number One guide--" The native boy -shrugged his shoulders. "I know all trails. I know just where Red border -patrol guards strong, and where they guard weak. Afraid to guard some -places." - -"Why is that?" - -"Wild animals. Black bears--fierce, big, kill a man with one big swipe -with paw. Also tigers and leopards. Snakes, too. All kinds. They hang -from trees. Big python slide off tree, wrap around man's neck and--urgle -gurgle--" Chuba made a rattling noise in his throat. "No more man." - -Biff swallowed hard. "And you go over the border in a place where all -the wild animals are?" - -"Sure," Chuba boasted. "Chuba smell and see animals before they see -Chuba. Is safer to go into China that way." - -"That way? Safer? What do you mean?" - -"Red patrol stays close to main road. Sometimes they let kids like me -through. But, if they angry, or their Big Boss chew 'em out, then they -don't care whether you kid or not. They shoot you or catch you and make -you work like slave. Once you in slave labor camp, you never come back." - -Biff was silent. - -"You think maybe you like to go in find your Uncle Charlie. Put snatch -on him from Red baddies?" - -"Something like that, Chuba. Think we could do it?" - -Chuba didn't answer too quickly. His thin face was screwed up in -thought. "Be most rough. But we smart. Most patrol dumb. Maybe all go -well--maybe not--" - -Biff didn't want to hear any more. His mind was made up. If they had a -fifty-fifty chance of finding Uncle Charlie, then that was all he -wanted. - -"Meet me back here in an hour, Chuba. I want to talk to Sahib Jack." - -Biff found Jack Hudson in the communications center, pouring over a -large map of China. Biff moved to his side. - -"Trying to figure out where Charlie might be," Jack said. He pointed to -a position on the map. - -"Now if you drew a line from Chungking to Chengtu, I'd say he was -somewhere west of that line." - -Biff leaned closer. "Why do you think he's in that area?" he asked. - -"Well, I do remember Charlie's mentioning a small place called -Jaraminka. About two, maybe three weeks ago. He'd just received a letter -from his friend, Ling Tang, back in the States. Right after that, he -went into Rangoon for a few days. I do know that there's a village by -that name somewhere in that area." - -"Rough country?" Biff asked. - -"In spots. It's north of the Yunnan plateau. In the foothills of Mt. -Minya Konka. And some of those foothills would be called mountains back -where you come from." Jack smiled. - -"Anything else to go on?" Biff wanted to know. - -"Well, we do know how much gas Charlie was carrying. Enough for about -1,200 miles. He'd have to allow for a safety margin. As I told you, I -figure he planned on about 500 miles in, and 500 back, of course. That -would give him a 200-mile safety factor." - -Jack leaned back against the map table, scratched his head, and lit a -cigarette. - -"Another thing ... that radio signal we got." - -"You mean the one yesterday?" - -"Yes. Now if that was your uncle calling...." - -"You're still not sure it was Uncle Charlie?" - -"Well, I guess I am. Let's say it was. That's another reason I figure -he's over toward the mountain range." - -"I'm not reading you too clearly right now," Biff said. - -Jack laughed. "I'll try to explain. Charlie had a portable radio -transmitter with him. A good one, battery operated. Its maximum range -would be about 500 miles under ideal conditions. That means he'd have to -have straight-line transmission." - -"You mean nothing in the way, like a high mountain?" - -"That's right, Biff. Transmission is greatly reduced if your wave has to -bend over hills or mountains." - -"So you figure he's got to be high enough to shoot a straight wave -directly to Unhao." - -Jack nodded his head. "And the elevation around Jaraminka really fills -that bill--5,000 to 6,000 feet." - -"How could he ever land in such rugged terrain?" Biff asked. - -"Plenty of small plateaus. Some of them have been cleared for farming." - -Biff picked up a drawing compass. He adjusted its opening to fit the -five-hundred-mile mark on the scale of miles at the bottom of the map. -Then, placing the steel point on the dot marking Unhao, he swirled the -compass. The pencil end cut right through the area Jack was describing. - -"Nice figuring, Jack." A faraway look floated across Biff's face. - -"Hey! You're not getting any ideas, are you?" Jack demanded. "An -American boy could never make it across the border. Natives, sure--but -you--never." - -Maybe not, thought Biff, but in his thoughts, he was already there. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - Into the Jungle - - -A light-skinned boy could never make it. That thought, first suggested -by Chuba, restated by Jack Hudson, kept running through Biff's head. The -Chinese Reds' border patrol would spot a white boy instantly. Biff -remembered stories he had read of Americans captured in Red China. The -stories weren't pleasant. - -Biff left Headquarters House deep in thought. He walked slowly across -the compound. Chuba was waiting for him in the palm grove. - -"Biff has big thoughts?" was Chuba's greeting. "Maybe Chuba can help." - -"Maybe you can, Chuba. Maybe you just can. I've got an idea. See what -you think of it." - -For fifteen minutes Biff spoke to Chuba. At first, the native boy kept -shaking his head. Then, as Biff's enthusiasm mounted, Chuba was swept up -by the idea. Negative shakes of his head became excited head shakes of -agreement. Chuba's eyes lighted up. Now he cut in on Biff's enthusiasm -with bursts of his own. He took over Biff's plan, and added to it. Biff -was a hard one to resist when he became enthusiastic about anything he -wanted to do. And this he meant to do. - -"We can do it, Biff," Chuba said. There was no holding the boy now. "I -get things ready on double quick. Have much ideas. But will take time." - -"How much time?" Biff demanded. - -"Two hours--maybe three. Then you come to the house of my father. You -know, where you saw Evil Spirit Box. Chuba be all ready." - -"Chuba, you're a really smooth operator." - -"Like real American boy?" - -"You said it." - -Chuba's mouth was split into a wide grin of pride. No praise could have -pleased him more. - - -Toward late afternoon, Jack Hudson ran his hand over his forehead. He -was tired. He hated paper work. All afternoon, he had been poring over -files, checking bills, answering letters. The work had to be done, but -he wished there was someone else to do it. Action, that's what he liked. -Not sitting at a desk in a hot room. - -As cluttered as his mind was with facts and figures, the thought of his -missing friend, Charles Keene, kept coming back again and again. Jack -thought of Biff, too. He didn't like the idea he felt sure was building -in Biff's mind. Too risky, of course. But, he told himself, this sitting -around, just waiting, was getting him down too. - -With an impatient sweep of his arm, Jack shoved the papers away from -him. He stretched, got up, and made for the front entrance of -Headquarters House. On the raised platform, six steps above the ground, -Jack stopped to light a cigarette. As he did so, his attention was -caught by a beggar boy coming at a run across the compound. The boy -reached the foot of the steps and sprawled on the ground. - -"Baksheesh, Sahib! Baksheesh!" the boy wailed. - -Jack Hudson looked down at the boy, his feeling of disgust mingled with -one of sympathy. These poor kids, he thought, trained to beg from the -day they could walk. Baksheesh, the word for a tip, a present, was used -in many places in the East and Far East. - -"Baksheesh! Baksheesh!" the boy continued to moan. - -Jack looked about him. He spotted Chuba's father. - -"Ti Pao. Come here. Chop! Chop!" - -Ti Pao came on the run. He could tell Sahib Hudson was annoyed. - -"You know my orders, Ti Pao. No beggars allowed in the compound. How did -this boy get in?" - -Ti Pao shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe slip through gate, or hide in -truck coming through." - -"Well, get him out of here. You know that twice a week, we hand out food -and alms to the beggars. They are not to come inside." - -"Baksheesh, Sahib! Baksheesh." The plea came again. - -"Take him away, Ti Pao." Jack Hudson turned, and started to reenter the -building. As he did so, the beggar said softly, "No baksheesh? Not even -Coke money?" - -Jack whirled around. The beggar boy was already heading for the gate. -Jack scratched his head. "I could have sworn he said-- Nah! I must have -been hearing things. Must be the heat," he mumbled to himself. He shook -his head and went through the door. - -The beggar boy neared the gate, then cut to the left. He raced through -the palm grove, then carefully, stealthily, made his way to the cabin of -Ti Pao. There was just a flash of brown, ragged clothing as he slipped -through the door. - -"It work. It work! Biff!" Chuba danced up and down in his excitement. - -The beggar boy grinned. It was the grin of a happy Biff Brewster. - -"I'll say it worked. Even your father didn't recognize me." - -"Not Sahib Hudson, either?" - -Biff shook his head. "Nope. I fooled him completely. I even spoke some -American words. Course, I said them low, just as I was leaving. Don't -know whether he heard them or not." - -"Let me take closer look," Chuba said. Biff turned slowly around as -Chuba made his inspection. - -"Is much okays. I only afraid sweat make betel nut juice get all -smeary." - -"I was afraid of that, too, Chuba. But the stain didn't run." - -Biff looked as much like a native boy as Chuba did. The tattered shorts -and torn shirt that he wore had been dug up by the always astonishing -Chuba. Biff's face, his body, his legs, were stained a light, yellowish -brown. This had been done with the juice of betel nuts, mixed and -thinned with still another liquid, to lighten the blackish fluid crushed -from the betel. - -On his feet, Biff wore floppy, torn sandals. - -"Only one thing, Biff. Your eyes. Should be more slanty. I fix." - -Chuba took out a piece of charcoal. At the outside corners of each of -Biff's eyes, Chuba deftly applied upward strokes with the charcoal. He -stepped back to view his handiwork. Then he went into a gale of -laughter. - -"You much China boy now. No one could tell difference." - -"Just call me the Chop Suey Kid," Biff laughed. - -"Chop Suey Kid? What's chop suey?" - -"You never heard of it?" - -Chuba shook his head. - -"Well, back in America it's our favorite Chinese food." - -Chuba looked puzzled. He still didn't get it. He shrugged it off. "Now, -we all set. No border guard ever spot you. Never tell you American boy." - -Biff had passed his test. Neither Jack Hudson nor, even more important, -Ti Pao, had penetrated his disguise. - -"Okay then, Chuba. We're all set. It's still an hour before the night -mess call. I think we'd better be well on our way by then. I'll be -missed when I don't show up for chow. And Jack Hudson will guess where -I've headed. But by then, it will be too late, too dark, to start a -search. What about food, and other stuff?" - -"All set. Chuba has everything. Even bottle of juice in case you start -turning back into white boy. We got food for two days. After that, Chuba -get more wherever we are." - -"All right, Chuba. Now I'm really going to let your father put me out -the gate. I'll follow the river until I reach the second bend. Then I'll -wait for you." - -"All is good. Chuba be right after you. Not look good for me to leave -here with lowly beggar boy." Chuba grinned, and Biff returned his smile. - -That night, by nine o'clock, the two boys were deep in the swampy jungle -between the Irrawaddy River and the border of China. - - - - - CHAPTER X - The Barrier - - -Night turned the Burmese jungle into a frightening enemy. Towering -trees, teak, acle, ironwood, shot straight upward, so close packed and -dense that they blotted out the starlit sky. - -Vines, some of them as thick as a man's arm, were forever stretching low -across the boys' path, as if trying to hold them back from their bold -venture. - -What bothered Biff most of all was the sickening smell of the jungle. -Rotted vegetation gave off a rank, stifling odor. Biff had been in the -jungles of Brazil, but they were nothing compared to the one he and -Chuba were forcing their way through. - -During the two hours they had traveled in the waning daylight, their -progress had been swift. Chuba knew the trails well. Sometimes, moving -at a trot several steps ahead of Biff, the native boy would seem to be -swallowed by hedges of low, thick brushwood. But he would reappear, -parting the thick growth so that Biff could follow. - -Moving swiftly, silently, without talking, to conserve their breath, -Biff was suddenly startled. From directly overhead came a chorus of -angry screams. Biff stopped and looked up. - -"Only monkeys, Biff," Chuba called back. "We wake them from their sleep, -and they no like. Come." - -Once again Chuba took up his steady pace. Thorny bushes grabbed at -Biff's already tattered clothes. Ugly scratches marked his legs. Most -upsetting was the unexpected change from dry land into dank, oozing -swampland. Chuba never stopped, or gave any warning of what lay ahead. -Time and again the native boy plunged into a narrow stream. Once the -water, muddy, almost hot, came up to Biff's waist. As he neared the -opposite bank, he halted a moment to look back. - -"Biff! Biff! Hurry! Out of the water!" - -Biff leaped for the bank just as a partly submerged log moved swiftly -through the water to the spot where he had been standing. As it reached -the bank, the "log's" jaws opened, and Biff heard the chilling sound of -teeth gnashing together. - -"Crocodile, Biff. Never stop in stream. Old croc might be hungry." - -"If he likes mud-flavored boy, I'm his dish," Biff thought. - -[Illustration: _Biff heard the chilling sound of teeth gnashing -together_] - -After traveling for six hours with only brief rest breaks, the boys were -bone weary. Biff figured it must be midnight or a little after. They had -reached a small clearing, a circle about thirty feet across. Toward one -side a single ironwood tree rose high above the surrounding underbrush. - -"We stop here for the night," Chuba said. "You ever sleep in a tree?" - -"Once. Didn't find it very comfortable though. Do we have to?" - -"Is much better. This tree has nice big limbs. Find good crotch, settle -in it, and sleep real good. Too many animals on the ground. Animals and -insects. Big ants, geckos, even wild pigs. You know gecko? Is big, slimy -lizard. Wild pigs don't care who they eat. And ants sting real bad. Much -better in tree." - -Chuba stood at the base of the tree. "You give me push up to first limb. -Then I can give you my hand to pull you up. Come on." - -Biff didn't reply, or move. His eyes were intent on a vine that hung -down from one of the higher limbs. It seemed to sway slightly. But there -was no breeze. - -"Back, Chuba! Back!" Biff shouted. - -Chuba leaped backward. Biff, fascinated, watched the "vine" stretch -downward, then slither off the branch and plunge downward. - -"Python!" Chuba cried out. - -"Yes. Python. I've seen them before. Not pythons like that one, but -boas. Boa constrictors of South America. They're of the same family." - -The boys now stood in the center of the circle. The python, nearly -twenty feet long, seemed to stare at Biff and Chuba. Then it slowly -slithered into the underbrush. - -Biff looked at Chuba. The native boy lowered his head. "Is Chuba's -mistake. Always, my father tell me to be sure and check sleeping tree -for python. Chuba forget this time. If Biff not so alert, maybe python -now be around Chuba's neck instead of deep in forest." - -"Any chance of its coming back? If it went up that tree once, why -shouldn't it come up again? And with us up there!" - -"Oh, no. Once snake scared away, it not come back. This Chuba knows. -Python climb up tree to attack enemies by dropping down. Never climb up -to find enemies." - -"Well, I just hope you're right. Come on, let's hop into our upper -berths." - -"Upper berths?" Chuba asked. - -Biff explained, and the two boys climbed up the tree to their sleeping -quarters. Biff watched Chuba as he nestled down on a stout limb forming -a crotch with the trunk of the tree. Chuba stretched out backward, his -legs on either side of the tree trunk. Biff did the same. At first, the -position was most uncomfortable. Biff felt he had to keep his knees -tightly pressed against the tree trunk to keep from falling. Gradually, -though, he squirmed into a position where his legs dangled down, each -touching the trunk with just enough pressure to keep him balanced. - -Some bed, Biff thought. Then, his body aching from battling his way -through the jungle, Biff slept. - -Early in the morning, with the sun fighting to send its rays through the -dense jungle, Biff was awakened by a call from just above him. Chuba was -about five limbs higher up. - -"Good sleep, Biff?" Chuba called down. - -Before answering, Biff tested his cramped arms and legs. He was stiff -all over. Sleeping in a tree might be safe, but it certainly was no -featherbed. He knew though, that after half an hour in the hot, steamy -jungle, he would sweat all the stiffness out of his body. - -"Guess so. I slept, anyway," he called up to Chuba. - -"Then we go down, and be on our way. We should reach border in two more -hours." - -The sun had brightened the circular opening below, about the only spot -where the sun's rays could get through. Biff heard Chuba scrambling down -from above him. Then he looked down and gasped. There in the center of -the circle, stretched out asleep, was the most magnificent animal he had -ever seen. - -"Hold it up there, Chuba," Biff said softly. The scrambling stopped. -"Can you see down through the leaves?" - -Chuba's answering gasp told him that he could. - -The animal below, enjoying a morning snooze, was a tiger. - -Both boys held their breath, afraid that even the slightest sound might -awaken the sleeping beast. Moments passed. Then, in a whisper, Biff -asked, "What do we do now?" - -Chuba's answering whisper came down through the leaves. "We wait, Biff. -All we can do. If we try to scare him away, he get mad, wait for us to -fall out of tree and eat us." - -Chuba's knowledge, Biff realized, was mixed up with superstition and -tales handed down from one generation to another. Tigers, Biff knew, -were man-eaters only in certain circumstances. A wounded tiger would -attack a man. So would one so old that it could no longer get its food -easily. Then, man, less quick, less nimble than the animals tigers -usually fed on, could well become the evening meal of a tiger. - -Biff looked down at the sleeping animal. Its sleek, glistening fur told -him that this was a young tiger. Its white furry underbelly was puffed -out. That tiger had had a good meal, Biff knew. Probably caught his -breakfast just before daylight, and now he was having a nice nap in the -sun. - -"Is he still sleeping?" Chuba whispered. - -"Like a baby after its morning bottle," Biff whispered back. Biff didn't -think the tiger would sleep too long. Not as the morning sun rose -higher, and its fiery rays burned down on the opening. Once they hit Mr. -Tiger, the animal would move off to a shady spot and complete his rest. - -As Biff watched the animal, the jungle suddenly came alive with the -screeching, cawing, and screaming of hundreds of birds and animals. - -The tiger sat up quickly. It rose to its feet, its long tail switching -back and forth. Then it opened its mouth in a gaping yawn, showing -glistening white teeth and fangs. It turned its head from side to side, -looking to spot any danger. - -"That noise from the monkeys," Chuba called down. "Or maybe wildcats. -They chasing the parrots. All very much mad at each other." - -"Good for them," Biff called back. "They woke up our friend down there. -I think old tiger's going to move along." - -Biff watched the tiger. He saw it stretch, arching its back very much -like any tomcat. It slowly trotted out of the clearing into the dense -undergrowth. - -"Tiger's gone, Chuba. We'll wait awhile, then let's take off from here -fast." - -Biff had no way of counting the passing minutes. He had left his watch -back at Unhao. It would be a fatal error, he knew, if a Chinese beggar -boy were spotted wearing a wrist watch. He forced himself to wait. He -wanted to be sure that the tiger was long gone to another sleeping spot. -The minutes went by as the sounds of the jungle grew louder and louder. -Crows added their angry caws to the symphony of sounds coming from -herons, silver pheasants, and other birds. - -"I think it's safe now, Chuba. What do you think?" - -Biff's answer was the sound of Chuba scrambling down from his perch. - -"Okay, Biff, we go." - -The boys climbed down, dropping the final ten feet to the ground. Chuba -opened his bundle and took from it two handfuls of cooked rice. They ate -as they took up their trek once again, scooping up a handful of water -from the first clear stream they came to. - -After traveling an hour, by which time the sweat was pouring off Biff's -body, soaking his ragged clothes, Chuba stopped. - -"We're not far from border now, Biff. Maybe another hour, maybe less, -until we get there." - -"And where we cross there won't be any border guards?" Biff asked. - -"Chuba doesn't think so. Main road where guard always patrols is south -of here, almost a day's walk. Thus path we on leads to small, narrow -river. River is boundary between Burma and China. Where we cross is a -small clearing. River not deep there. Only up to knees. Easy to get to -other side." - -The other side was China. The thought sent a thrilling chill through -Biff's body. - -"We move with much quiet now," Chuba said. "Stay close together. Might -be others at clearing. Not guards, but maybe Chinese bandits. They use -this path too, when they fleeing Chinese soldiers." - -Biff and Chuba moved quickly but cautiously along the trail. Every few -yards, Chuba would stop, straining to catch any unusual sound that might -warn of danger ahead. At every hidden turn in the path, Chuba would -crawl forward, then signal to Biff that all was clear, to come ahead. - -"We're almost there now," Chuba whispered. "Around next bend in path, we -come to clearing and the river. Go slow now. Most careful." - -The boys seemed to move ahead by inches. They neared the final bend. On -reaching it, Chuba slipped off the path, pressing his body behind a -large palm tree. Biff came up behind, looking over Chuba's shoulder. -They craned their necks around the tree trunk until the edge of the -clearing came in sight. - -"Looks like it's all clear," Biff said. - -Chuba nodded his head. They left the protection of the tree. Darting -from one low bush to another, they came to the edge of the opening. All -was clear in the opening on their side of the river. Then, raising their -heads, they looked across the thirty feet of water separating them from -China. - -Both drew back quickly. Two men, wearing peaked, long-billed caps sat in -the middle of the clearing on the opposite bank. Red stars on the front -of their caps told the boys who they were. Not bandits, not others -seeking a safe passage from one country to the other. These two men were -members of the border patrol. The two ugly, snub-nosed sub-machine guns -were further proof, if further proof was necessary. - -Biff shot a quick look at Chuba. For the first time Biff saw fear--stark -terror--written on the native boy's face. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - Inside China - - -Biff placed a hand on his friend's arm. Why, Chuba was trembling! The -realization of Chuba's fear of the border patrol was startling to Biff. -Chuba showed no such fear in the jungle. He wasn't afraid of crocodiles, -snakes, or tigers. He respected them as man's natural enemies. - -But now, confronted with the border guard, Chuba was near panic. Biff -thought back to Chuba's talk about how easy it was to cross the border, -how he said he'd crossed several times. When they were discussing this -dangerous trip, Chuba had practically brushed the guards aside as no -problem. But the fear must have been there, just the same. Chuba was a -good actor. Biff realized just how much courage it must have taken on -Chuba's part to agree to guide him into China. He gripped the native -boy's arm in friendship and to reassure him. - -"Take it easy, Chuba. We're all right. But let's cut back down the trail -and figure out what we can do." Biff flashed a smile at Chuba and -signaled the direction he meant to take. Chuba followed close on his -heels like a puppy. - -After retracing their steps for about one hundred yards down the path, -the boys ducked off the trail and found a hiding place behind a thick -clump of bushes. - -For a few moments Biff talked quietly. He talked about Indianapolis, his -home, about the United States. He talked about anything that came into -his head. He wanted to calm Chuba down. "American talk," he thought, -would do the trick since it was Chuba's favorite subject. Soon a weak -smile came over Chuba's face. "I'm sorry, Biff," he apologized. "I'm -sorry I act like chicken." - -"That's okay, Chuba. I'd have been scared, too, if I knew as much about -the border guard as you do." - -"I hear many things. All bad." - -"Tell me honestly, Chuba. You said you've crossed over several times. -Have you, really?" - -"Yes, Biff. Chuba not lie. Only," he paused, "never any border guard -around when Chuba slip over before." - -"I see. Well, what do we do about it? You think the guard will stay -there all day?" - -"Can't tell. Much likely they will stay long time." - -"I suppose so," Biff said. He thought a minute. "It might be that -there's been a lot of slipping across the border here lately, and these -guards have been assigned to stop it." - -"I think you right, Biff." - -Neither spoke for several minutes. Both were trying to figure a way out -of the spot they found themselves in. - -"How about this, Chuba? Couldn't we either go up the river a couple -hundred yards or more, or down the river and slip across?" - -Chuba shook his head. "No, Biff. River narrow, run very quick on both -sides of the clearing. Too deep. Jungle grow real thick and fierce right -to water's edge. Can't get through." - -"Well, we've just got to get across somehow. We're losing time." As Biff -spoke, another thought was building in his head. - -"Now let me ask you this, Chuba. See if you think this plan might work. -Supposing I cut off the trail about a hundred feet from the clearing. -I'll make my way through the underbrush to a spot say seventy-five feet -away from the trail. You go hide behind that tree where we first spotted -the guard. You follow me?" - -"Okay so far." - -"Right. Then I'll yell like a Comanche. That ought to distract the -guard. They'll try to find who's making the noise. If they leave the -clearing, you can slip across the river." - -"Good idea, Biff. But how about you? How you going to get across?" - -"Same way. Only this time _you_ do the distracting. You yell like a -Comanche." - -Chuba grinned. "Could work. But how does Comanche bird yell?" - -Biff decided to postpone his lecture on TV westerns until another time. -"Don't worry about it. Just yell like I do. We've got to try it. It's -our only chance. Now, if you get across all right, wait. Wait a good -long time. By then, the guards will probably give up the search and -return to their post in the clearing. I don't imagine they like prowling -around the jungle too much." - -"No, too many wild animals." - -"Okay. So, you'd better make your way a good distance from the clearing. -Say you go to a place about a hundred yards opposite the -river--downriver--so I'll know where to listen for you. You're going to -be on the same side as the guards, so be sure you're in a safe place and -can make a fast getaway if they should come anywhere near you." - -"Don't worry about that. Chuba can hide good in jungle." - -"All right, let's get moving." But neither moved for a few minutes. Both -boys were reluctant to part company. They knew the danger lying before -them. They might never see one another again, if Biff's plan failed. - -"Now, where will we meet?" Biff asked. - -"You just keep running down path after you cross river. Get as far as -you can. Then find good hiding place. When I know guard has gone back to -clearing, I'll move along trail making sound like a crow. Like this." - -Chuba let out a soft "caw, caw." It was an exact imitation. Chuba -wouldn't have any trouble being a "Comanche bird," either, Biff thought. - -"Good. I'm off." Biff pushed his way into the underbrush. It was tough -going. The low, dense vegetation tore at him. Vines dropped like heavy -curtains from the tall trees hiding whatever lay ahead. It was steaming -hot. Biff wrestled the jungle growth, sweat streaming down his face and -body. It must have taken him nearly half an hour to penetrate a distance -of about 75 or 100 feet. - -Chuba could hear Biff making his way through the brush. At first, he -didn't move. He knew he had to go back to the clearing, but the thought -was frightening. It took all his courage to force himself back up the -path. But he knew that if he didn't, he would let his friend down. -Biff's plan depended on Chuba's being at the clearing at the right -moment. Yet, if the plan misfired--Chuba shuddered. - -Back at the edge of the clearing, Chuba crawled on his stomach to where -the low growth stopped. Carefully he parted the bush he lay behind. The -peephole allowed him a full view of the clearing. - -They were still there. The two guards squatted on their haunches. One -was munching some food. The other braced himself by holding onto the -barrel of his sub-machine gun, the gun's butt resting on the ground. - -Chuba inched backward. He took up his position behind the tree. Biff's -yelling could come any moment now. What would the guards do? Would they -come charging across the stream to do their searching? Chuba didn't -think so. If they did, then they would be crossing the border illegally, -although Chuba knew that often the guards paid scant attention to this -regulation. - -What if only one guard took up the search, the other remaining behind to -guard the clearing? One good thing, Chuba knew, was that from the -direction Biff had taken, it might appear that the yelling came from the -same side of the river that the guards were on. There was a sharp turn -in the stream about thirty feet to the west of the clearing. If Biff -made his way toward the riverbank, he might actually be behind the -guards, but still on the side opposite from them. - -"Eeeeee-owieeeee!" - -The sharp, piercing scream rose above the constant chattering of the -monkeys, the shrill calls of jungle birds. For a moment, the jungle -became silent. The monkeys and birds were as startled as the two guards. -So _that_ was American bird yell! "Much wow!" Chuba was impressed. - -Chuba, moving slightly forward, saw the guards leap to their feet. They -looked about them quickly. Both released the safety catches on their -weapons. They raised their guns to firing position. - -"Eeeee-owieeeee!" Again the wild cry blasted through the jungle. - -The guards turned in the direction the cry came from. - -"Yow! Yow! Yow! Yow!" - -The series of short cries came in rapid succession. - -The jungle had never heard a sound like it. It could only come from a -human being. One of the guards motioned in the direction of the cries. -Then he started toward the spot. The other guard held back, until his -companion turned and spoke to him in an angry voice. The two plunged -into the undergrowth. - -Now was his chance. With his heart pounding, fear tightening his throat -muscles, Chuba made his dash. He was in mid-stream when once more Biff -let out a series of short cries, followed by a long "Eeeee-owieeee!" - -A good thing he did, too. His shouting drowned out the splashes made by -Chuba as he raced through the water which tugged at his legs. Now Chuba -had reached the opposite shore. He tore down the trail, his lungs -bursting from his effort. - -When he felt the guards were well behind him, Chuba cut off to the left -of the trail, spotted a hiding place, and dived under the sprawling -bush. He lay there gasping for breath. - -How long he lay there, Chuba had no way of telling. Finally, he forced -himself to his feet. Biff might already be at the tree, waiting for -Chuba to take over his part in the action. - -Chuba moved along the path back toward the river. He moved cautiously, -silently, making no more noise than a big cat stalking its prey. When he -neared the clearing, Chuba went down to his hands and knees. Taking -advantage of the cover offered by the low bushes, he crept forward. -Again carefully parting a heavy bush, he looked into the clearing. - -The guards had returned. They were talking rapidly to one another. Chuba -couldn't make out their words, but he felt sure they were talking about -the strange cry they had heard. They were probably frightened by it, and -at this thought, Chuba smiled. He felt a lot better now. He had made it -over the border. But even as he had this thought, he remembered Biff. -Biff had to get across. Only half the job was done. - -Biff would surely be back at the tree by now. Time for more action. A -frown of doubt crossed Chuba's face. Would the guard be fooled a second -time? - -Chuba went ahead with the plan. He walked back up the trail for one -hundred paces. Then he slithered into the underbrush, crawling, forcing -his way through the wall of thick, spiny growth. - -If he, Chuba, made the same kind of noise Biff had made, wouldn't the -guards' suspicions be aroused? Already they would be tense, nervous. -They hadn't found anything the first time. Wouldn't they just ignore a -second set of strange "Yows" and "Eeeee-owieeees?" Chuba felt sure they -would. So what could he do? He just had to help Biff cross. Okay, he -knew what he would do. He could outsmart the guard in the denseness of -the jungle. They would never be able to catch him. - -Chuba reached a position he thought would do. It was near the spot he -and Biff had discussed, as far as he could figure. He took a deep -breath, then, shouting in Chinese, he called out, "Help! Help! Strange -man here! Strange man! Help! Help!" - -He waited. Moments passed. He repeated his call for help. Seconds later, -he heard the crashing of the guards as they fought through the -underbrush. - -Chuba waited no longer. He got himself away from the spot where he had -called out as fast as he could wriggle his body along. He knew he had -made a safe getaway when he could no longer hear the guards struggling -against the brush. Chuba smiled to himself. He knew he was only about -fifty feet from the trail. He sat down. He would wait, a long wait this -time, to make sure the guard had gotten back to the clearing, and that -Biff had had plenty of time to put a good distance between himself and -the river. - -Chuba leaned back against the base of a tree. He felt good about the way -things had gone. - -Suddenly, the noises of the jungle were drowned out by the most horrible -noise of all--the angry, "_bup_, _bup_, _bup_" of a sub-machine gun's -fire. First there was a short burst. Another short burst. This was -followed by a longer burst as several rounds were fired. Then, silence. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - Shooting the Yangtze Rapids - - -Eerie silence spread over the jungle following the machine-gun firing. -The jungle was holding its breath. The monkeys, birds, even the cicadas, -stopped their endless chattering and calling for several moments. Chuba -sat rigid, his fists clenched, as fear tore at his nerves. Biff! What -had happened to his friend Biff? - -What could he do? What was there to do? The questions whirled in his -head. No sensible answers came. If he went back down the trail toward -the river, he might run into the guards, still prowling, ready to let -loose their deadly spray of bullets at the slightest strange sound or -movement. But what about Biff? Had those shots been directed at him? And -had they reached him? Chuba shuddered at the thought. - -After waiting as long as his worried mind would permit him, Chuba -decided to investigate. On his stomach, he wormed his way toward the -path. At the edge of the brush, he stopped. For minutes he lay still, -listening, listening, straining his ears to catch any sound that might -warn him of the guards' presence. - -"It's all right," he told himself, trying desperately to rebuild his -courage. "They've gone back to the clearing. It's safe for me to -explore." - -Just as Chuba snaked his body halfway out on the trail, he tensed. He -heard a noise behind him. Not much of a noise, only the faintest rustle -in the brush. Quickly the native boy worked his way backward off the -trail. - -Again he heard the noise, slightly louder this time. An animal, a snake? -Chuba knew that his knife, long and sharp as it was, would be little -protection against a jungle animal. And even less against guards armed -with rapid-fire weapons. - -Then he caught another faint sound, soft, so soft as to be barely heard. - -"Eeeee-owieeeee." Silence. Then, slightly louder, "Yow ... Yow." - -Chuba's face brightened. "Caww ... caww," he answered. - -"Chuba" was the one word whispered in reply to his crow call. - -The native boy wiped his forehead with his forearm and sighed in relief. -It was Biff. It had to be. Biff was all right. - -"Biff?" Chuba called in a squeaky voice. The boy scrambled to the edge -of the trail again. He looked carefully to his right, down the trail -toward the river. Then he looked left, where the Comanche call had been -sounded. He saw Biff's stained face poke out of the bushes about ten -feet away. A big grin showed white teeth even whiter against his brown -face. - -The two boys wasted no time in talk. They made tracks, and fast, away -from the river, away from the border guard. After an hour of steady -traveling, Chuba darted off the main path, following a little used one -deep into the bush. - -"We rest here," Chuba said, gasping for breath. - -"Okay by me," said Biff. It seemed to him that every bone, every muscle -in his body ached. The struggle through the jungle growth, the tension -of making the river crossing, had worn both boys out. Both were only too -happy to stretch out and let their bodies regain strength. - -"So this is China," Biff said wearily. - -He sat up, dug into his bundle, and took out a small bottle of -antiseptic. This he rubbed over the scratches on his legs and arms. He -handed the bottle to Chuba. Then he took out a large tube of insect -repellant. Flies and mosquitoes had formed a small cloud around the two. - -"What happened?" Chuba asked. "I heard much gun shoots. I worry. I think -maybe they shoot Biff." - -"They tried to, Chuba. I fooled 'em, though." - -"How you do this?" - -"Well, I got across the river all right without being seen. Those guards -really jumped when they heard you call. I'd gone maybe fifty feet down -the trail, on this side, when I heard the guards coming back out of the -brush, back to the trail. So I dived into a thicket and crawled away -from the trail. I don't know how long I waited. Then I heard the guards -getting nearer the spot where I was hiding." - -"They almost find you?" - -"Darn near it. I don't believe they could have been more than ten feet -from me at one time. That's when I figured I had to do something. I -found a stick about three feet long and as thick as your arm. I heard -the guards talking to one another. Then I hurled the stick as far as I -could. It crashed in the brush, made quite a noise. Just what I wanted. -The guards rushed back down the trail toward the spot where the stick -landed. Then they opened up. That's the shooting you heard." - -Chuba smiled. "I bet they cut big hole in underbrush with those -bullets." - -"But we fooled them, Chuba. We got across." - -"Now we better get moving again," the boy was suddenly very -businesslike. "Not far from here is small village. When we get there, we -take main road. Now we're inside China, no more have to take to secret -trails and paths. We just two Chinese beggar boys." - -By nightfall the boys had reached the crumbling gray wall surrounding a -small village. - -"In this village," said Chuba, "lives the young brother of my father. He -will give us shelter for the night." - -The boys passed through the village gate. Biff saw a small, rust-stained -cannon seemingly hanging down from the wall on one side of the gate. At -the other side, another cannon lay in the dirt at the base of the wall. -It had long since broken away from its emplacement. Once, many years -ago, these cannon protected the village from the raids of bandits. But -now, the wall was crumbling in many places, and the city was open to -anyone wishing to enter. - -Biff and Chuba made their way along a narrow, dirt street, lined with -small houses made of thatch and mud. Men, women, and children, all -poorly dressed, moved back and forth, at times filling the street until -it was difficult for the boys to make their way. - -They reached the end of the street, a distance of not much more than a -quarter of a mile. Chuba cut off to his left toward a house standing -just inside the gray wall, but somewhat removed from the other houses. - -"The house of my uncle," Chuba said, pointing. - -Biff was glad to leave the street. It was littered with trash, and the -smells were sickening. - -"When we are inside the house of my uncle, you must not say a single -word," Chuba warned. "I do not want even him to know you are America -boy. I tell him you can hear but cannot talk. I tell him we on our way -to visit the older brother of my father, he who lives on the banks of -the Yangtze River." - -The house was roughly made of earthen bricks and thatched with wheat -straw. A small man stood at the entrance to the house. The doorway was -closed only by a drooping cloth, sewn together from several grain bags. - -Chuba bowed low as he approached his uncle. They spoke together rapidly. -Biff, of course, could not understand a single word spoken. Chuba turned -to him. - -"My uncle welcomes us. He says we may sleep here, and he will feed us. -Come, we go in." - -The floor of the house was earth, worn smooth and packed hard by the -feet of three generations of the uncle's family. A Chinese woman looked -at the boys as they entered, but spoke no word of greeting. She was the -uncle's wife. Two children, each younger and smaller than Chuba, stared -at the boys, their eyes round with wonder at seeing strangers. - -Chuba's uncle spoke to his wife. Minutes later she brought both the boys -a small portion of rice, served in an earthen saucer. The rice had -little or no flavor for Biff. But it was hot, and he ate every grain. - -Night had fallen. The only light came from the fire in the open oven set -in one wall of the house. - -The uncle spoke again to Chuba, and the boy nodded and motioned Biff to -follow. The uncle took them into a small room which was to be their -sleeping room. There were only three rooms in the house. Biff looked -about him. The room was bare except for one low bench standing in the -center. They would sleep that night on the dirt floor. And sleep they -did, as if they were in the most comfortable beds ever made. At dawn, -with another small bowl of rice to warm their stomachs, the boys were on -their way again. - -The boys crossed the Plateau of Yunnan and reached Chaochiang on the -Yangtze River. This was the small town where the older brother of -Chuba's father lived. From this uncle, Chuba borrowed a crudely built -small boat, held together with wire and wooden pegs. Two cumbersome, -double-bladed oars would be power. The boat was to be left at -Sundhiango, a village about one hundred miles west of Chungking. Chuba's -uncle would get it on his next trip to the large city. - -The Yangtze River, rising out of the mountains of Tibet on its 3,500 -mile course to the Yellow Sea, flows swiftly in the western part of -China. The ugly, yellow water roars through chasms, with lofty crags on -either side rising 300 feet high. The little boat, Biff in the bow, -Chuba in the stern, raced along like a small chip of wood. It was fun at -first after the tiring days of fighting their way through the jungle on -foot. They sped through gorges, putting mile after mile behind them. As -they neared Sundhiango, the river widened. Boiling white water told Biff -that they were getting into shallower water. A roar from ahead told him -they were approaching rapids. - -They shot the first three rapids without trouble, then entered a broad, -smooth stretch of water where they drifted slowly with the current. -Rounding a sharp bend, Biff again heard the roar of white water. This -time the roar was louder than before. The small craft suddenly picked up -speed. The boat plunged into the swirling, dashing water and was tossed -about as if it were a twig. Time and again, it seemed the boat would -crash on a huge boulder. Each time the current swirled it around just in -time to prevent a smashup. - -Looking ahead, Biff could see the end of the rapid. The round swell of -the water was a warning--falls ahead! There must be a drop of several -feet, Biff figured. He couldn't see directly beyond the falls. All that -was visible was a broad body of water beyond--smooth, quiet, wide enough -to be a small lake. - -There was nothing to do but pray that the boat would get safely over the -falls and into the calm water beyond. - -"Hold on, Chuba!" Biff called. Oars were useless now. - -The boat was caught up in a natural spillway, a narrow, fast-moving path -of water which shot over the falls and plunged downward. The boat shot -over the spillway. For moments, it seemed to hang in mid-air. Then it -hit the water below with a bone-jarring smack. - -"We made it!" Biff cried jubilantly, turning to look back at Chuba. -Chuba had disappeared. He had been thrown out of the boat as it leaped -over the falls. Biff spotted his friend's head in the water twenty feet -this side of the falls. - - [Illustration: Shooting the rapids] - -"Have a good swim, Chuba," Biff shouted gaily. "I'll wait for you." Biff -reset the oars and leaned them on his knees. "Hey, chum, not so much -splash--" Biff's happy call faded out. Chuba was floundering in the -water. His arms stopped thrashing and his head went out of sight. Then -it bobbed into view, only to sink a second time. - -With a start, Biff realized that Chuba couldn't swim. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - The First Clue - - -Jack Hudson looked up from his desk as Muscles, the powerful mechanic, -came in. For a few moments the two men stared at one another, saying -nothing. Muscles, hands on hips, broad shoulders squared, chest thrust -out, looked like an angry bull about to charge. - -"Okay, Muscles, let's have it," Jack said. - -"About those kids. What are we going to do?" - -"I wish I knew. We've got to do something." - -"You're darn tootin' we have," Muscles bellowed. "I'm sick and tired of -just sitting around here, waiting. We got to act." - -"Take it easy, Muscles. I've been thinking about it as much as you -have." - -"Now look, Jack. Charlie Keene's been gone almost a month. The kids -nearly two weeks." - -"I know. I know. But what can we do? You know what it means to go in -after them." - -"You think you know where they are?" - -Jack nodded his head. "I've got a pretty good idea where the boys are -heading. I just hope Charlie's in the same general area. I just hope -they're not all scattered over the face of China." - -"What bugs me most is Biff being spotted by now. An American kid among -all those Chinese--bound to be!" - -"I don't think so, Muscles. Biff and Chuba worked out a disguise that -made Biff look more like a Chinese than Chuba does. Biff not only fooled -me, but fooled Ti Pao as well." - -"He fooled Chuba's father? That's really something." - -Jack nodded his head. "Yeah. Both of those kids are plenty smart. I -think they'll make it in. They might even get a line on Charlie's -whereabouts. But getting back out--" Jack shook his head soberly. - -"That's where we get into the act," Muscles said quickly. "Look, I got -the Cessna tuned up so she's purring like a kitten. Extra fuel tanks -installed. We can go in, pick up Charlie and the kids--" - -"_If_ we could find them." - -"We can find them. Look, here's my idea. We go in together. At night. -You drop me. I locate Charlie and the kids, then I make a signal on the -shortwave transmitter, and bang, you come, pick us up, and all's well." - -Jack didn't answer at once. He was considering Muscles' idea. "You make -it sound so easy. But I don't know. Give me a little time to think it -over." - -"We can take off at dusk tonight." - -"I haven't said we would yet, Muscles. I'll let you know." - -Muscles glowered at Jack and pounded one huge fist into the palm of his -other hamlike hand. - - -Biff didn't hesitate. This was real trouble. If he didn't get to his -friend at once, Chuba might go under for good. Finding him beneath the -surface of the muddy river would be impossible. Biff's body split the -air as he dived toward the sinking Chuba. Powerful strokes of his arms -pulled Biff swiftly through the water. He reached Chuba. - -"Take it easy. Take it easy, Chuba. I've got you. You'll be all right. -Don't fight me." - -Biff crooked his left arm around Chuba's neck. - -"Just lie on your back, Chuba. I'll do the rest." - -At Biff's words Chuba stopped thrashing. He forced himself to relax, -buoyed both in body and spirit by the firmness of Biff's arm. - -Slowly, with a one-armed backstroke, Biff towed the native boy toward -the shore. The current slackened below the falls, making Biff's task -possible. Foot by foot, Biff propelled himself and Chuba toward the -riverbank. At long last, he felt one of his kicking feet touch bottom. - -"Okay, Chuba. I think you can stand up here. Try it." - -Chuba's feet touched bottom. The two boys staggered through the shallow -water to safety. Chuba stretched out on the bank, gasping and trembling. - -"You save my life, Biff. How can Chuba ever thank you?" - -"Skip the thanks, Chuba. You've done plenty for me. And I know you'll do -plenty more. But how come you never learned to swim?" - -"Not many Chinese boys swim. Not in rivers where I grow up. Crocodiles." - -"I get it. Too dangerous." - -Chuba nodded his head. - -"Look, Chuba. You rest here. I've got to get the boat. All our supplies -are in it." - -Biff jumped up and ran along the bank downstream. The boat was drifting -slowly, lazily toward the bank. Biff plunged back into the water. He -reached the boat, pulled himself in over the side, and rowed to shore. -Chuba had moved down the bank, and waded out to grab the boat's bow. He -pulled it up on the bank. - -Half an hour later the boys reembarked. For the rest of the day they -traveled in smooth water. By dark, they reached Sundhiango, last stop of -their river voyage. - -From Sundhiango they headed northwest, toward the foothills of Mt. Minya -Konka, west of Chungking and Chengtu. Once clear of the river city, the -boys moved along a dirt road until weariness overtook them. Off the -road, they built a small fire, ate a mixture of flour and rice Chuba -dreamed up, and then slept. - -In the morning, Chuba inspected Biff carefully. - -"What's the matter?" Biff demanded. - -"You almost America boy again. More like fish called carp, though. All -streaky." - -"What do you mean?" - -"Your swims in river. Make betel juice fade. You look at self. We got to -make you Chinese beggar boy again." - -Chuba took out his bottle of juice, and smeared Biff's body and face. -"Now, all good again. We move out." - -"And up," Biff said, looking toward the mountains. - -By late afternoon, Biff and Chuba reached a town in the foothills. They -had been climbing steadily all day. Several times Biff had to swallow to -clear the pressure in his ears, brought on by the higher altitude. - -"You have some money, Biff?" Chuba asked. - -"Yep. Got a bunch of Burmese rupees. Can you spend them in China?" - -"Spend them like you say like water. Rupees much good. Better than -Chinese money. Chinese money now called _jin min piao_. Takes many -_jins_ to make one rupee." - -Biff dug into his bundle and brought out several coins. "This enough?" - -"Is plenty. We go into town to market. Chuba buy some food. You like -dried fish? Lichee nuts good, too." - -"Ugh. I'd rather have a hot dog." - -"Ah, hot dog?" Chuba nodded wisely. "Muscles tell me in America you eat -the dogs but like them hot." - -"By the millions, Chuba. Especially at baseball games. But not the kind -that bark." - -"Not real dogs?" - -"Nope. These are sort of like a sausage--shaped like sausage. You know -sausage?" - -Chuba nodded his head. "Oh sure, stuffed with rice, shark fins, and -sesame seeds, is real tasty." Biff shrugged. Might as well give up. -Chuba would just have to eat a genuine frankfurter some day. - -The boys walked on to the edge of the town. Biff stopped before they -passed through the gate. "Hold it a minute, Chuba. Something I want to -ask you." - -Biff had decided to make the first move toward locating his Uncle -Charlie. He considered showing Chuba the green ring. Should he do so -now, or hold on to it for an ace in the hole, for a time when the ring -might be the means of getting them out of a really tough jam. He'd wait. - -"What you want to ask Chuba?" - -"I want to know if you ever heard of a big and well-known Chinese -family. It was called the House of Kwang." Biff studied the native boy's -face. - -"Sure. Chuba hear about them. Once they rich. Big rich. Own many, many -acres for wheat fields. Many many acres for rice. They own big grain -sheds where other people bring wheat and rice to sell them for to store -it. But now no more rice. Not rich and powerful any more. Revolution and -new government get rid of all big landowners." - -"Did the House of Kwang have any property, any acres around here?" - -"No own acres here. But once they own big warehouse, like I say, for to -buy and sell wheat and rice and all kinds clothes and things." - -"Here in this town?" - -Chuba nodded his head. - -"Well, look, Chuba. I think maybe my Uncle Charlie came into this part -of China because of something he had to do with the House of Kwang. I -don't know exactly what. Do you think any members of that family would -be around here?" - -Chuba thought about Biff's question. "I don't know, Biff. But can find -out. Although family no longer strong and rich, Chuba has heard they -still stick close together. Help each other out. If one member of family -get in bad with government bosses, others get him out if he put in -prison." - -"Okay. That's what I wanted to know from you. When we get to the market, -think you could ask some questions without giving us away? I mean -without letting the people you ask know that we're in here looking for -Uncle Charlie?" - -"Think so, Biff. I ask if anyone hear about big bird--American bird with -much roaring noise. Lots people in this part of China still call -airplane big bird." - -"If you find anyone who seems to have the kind of information we're -looking for, see if there's any talk about a plane cracking up around -here. I feel sure Uncle Charlie would have come back long ago if there -weren't something wrong with his plane." - -"You trust Chuba, Biff. He find out everythings." - -The boys passed the gate of the walled town. This town was the largest -one they had yet gone through. The dirty streets again were filled with -people milling back and forth. Children stared at them wide-eyed and -curious. Dogs darted in and out, looking for scraps of food. Pigs roamed -the streets, paying no more attention to the people than the people did -to them. - -Biff could tell they were nearing the market place. His nose knew. -Inside the market, an open-air market filling one long block, the boys -passed booths selling everything from hot soups to shiny silks. Strings -of garlic hung on racks in all the food booths. The Chinese chew garlic -the way Americans chew gum. Small cakes made of chopped vegetables and -fruits were piled high on trays. There were fried peanuts and -sugar-covered orange peels. Strings of dried fish swung in the air. -Smoked ducks were suspended by their necks from long, slender bamboo -rods. - -Chuba made several purchases. Biff, having to remain silent, was unable -to protest against some of the foods Chuba added to his cloth sack. But -he knew he'd have to be mighty hungry to eat them. - -At one booth, where Chuba made several purchases, the native boy had a -long talk with the owner. During the conversation, Chuba once extended -his arms straight from his sides, and gave out with a sound like an -airplane engine, an engine that sputtered. - -The Chinese only shook his head. - -The boys walked along. "I think he know something, but no tell me," -Chuba said quietly. "When first I ask about big bird, a look on his face -tell me he has heard of something. But when I ask more, and become -airplane myself, he say no, he hear of nothing. I ask more people." - -Biff tagged along, silent, watchful, amazed at many of the strange -things sold in the market. He saw a goose egg and watched a shopper -haggle with the owner over its price. Later, Chuba told him the egg was -four years old and uncooked. - -"Most delicious," Chuba said. - -Biff shuddered. - -Every store sold dried watermelon seeds. Chuba bought some, gave a -handful to Biff. Biff chewed on them, but found little taste to the -small morsel inside the shell. - -It had become dark. Flares lighted the market place. Chuba turned to -Biff, a discouraged look on his face. "Buying things fine. Finding out -about Sahib Charlie not fine. Chuba learn nothing." - -The boys retraced their steps back to the city gates. Again they were -going to sleep in the open. Biff much preferred this to sleeping on the -floor of an airless room. - -Just as they passed through the gate, a figure came out of the shadows. -He touched Chuba on the arm and in a hissing whisper, spoke into the -boy's ear. - -"Man say for me to come back with him. Maybe can help me. Say I must -come alone. You stay right here, Biff. Chuba be all right. Be back -quick." Chuba and the stranger headed back toward the market. - -But Chuba didn't come back quickly. The minutes seemed to drag along. -Biff was becoming worried. He had just about made up his mind to seek -Chuba out when he saw his friend running toward him. - -Chuba was breathless, more from excitement than from his short run. - -"Chuba has news. Big news. Man takes me back to another fellow. This -other fellow much wise. Say he hear big American plane make force -landing. Near mountains. Maybe fifty miles from here." - -"Did he tell you how long ago, Chuba?" - -Chuba nodded his head up and down rapidly. "He say maybe three, maybe -four weeks ago." - -"Hey. That _is_ good news. That could be Uncle Charlie. Did he know what -happened to the pilot? Was he hurt?" - -"I ask that. But fellow say he don't know." - -Biff was thoughtful for a few moments. "It's a good lead, Chuba. You -know which way to go?" - -"Sure. Fellow tell Chuba." - -"Seems to me this fellow told you a lot. I wonder why. Particularly -since no one else seemed to know what you were talking about." - -"I don't know, Biff. Fellow very nice. But funny-looking fellow." - -"What do you mean, funny looking?" - -"One eye closed like door. No see out of it. Fellow have only one good -eye." - -Biff's thoughts raced back to the Chinese passenger on the plane from -Indianapolis to Chicago--a Chinese with a drooping eyelid. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - The Circling Plane - - -The next day, in a small village of only a few mud and thatched houses, -Chuba continued his inquiries. This time, the second man he asked told -of having heard of a big bird "roar like the thunders of heaven." It had -been seen coming down in the mountains. - -In mid-afternoon of the second day after leaving the market town, Chuba -came up with more definite information. He was told that a flying man -had come down in the foothills near a police outpost called Jaraminka. - -Chuba was elated by the news that now seemed to be coming to them so -easily. - -"Too easily," Biff said. - -"How you mean, Biff?" - -"I'm not sure, Chuba. But it seems strange to me that everyone seems to -be helping us along. It's as if we're being guided to this certain -place." - -"That is not good?" - -Biff shook his head. "It's too good. It could be a trap. I'm pretty sure -now that someone has spotted me, or at least, knows I'm in this part of -China." - -"How could they know that? You look like Chinese boy, not like American -Biff Brewster." - -Biff didn't reply at once. He was thinking. He was thinking that by -asking questions about the House of Kwang, about a downed flyer, -someone's curiosity had been aroused. Someone was very interested in his -search for Charles Keene. Otherwise, how had it been so easy to get the -information Chuba had been given? - -Biff also felt sure that the person, or persons, responsible for feeding -Chuba directional information must know that it was he, Biff Brewster, -who was in China. He couldn't drive from his mind the picture of the -Chinese with the drooping eyelid. Chuba's description of the man with -one eye fitted too closely. - -"Chuba, I think we're definitely being led into a trap. Someone is -leading us to the place where my uncle is. It may be friends. It may be -members of the House of Kwang. But, it also may be enemies of my uncle. -They may be holding my uncle prisoner, and want to capture me, too. -Don't ask me why, I don't know all the answers. But I've got a hunch." - -"If we being led into trap like poor little goat into dragon's mouth, -maybe we better stop. Maybe go different way. Maybe better give -Jaraminka the by-go," Chuba suggested. - -Biff smiled. "No, we won't give Jaraminka the 'go-by.' We'll let -ourselves be led into--or up to the trap. It's our only chance of -finding my uncle. We don't have any other leads. But maybe we can get -right up to the trap and avoid having it sprung on us." - -The boys climbed a narrowing mountain trail higher into the foothills. -Nightfall found them in a wild, desolate spot. No lights could be seen -in any direction they looked. At the altitude they had reached, a chill -came with the night air. - -Chuba hurried about searching for dried, dead wood. He heaped up a large -pile. - -"Think it's safe to build a fire?" Biff asked. - -"Sure. Much safe. Better to have fire and be warm. Better also to have -fire to keep mountain bears and wild pigs away. Anyway, who want to -catch two boys?" - -"I don't know, Chuba. I don't know," Biff replied. - -The fire was soon blazing, sending out its friendly warmth and -brightening the wild spot where the boys had decided to pitch their -camp. Chuba had water boiling in a small can, ready for the rice which -had become their nightly meal--rice, with some of the strange foods -Chuba had purchased stirred in it. - -"Chow, Biff. We eat. I way out hungry, man." - -Chuba started ladling out the steaming dish. - -"Hold it a minute, Chuba. Hear anything?" - -Chuba raised his head. Both boys tensed. From far away, to the south, -there came a low hum, not much louder than the buzz of a bee. As the -boys listened, the hum grew louder and more distinct. A minute passed. -There was no mistaking the sound now. - -"It's a plane, Chuba! A plane!" - -"Maybe Sahib Charlie," Chuba shouted. - -"Look! Look!" Biff was on his feet, pointing. Now the plane was in sight -against the darkening sky. It was coming low. Its green starboard wing -light and red port wing light were flashing alternately on and off, on -and off. - -The plane seemed to be coming directly at them, as if attracted -moth-like to their bright fire. It swooped over the boys, so low they -both involuntarily ducked. Then the plane circled, roared back over -them, and then disappeared over a low ridge to the west. The sound of -its twin engines died away. - -"I'd bet you anything that was a Cessna. Like the job that brought me to -Unhao from Rangoon," Biff said, his voice filled with excitement. - -"You mean like plane that Muscles fix for sahibs back at camp?" - -"That's right, Chuba. Can't be sure, though." - -"Maybe was scouting plane of army. Maybe was spying on us," Chuba said. - -Biff's spirits sank. Chuba could be right. - -"Think we better get out of here then? Find another place and hide?" - -"Might be good idea, Biff. Hate to leave nice warm fire, though." - -"And I'd hate to leave just in case that was a plane from Unhao, looking -for us. Or, as you said, it just could be Uncle Charlie." - -The boys sat down by the fire. Biff ate his food slowly. The minutes -became an hour. Another hour passed. Chuba had curled up in his long -cloak, and was sound asleep. Biff looked at the sleeping boy, and felt a -yawn stretching over his face. - -He stirred the fire, pulled his long cloak firmly about him, and curled -up too. He didn't think he could sleep--his mind was too filled with -thoughts about the plane. But Biff's resistance to sleep was mostly in -his mind, not in his body. Tired--he always seemed tired these days--he -dropped off to sleep in seconds. - -How long he slept, Biff didn't know. But he did know that something had -awakened him. He opened his eyes. He listened. He thought he heard a -sound just behind a nearby stunted tree. - -"Chuba." He poked his companion. "Chuba, wake up." - -Chuba stirred, rolled over, and opened his eyes to look into Biff's -face. "What is it, Biff?" - -"I think somebody's watching us. From just outside the ring of the -fire's light." - -Both boys remained silent. Nothing happened. Then the sound came again. -Someone, or something, was certainly watching them. Biff could hear his -own heart beat. He looked in the direction of the sound. A huge figure -stepped from behind the tree. As it walked toward the fire, its dancing -shadow became that of a giant. - -"Well, fancy meeting you here!" the giant said. - -"Muscles!" - -The boys jumped to their feet. The giant mechanic, a big grin splitting -his face, strode up to the fire. Biff and Chuba leaped on him, pounding -him on the back. - -"Easy boys. Easy. I'm footsore and bone-tired from walking over these -here mountains. Never had anything like them back in good old Kentucky." - -"How'd you get here? Was that your plane? Who was flying it? Where'd you -land? Is my uncle safe?" Biff's questions shot out in a rapid-fire -burst. - -"Easy, Biff. Easy. One at a time. Now I'll try to answer your quiz -program. No word from your uncle. Yep, that was me in that plane that -flew over here a coupla hours ago. Jack Hudson was flying her. We -touched down just long enough for me to hop out. Jack's almost back to -Unhao by now. Now how 'bout a spot of China tea? I'm tired and hungry." - -"Me fix, Muscles. Right away. Chop. Chop." Chuba got busy. More wood -went on the fire. Out came the all-purpose can, this time to boil water -for Muscles' tea. - -"Now what about you two? Give me a fill-in." - -Biff quickly sketched the happenings since he and Chuba had slipped out -of the camp at Unhao. - -"So you think someone's spotted you?" Muscles asked. - -"I'm sure of it. Someone sure knows Uncle Charlie's being looked for. -We've been getting more information than they hand out at Grand Central -Station in New York." - -"And you've been told that a plane came down near a place called -Jaraminka." - -Biff nodded his head. - -"How far is that place from here?" - -"Not far," Chuba replied. "Maybe a day's walk. If we start early in -morning.... Here's your tea." - -Muscles took the hot liquid. "Well then, Jaraminka, here we come." - -As Muscles sipped his tea, he told the boys about landing on a cleared, -level plateau over a ridge of the Thanglung foothills to the west. - -"Not too far from here," Muscles looked at his watch. "Took me about two -hours to walk back to this fire we spotted from the air. We couldn't be -sure, of course, but we hoped it would be you boys. I guess I must have -walked almost straight up and down farther than I walked straight ahead -to get here." - -"And Jack went back?" Biff asked. - -"Yep. But we've got it all fixed. When we find Charlie, we're to make -our way back to that plateau. I've got a portable transmitter with me. -When we get there, I make a signal. Jack flies in, and it's back to -Unhao we go." - -Muscles made it sound so simple. Biff felt good as he listened to the -big man talk so confidently. But there were lots of "ifs"--if they found -Charles Keene, if they got back to the plateau, if the signal was heard -on time, if Jack could come back in. Biff shook his head. It was good to -have big Muscles with them, though. In any trouble, Muscles had a lot of -weight to throw around. - -"Now suppose we catch some more of that stuff called shut-eye--sleep to -you, Chuba, and be up and at 'em early in the ayem." - -"Chuba catch plenty eye-shut, Sahib Muscles. Tomorrow going to be big -days." - -Eye-shut! The two words reminded Biff of the Chinese with the drooping -eyelid. - -The two boys and the man stretched out by the fire and slept. At -daybreak, Muscles stirred. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. - -"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Looks like we've got visitors." - -Biff and Chuba sat up quickly. Standing silently, forming a ring -surrounding the three and the dying embers of the fire, were eight of -the fiercest looking men Biff had ever seen. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - Bandits! - - -Biff shot a quick look at Chuba. He wanted to see his friend's reaction -to the startling appearance of these men who looked as if they had -sprung from the age of primitive man. Good? Bad? Chuba would know. - -Chuba's eyes roved over the group. He turned his head quickly from man -to man, turning around to complete the circle. A frown on the native -boy's face gave Biff his answer. Chuba was worried. - -"Man, oh, man! Did you ever see anything like that bunch?" Muscles -asked. "They're from way out of nowhere." - -There was every reason for Muscles to be amazed. The men were small but -squat and powerfully built. Their eyes were slanted in broad, dirty -faces, the color of stained copper. Wide, cruel mouths turned down on -either side. Scraggly strands of wiry hair sprouted from ragged caps -made of mangy fur. - -Their legs were wrapped in rags. Coats, if they could be called coats, -were made of skins of wild animals, mountain goats, deer. One of the men -wore the skin of the Himalayan black bear. - -They stood in silence, their small, beady eyes watching for any move on -the part of Muscles and the boys. Two of the men held short, thick clubs -in their hands. Another held a long stick. Biff noticed that on the end -a wicked knife had been attached by thongs. Others held long, gleaming -curved knives in their hands. Only one man carried a gun, a short, two -barreled shotgun. It was an old gun. Someone had sawed off the barrel. -It could deal out body-ripping shots at short range. - -"Who are they, Chuba?" Biff asked. - -"You mean _what_ are they?" Muscles cut in. - -"Bandits. Chinese bandits," Chuba replied. "They bad. Very bad." - -"They're not soldiers, then. Not members of any patrol?" - -Chuba shook his head. "No. Much worse. These people roam the hills and -mountains. They steal, kill. They like wild men. Sometimes come into -town, but most times, live like tribe, sleep in caves, eat anything they -can kill." - -"What do they want with us?" Biff asked. - -"Rob us. Maybe kill us if we try to fight." - -"Huh. Some chance," Muscles cut in again. "Why, I can take on that whole -gang single-handed." Muscles towered over the bandits. He was bigger, -and weighed more than any two of the bandits together. - -"Not so sure, Muscles," Chuba said quietly. "These men fight and kill -bears, tigers. Only use their knives." - -"Only guy that worries me is that one with the sawed-off shotgun," -Muscles decided. - -"Why don't they say something, Chuba? What are they waiting for?" Biff -asked. - -Chuba shrugged his shoulders. - -"Can't they talk? Can you understand their language?" - -"They talk, sure. But be hard for Chuba to understand them. They speak -what you call tribe dialect. Some Chinese words. Some words only they -know." - -"Can they understand you?" - -"Sure. They understand most Chinese talk. Not all words. But enough." - -"Ask them what they want." - -Chuba swallowed. He directed a rapid string of Chinese words at the man -carrying the gun. - -The gun carrier grunted and spoke in a deep, guttural voice to the man -beside him. - -"Did you get that, Chuba?" - -Chuba shook his head. - -The gun carrier took one step forward. He looked Muscles carefully up -and down. Next his eyes swept over Biff. Then he spoke, turning his eyes -on Chuba. He spoke slowly. Sometimes moments of silence would appear -between his spaced words. - -"He says they want all things we have. Gun man speaker says he wants -clothes of the giant man." - -"My clothes! Fat chance," Muscles snarled. - -The bandit spoke again. - -"He says open up bundles. He wants to see what we have." - -Biff knelt down. His and Chuba's bulky bundles were together. Biff -started untying the nearest one, which happened to be Chuba's. - -"If we give them our things, will they let us alone?" Biff asked. - -"Chuba can't say. Maybe so so. Maybe no. Maybe they give us this." Chuba -brought his hand swiftly across his throat. Biff felt a sickening -sensation in his stomach. - -Feeling around in Chuba's bundle, Biff's hand struck an oblong object. -It felt like a box. Biff carefully lifted the cloth from which the -bundle was made. He raised it so that the bandits would be unable to see -what the box was. If the situation hadn't been such a dangerous one, -Biff would have laughed. Chuba had brought with him his Evil Spirit -Box--the one Muscles had frightened Chuba with the first morning Biff -was in camp. - -Touching the box, an idea came into Biff's head. - -"Chuba, quick! Tell me more about these bandits. Are they superstitious? -I mean, frightened by strange things, things they've never seen before?" - -"Much afraid. Big fear of spirits." - -Biff nodded his head. "I've got an idea. Think we could scare them with -your Evil Spirit Box?" - -Excitement danced in Chuba's eyes. "They be scared like crazy. More -scared than Chuba was." - -"Okay. We'll try it. Now you tell them something like this. Tell them we -are protected by magic of the gods. The evil spirit will put its hand on -them unless they let us go. They are not to bother us. Make it good. Bow -down and stuff like that. Look to the sky and make like you're calling -the spirit." - -"Chuba catch wise. Make big show." - -"Okay. Now, at some point when you're putting on your act, when the -bandits are all looking at you, I'll yell 'Fly!' When I do, I'll toss -your spirit box into the air. You swing around and catch it. I'll have -it started. You hold it up high when the siren's going. Then place it on -the ground and jump back when the hand comes out. Tell them that's the -hand of the evil spirit, reaching out to touch them." - -Chuba was grinning now. Muscles stood there, hands on hips, shaking his -head. Chuba turned back to the bandit leader. He hunched up his -shoulders. He twisted his face into an ugly leer. Then he began -speaking. He spoke at first in a sing-song voice. He spoke faster and -faster, raising his voice higher. He dropped down and touched the ground -three times with his head. Up he leaped, extending his arms skyward. - -Chuba was putting on a good show. Biff watched the faces of the bandits -closely. There was no expression, yet their eyes followed every movement -Chuba made. - -Biff took the spirit box out. No one saw him. Even Muscles was -fascinated by Chuba's writhing, his sing-song chanting. Biff touched the -button activating the box. - -"Fly!" he called out. He tossed the box in the air, high enough so that -as it came down over Chuba's head, it almost appeared to be falling from -the sky. - -Chuba caught the box deftly. Again he spoke to the bandits. He raised -the box high over his head, just as the first faint whine of the siren -began. The siren's scream rose higher and higher. Quickly Chuba placed -the box on the ground and stepped back. The lid of the box slowly -opened. - -Biff looked again at the bandits. The faces without expression now -looked curious, then terrified. - -The lid of the box raised. The plastic hand snaked out. - -Stark terror now seized the bandits. They cringed back. One of them, -unable to stand it any longer, turned, broke, and ran. He was followed -by another and another. Only the leader remained, staring at the spirit -box as if spellbound. - -Muscles went into action. He dived for the box. He snatched it from the -ground, turned, and with the box extended in his outstretched hands, he -moved toward the bandit chief. This was too much. With a horrified -shriek, the bandit chief turned and raced down the slope after his -companions. All were running as if they were really pursued by demons. - -Muscles quickly reset the box, so that the scream of the siren, rising -to its highest pitch, seemed to be following close to the bandits' ears. - -Muscles put the box back on the ground. He slapped his huge thighs, -threw back his head, and roared with laughter. Biff and Chuba joined -him. All three laughed until they sank to the ground, their voices -shaking as they tried to talk. - -Finally, Muscles heaved his shoulders and took a deep breath. "Ever see -anything like that? Those guys were really scared. Took off like jet -fighters. When I think that I sent to the States for that fool toy to -scare Chuba, well...." - -"Never knew it was going to save your life, did you? Still think twenty -dollars was too much for it?" Biff said, trying to control his laughter. - -"I level with you now, Muscles. I real scared first time I see spirit -box," Chuba confessed. - -"But those guys! They really did think the Evil Spirit was going to put -the hand on them," Muscles said. - -"Here's one time I'm glad you can't tell good from evil," Biff said. - -"Think they'll come back, Chuba?" Muscles asked. - -"Never. They really gone. Give us the big go-round now. Not ever want to -see us and box again." - -"The spirit really moved them, eh, Biff?" Muscles said. - -Biff laughed, but Muscles' joke was over Chuba's head. - -It was almost broad daylight now. The sun was rising. Biff stood up. -"We'd better get going. Maybe we can reach Jaraminka by nightfall." - -"Okay by me," Muscles agreed. "Let's make with the feet, Chuba." - -Biff looked northward. Nestled somewhere in the foothills of the -Thanglung mountains was the outpost of Jaraminka. Uncle Charlie might be -there. He might be the bait being used to bring Biff and his companions -into a trap. - -It was a risk they would have to take. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - Strange Discovery - - -In the distance, perhaps a hundred miles away, the towering peak of Mt. -Minya Konka, reaching 25,000 feet skyward, could be seen. The day was -clear, crystal-blue clear. The air was chill and would remain so until -the sun's rays bore down more strongly. - -"You better take the lead, Chuba," Muscles said. "Off we go, searching -for Ja-ra-mink-a." He sang his last sentence to the tune of the Air -Force song, "Into the Wild Blue Yonder." - -"Hold it a minute," Biff said. "You know, if we head straight for -Jaraminka, we might be walking right into the hands of the enemy. -Wouldn't they expect us to take the most direct route?" - -"You got something there, Biff, m'boy. What're you cooking?" Muscles -asked. - -"I think we should head west, west northwest, rather than due north. -Head for Minya Konka. Then, when we've gone further inland, cut back -north and make our approach to Jaraminka from the west." - -"Good idea, Biff. Let's move out." - -The three trudged westward, climbing, climbing. Big, craggy rocks dotted -the sides of the slopes they scrambled up. Often they had to make wide -detours to get around a cliff that rose straight up. - -After two hours of scrambling, slipping, struggling against the rugged -terrain, Muscles called a halt. - -"We'd better take a break." The rarefied air of the altitude had all -three panting for breath. At Muscles' words, Biff and Chuba sank to the -ground without a word. Muscles flung himself to the ground beside them. -Slowly their breathing became more even, strength flowed back into their -bodies. - -Muscles sat up, pulled out a cigarette. He lit it, took three deep puffs -and tossed it away. - -"Burns my lungs at this altitude. How far you figure we've gone, kids?" - -"Like you said last night. If we measure the ups and downs, then we've -covered quite a distance. But I doubt if we've covered more than five -miles straight away," Biff answered, and Chuba nodded in agreement. - -"That plateau where Jack landed me must be just a short distance south -of here. I'm making landmarks so we can spot the place when we come -back," Muscles explained. - -Biff looked the area over carefully, too. Two peaks rose straight up, -miles apart. A smaller peak was centered exactly between the two taller -ones. - -"Just like the letter 'W,'" Biff said to himself. He would remember -that. - -"Think we better turn north now, Biff?" Muscles said. "Be lot easier -traveling. Faster, too. We'll be moving along the valley. Not so much of -this up and down stuff. Particularly the up. I've had enough of that. -I'll take my climbing in a plane." - -"I guess so, Muscles. We'll head up the valley, now, Chuba," Biff -directed. - -They set off again. Traveling was easier. They moved along briskly. The -air was becoming warmer, and soon the floor of the valley sent up -shimmering heat waves in front of them. - -Except for brief pauses, no one called for a break until Muscles looked -at his watch. - -"It's noon. How about a breather and something to eat?" - -Chuba broke out his supply of food--his "goodies," Biff had named them. - -"This is food?" Muscles asked skeptically, looking at the portion Chuba -handed him. He ate it, but his face twisted comically as he tasted and -then quickly gulped the food. - -After a half-hour rest, during which Muscles complained bitterly about -the menu, they were ready to continue. Their progress up the valley -continued smoothly for the first hour. Rounding a sharp bend, the valley -came to an abrupt end. - -"Now what's this little obstacle placed in our path?" Muscles asked. - -"Wish it were just a _little_ obstacle," Biff replied. Directly ahead of -them, the ground angled sharply upward. Above, it leveled off like the -outside rim of a giant football stadium. - -"We go right or we go left, Chuba?" Muscles asked. - -"We'll go straight up," Biff replied. "Let's see what's on top. Surely -can't tell from here. After we take a look-see, we'll probably bear to -the right. Jaraminka must be off that way." Biff pointed slightly to the -northeast. "Think so, Chuba?" - -Chuba nodded his head. - -They mounted toward the rim at the top of the sharp incline. In places, -the ground rose so sharply they had to pull themselves up, grabbing the -stunted trees for handholds. - -Nearing the top, they ran into a barrier that stopped them cold. This -was a man-made obstacle, the last thing to expect in this wild, remote -country. It was a heavy, metal-barred fence. It stood higher than -Muscles' head, and three strands of ugly barbed wire were stretched -along the top. - -"What the--" Muscles' eyes bugged out in astonishment. - -The fence stretched out to the right and left in a long curve. The -ground was cleared on both sides of the fence, forming a path easy to -walk along. - -"This we have to find out about," Biff said. "Why fence in a mountain -top unless there's something inside that's top secret?" - -"That fence could be electrified. Stay clear of it," Muscles warned. - -"Could be," Biff said, "but I doubt it. It would take a lot of power to -do it. Besides, where would the power come from? Let's follow it, to the -right. But be alert. Good fences don't mean good neighbors here. I've a -hunch these good fences mean good guards every few feet." - -They followed the curving fence cautiously and on the alert. Biff took -the lead. They continued until Biff figured they had covered ninety -degrees of a gigantic circle. The fence remained an equal distance from -the rim at the top as they followed the path. - -"Hold it!" Biff held up his hand. Then he motioned Muscles and Chuba -forward. - -"Look," Biff pointed to a gap, wide enough and deep enough for a man's -body to slip beneath the fence. - -"Some animal must have been as curious as we are," Biff said. "Something -burrowed under the fence." - -"Well, what are we waiting for?" Muscles grinned. He dropped to his -hands and knees and wiggled through the opening. Chuba followed, and -Biff brought up the rear. - -Crouching low, the three approached the top of the rise. They crawled -the last few feet, reached the rim, and raised their heads slowly. What -they saw made them all gasp. - -They were looking into an immense bowl, covering an area so great it was -impossible to take it in with one look. They pivoted their heads, -following the rim of the bowl. - -The activity on the floor of the bowl made them squint their eyes in -disbelief. Everywhere they looked they saw bulldozers, huge cranes, -steam shovels, and thousands of men working furiously. The bottom of the -bowl was so far away that the working men seemed like small moving -specks. The noises of the steam shovels digging into the earth and the -whines of the huge crane arms turning on their metal discs rose only -dimly to the ears of the astonished spectators. - -Toward the opposite side of the huge bowl, two cement runways in the -shape of a plus sign were dotted with planes. - -In still another section of the bowl, great steel trylons, resembling -oversized high-tension wire supporters, reared skyward. - -"What do you make of it?" Biff asked Muscles. - -The burly mechanic scratched his head. "You got me. Could be a lot of -things. It's got to be something mighty important, something really top -secret to build this gigantic complex in this remote spot. And how did -they get all this stuff in here?" Muscles asked himself. - -"I think," Biff said, "we'd better get _away_ from here--but fast." - -Muscles nodded in agreement. The three backed down, reached the fence, -scrambled beneath it, and headed for Jaraminka. - -Making as much speed as they could, they put distance between themselves -and their startling discovery. Biff's mind was filled with questions. -Foremost among them was one which kept coming back like an exam question -he couldn't answer. - -Did this tremendous, secret construction job have anything to do with -Uncle Charlie's flight into China? - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - A Red Hot Lead - - -Night overtook Biff, Chuba, and Muscles before they reached Jaraminka. -All were tired. The going in the dark was rough. But Biff was determined -to reach the town before they halted. - -"Another hour," Biff said, "and if we haven't gotten there, we'll hole -in for the night." - -"Okay by me," Muscles answered. - -Chuba nodded his head. - -They didn't have to go for the full hour. Following a narrow path, no -more than a rough goat trail, they rounded the side of a high pointed -hill. From far below their dangerous perch on the hillside, they saw -lights. Hundreds of lights, flickering like candles in a breeze. It was -a beautiful sight to come upon suddenly in the night. - -"Jaraminka," Biff said, and looked at Chuba for confirmation. - -"You right, Biff. That Jaraminka." - -"It's a lot bigger place than I thought it would be," Muscles put in. - -"It's in center of big, wide valley. Much good farm lands. Many rich -peoples once live here. Is nice in summer. Not too hot." - -"How about the House of Kwang, Chuba? They have any properties around -Jaraminka?" - -"Oh yes, Biff, always in summer time Old Lord and family go to -Jaraminka. Old Lord have big place here. His big house still here, but -Old Lord not own it any more." - -"Chinese Commies run him out?" Muscles asked. - -"You right, Muscles. They take over. Now this place big, important -outpost for Chinese Army." - -Why would the Chinese Army have a large installation in such a wild, -remote section of their big, sprawling country? The answer came to Biff -immediately. That big, fenced-in construction job was not more than ten -miles away. That had to be the reason. Just what was being built, -though, still puzzled the boy. - -"We'll bed down here for the night," Biff said, "and go into the town -early in the morning." - -"Real early, Biff," Chuba said. "Soon as sun start rising, farmers go -into town to market place. Bring things from farm to sell. We go in with -them. People think we farmers, too." - -"How about me?" Muscles asked. "I don't look like a Chinese farmer." - -Biff laughed. "Anything but." - -"You have to stay here. Guard our camp. We go into town, find out -things." - -"Okay by me. But say--be sure and leave me my pal." - -"Your pal?" Biff asked. - -"Yeah. My pal of protection--the spirit box." - -They all laughed, turned in and slept. - -Early in the gray of morning, Biff and Chuba were on the outskirts of -the village. A stream of solemn-faced farmers passed through the city's -gate. Chuba and Biff attached themselves to the parade and entered -unnoticed. - -Biff had reached a decision. If any member of the House of Kwang could -be located, he felt now would be the time to use the green ring. Keeping -his voice low, he spoke to Chuba. - -"Don't ask any more questions about Uncle Charlie. But find out, if you -can, if there are any members of the Kwang family around here." - -"I catch, Biff. If any Kwangs around, Chuba will locate them." - -The boys wandered through the sprawling city. They made for the market -place, always the center of the most activity. Going from stall to -stall, Chuba made his inquiries. He told the persons he questioned that -once he and his father had served the House of Kwang. Now, he said, in a -sad, tearful voice, he was only a beggar boy. If he could only find one -of the young lords perhaps the lord would remember his father, and give -Chuba a helping hand. - -At mid-morning, Chuba hit pay dirt. He engaged in a long conversation -with a young, slender Chinese. This Chinese was different from the -broad-faced farmers, the stall-keepers, the uniformed soldiers who -thronged the market place. His facial features were fine, his clothing -cleaner and richer than that of those surrounding him. - -Biff watched Chuba anxiously. He saw his friend bob his head up and down -in agreement, then the two parted. - -Chuba rejoined Biff, motioned to him to follow, and Chuba led the way -back to the gates of the city. Once outside, Chuba told Biff of his -conversation. - -"This man I talk to. His name Chan Li. Once he young lord of house like -House of Kwang. Not so big. Not so rich. But House of Li and House of -Kwang good friends. House of Li taken over just like House of Kwang. He -hate government bosses." - -Biff felt himself becoming excited. This could be the lead they had been -searching for. - -"Did you ask him if any members of the House of Kwang were still in -Jaraminka?" - -"Chuba did. Chan Li say yes. He say he know many things. But he say he -must be very careful. Cannot take us to where Kwang family in hide-out -unless we have proof we friends, not enemies, or police spies." - -Biff's hand went inside his cloak. He felt for the ring. This was it. -The ring would bring the good fortune it promised. - -"What's our next move?" - -"We go back to where Muscles hiding. Then, when sun stands straight up -in sky over our heads, we meet with Chan Li." - -"Where? Back in the city?" - -"Oh, no. Too much risky. Remember, on our way down to city, we come to -little brook fed by spring?" - -Biff nodded his head. - -"We meet there. Come, we tell Muscles." - -Back with Muscles, the three held a council. Their plans depended on -what they would learn from Chan Li. But how could Muscles be kept -informed? It wouldn't do for him to attend the meeting. - -"Maybe I could be there but not be seen," Muscles said. "Any cover near -the spring where I could hide? Maybe I could overhear what this Li -character has to offer." - -"I think so, Muscles. Come, we go down now and see. Not too long before -sun stand straight up." - -Near the spring, they found a heavy thicket where Muscles could conceal -himself. - -"When you're translating for Biff, raise your voice slightly, Chuba. Not -loud enough to cause suspicion, but loud enough for me to hear." - -"Let's have a dry run of that," Biff suggested. - -Muscles concealed himself in the thicket. Chuba talked to Biff in a tone -slightly louder than normal. - -"You hear all right, Muscles?" Biff asked. - -"You're coming through loud and clear," was the reply. - -"How much time before noon?" - -"Ten minutes," Muscles called back. - -Chuba spoke to Biff. "You stay here now. I go little piece down hill, -see if I can spot Chan Li coming up." Chuba left. Biff remained silent, -not wanting to give Muscles' position away by talking to him any more. - -In a few minutes Chuba returned. His face told Biff the story. - -"He's coming. Be here real quick." - -"Is he alone?" - -"He by himself." - -Good, Biff thought. If Chan Li acted suspiciously, or tried any funny -stuff, Muscles lay in waiting. - -Chan Li came into the small clearing around the spring. He bowed low to -Chuba, then repeated the gesture to Biff. - -"He asks who you are, Biff," Chuba translated. - -"Tell him I am a friend of the House of Kwang. I seek their help." - -Interpreter Chuba spoke swiftly. - -"He says he needs proof of this. He must be sure you are real true -friend." - -It was now or never, Biff decided. He reached under his cloak and took -out his key chain. Turning his back to Chuba and Chan Li, he took the -ring off the chain. Turning, he held it out. "Ask Chan Li if this is -proof enough?" - -The slender Chinese stepped forward. He took the ring from Biff's hand. -He inspected it carefully, then replaced it in Biff's hand. - -"It is the ring of the Ancient One, the Old Lord of the House of Kwang," -he said to Chuba. When Chuba gave this information to Biff, his heart -pounded with excitement. - -"Now tell him, Chuba, that we come here to find my Uncle Charles, or to -get any definite information as to where he is." - -Chuba's head went up and down. He spoke to Chan Li. Their conversation -went on and on. Biff's anxiety grew. Chan Li's answer was all important. - -At long last, much to Biff's relief, the conversation ended. It was a -solemn-faced Chuba who turned to Biff. "He has told me many things. Many -things we wanted to know." - -"Well, what are they? What are they?" Biff demanded impatiently. - -"He says Sahib Charles is being hidden from soldiers by House of Kwang." - -"What!" Biff clapped his hands. He couldn't contain his joy. "Tell me -more." - -"Chan Li says more, that Sahib Charles hurt self when plane come down." - -Biff's joyful feeling vanished. "Badly? Was he hurt badly?" - -"No. Not too bad. But enough to keep him from traveling. Now he all -better. All is arranged for House of Kwang to help Sahib Charles get -back to Burma." - -"What can we do to help?" - -"Chan Li will take us to hide-out place. We get Sahib Charles, lead him -back to--" - -Biff held up his hand. "Wait." Biff felt there was still need for -caution. He didn't want Chuba to mention the plan for the plane pickup. -He didn't want him to reveal Muscles' presence. There was no way of -knowing whether Chan Li understood English or not. Until they reached -Uncle Charlie, it would be wiser, Biff felt, to hold back what little -ammunition they still had. - -"Ask him where is this hide-out where my uncle is?" - -Chuba turned back to Chan Li. He spoke rapidly. Chan Li replied, and -pointed in a direction north of Jaraminka. - -"Just north of the city. In those foothills you can see from here." - -"How long will it take us to get there?" Biff was asking these questions -for the benefit of the hidden Muscles. - -"An hour, says Chan Li. Maybe little more. But not much." - -"And is he ready to take us there now?" - -Chuba again nodded assent to the question. - -"Tell him, then, that we are ready to go right now." - -Chuba spoke to Chan Li. The Chinese replied with a deep bow, and the -sweep of one arm, as if to say, "I lead. You follow." - -As if speaking to himself, but in a clear voice, Biff said, "An hour -there, an hour with Uncle Charlie, and an hour back--a bit more, -perhaps. Four hours at the most." Biff stressed the words, "four hours." - -He hoped Muscles would understand. He hoped Muscles would know that if -they weren't back in four hours, then something had gone wrong. - -With Chan Li in the lead, they headed for the distant foothills. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - The House of Kwang - - -Muscles didn't move. He kept his eyes glued to his watch until ten -minutes had passed. Not until then did he think it safe to come out of -his hiding place. He had overheard every word. He, too, had been -thrilled at hearing that his good friend, Charles Keene, was safe. - -Going back up the hillside, being very careful to take the protection of -all cover on the way, Muscles muttered to himself his admiration of -Biff. - -"Smart kid, that Biff," he said softly. "He's not showing his whole -hand. He wants to be shown first." Muscles looked at his watch. The -hands pointed to 12:30. - -"Four hours, Biff said. That will make it four-thirty." Muscles grinned. -"If they're not back by that time, Muscles is going to muscle in." - -Nothing was said for the first half hour as Chan Li led Biff and Chuba -into the foothills to the north of Jaraminka. Chan followed a course -which curved around the city. The city lay below them, about three miles -away, nestled in the center of an oval-shaped valley, rimmed by hills. - -The growth on the sloping hillside was thick, but the path they traveled -was wide and cleared enough for easy going. They made good speed. When -they reached a point almost due north of the city, the path turned -sharply to the left, and the incline steepened. - -They puffed their way up the path, putting the city farther and farther -behind them. After a particularly steep climb, they reached a level -area. Looking ahead, Biff saw that the path came to a dead end against a -low, stone wall. Gaping holes in the wall showed that it had been a -long, long time since any care had been taken of it. - -Chan Li came to the wall and scrambled over it. Biff and Chuba followed. -Chan Li called a halt once they were inside the wall, and standing in a -thick clump of trees. Chan spoke to Chuba. Chuba interpreted to Biff. - -"Chan say we almost there. Must go most careful now. Ahead is old house, -big house, once house of important family. Family all dead. Only evil -spirits remain. People afraid of old house." - -Chan Li pushed deeper into the woods. Biff had no chance to voice -suspicions that were growing in him. He felt that such a house must be -known. But would the "evil spirits" keep authorities from investigating? -Biff shook his head. He didn't like the situation. He couldn't tell -exactly why, but his doubts grew stronger. True, the house was deep in a -dense forest. It took quite a climb to reach it. It was a good five -miles from the outskirts of Jaraminka, and there had been no sign of any -other house on their path to reach it. - -The woods started to thin out. Biff could see they were coming to an -opening. As they neared it, Biff saw the gray outlines of several -buildings, linked together by a high stone wall. There was no sign of -life. The buildings, low, sprawling, had an ominous, mysterious quality -about them. The space between the woods and the house was just wide -enough for what once must have been a moat. - -Chan Li led the boys to an arched opening in the wall, and they passed -through it. Before them, Biff saw a large courtyard. A graveled pathway -led to the main door. Three small pools were spaced on either side of -the path from the opening to the house. - -As they neared the door, Biff sensed and felt the presence of someone -behind him. He turned his head. Two Chinese soldiers, each with a -revolver in hand, had closed in behind the three. - -Before Biff could raise his voice in protest, or question Chan Li, the -Chinese guide spoke. - -"Welcome to the House of Kwang." He entered the door. The guards moved -up behind Biff and Chuba. There was nothing they could do but follow -Chan Li. He led them down a long corridor. The corridor was lined with -small rooms on each side. This may once have been the House of Kwang, -Biff told himself, but there was little doubt as to what it was being -used for now. The small windows in the center of the doors were barred. -At several of the windows they passed, silent men stared out of the bars -at them. - -At the end of the corridor, two more guards threw open a large, richly -decorated door. Chan Li, a leer on his face now, bowed low, and with a -sweep of his arm, ushered the boys through. - -"The courtyard of the Ancient One. The Old Lord of the House of Kwang." -He spoke the words in perfect English. - -In the center of the room two men sat on high-backed throne chairs. One -of them was richly dressed in a flowing robe, decorated with red and -gold dragons. The other man, much older, was in tattered clothing. A -wispy beard waved downward from his chin. Both men wore tight-fitting -skull caps. - -"Approach, my friends," said the richly dressed man. Biff and Chuba -crossed the large room until they stood directly in front of the two -men. On closer inspection, Biff saw that the speaker who wore the rich -clothing had coarse facial features. His big, broad nose seemed to have -been ironed onto his face. The other man, though poorly dressed, had a -fine, proud face. He held his head high. His eyes, dimmed by the years, -were the eyes of a frightened man, but of a man who would face his fate -without flinching. - -"You are seeking the master of the House of Kwang, I am informed," the -younger man said. As he spoke, two men appeared from behind the chairs. -One of them had but one good eye. The lid of the other eye drooped until -the eye was shut. - -The Chinese of the Chicago plane! - -The man turned on a triumphant smile toward Biff. "We meet again, Mr. -Brewster," he said. - -"Silence, Mao!" commanded the richly robed man. "You have, I am told, a -ring with you, young man. A ring which indicates your great friendship -for the House of Kwang." The smile left the speaker's face. He leaned -slightly forward, and his next words were a stern, crisp order. "I'll -take that ring. I am Ping Lu, master of the house." - -Biff reached into his pocket. He detached the ring and held it out in -his open palm. Just as the richly robed man reached for it, the older -man arose, bent forward, and snatched it. As he did, Ping Lu, with a -sweep of his heavy arm, knocked the old man back into his chair. He -seized the old man's hand, and pried open his fist. He took the ring. - -The old man spoke. He spoke in Chinese. Ping Lu laughed as the old man -poured out a stream of words. - -"You may interpret for your American friend, if you wish," Ping Lu said, -addressing Chuba. - -"The Old One is the real Master of the House of Kwang," Chuba -translated. "He is called Tao Kwang, and is oldest of the remaining -Kwang family. The ring is his. He is much angered that it is now in -hands of richly dressed man." - -Ping Lu cut in. "True, all true. Once this old fool was the master of -this house. Oh yes, this was one of the many houses owned by him. But -_I_ am master of this house now. It is used by me and my government as a -place where we entertain--" he chortled at the word "entertain"--"our -more important guests. And Tao Kwang, though a doddering old fool now, -once held sway over this territory, and still thinks he has much -influence." - -Tao Kwang spoke again. Again Chuba interpreted. "Ancient One say still -many sons and nephews here. Say for us not to be afraid." - -"Of course there is nothing to be afraid of," Ping Lu said. "I hope you -will enjoy your stay with us." - -"How long do you intend keeping us prisoners?" Biff asked. - -"Prisoners? Let us say 'guests.' Of course, we will have to see that you -are protected at all times. That is why it will be necessary to have you -kept in a room guarded by two of my strongest soldiers. You ask how long -will you be staying with us?" - -Biff nodded his head. - -"That, young man, depends on the cooperation I expect to get from you in -a matter of great importance." - -"What is it?" Biff asked. - -"You will hear, in due time. But first, a few days rest here with us -should, I think, do much to show you the absolute necessity of your -cooperating." - -Biff didn't want to think of what the "few days rest" might mean. - -"Tell me this," Ping continued. "Your paying us this visit surely wasn't -only because of your friendship with the House of Kwang. I seem to -remember being told of other inquiries your clever young friend made on -your behalf." He motioned toward Chuba as he spoke. - -Biff decided on a show of boldness. There was nothing to be gained by -cowering before this self-important official. - -"You're right. I have come here in search of my uncle. His name is -Charles Keene." - -"So. Well, perhaps I can be of assistance to you. Perhaps the ring you -brought with you from so many thousands of miles away will bring you -good fortune." - -Biff felt like the mouse the cat was playing with. - -"Is he here?" Biff demanded. - -Ping Lu clapped his hands. The Chinese with the bad eye, whom he had -called Mao, came to him. Ping Lu leaned over and spoke softly into Mao's -ear. Neither Biff nor Chuba could hear what was said. Mao left the room. - -Ping Lu turned to Chan Li. He had been standing just behind the boys -during the conversation. - -"You may go now, Chan Li. And your reward will be given you as you -leave." - -Chan bowed, and turned toward the door. - -Tao Kwang, the Ancient One, spat out a single word as Chan left. - -Biff looked at Chuba. "He call him traitor," Chuba said. - -Ping Lu leaned back in his chair. He clasped his fat hands over his -bulging belly. A smirk of satisfaction was stamped on his face. - -The rasp of a door opening on the right side of the huge room caused -Biff to turn his head sharply. Through the door, prodded from behind by -the gun barrels of two soldiers, walked Uncle Charlie. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - Uncle Charlie's Story - - -"Biff!" Charles Keene shouted his nephew's name hoarsely. He crossed the -room and placed his hands on Biff's shoulders. Strangely, the guards -made no move to stop him. - -"Gee, Uncle Charlie--" Biff broke off. He felt his voice choke up and -knew he wasn't far from tears. This, he told himself, would never do. -Not in front of the leering Ping Lu. - -"I'm sure glad we found you, sir. Chuba came with me." - -Chuba was grinning at Uncle Charlie. "We find you okay, Sahib Charlie. -You in good shapes?" - -"I've been very well cared for," Uncle Charlie replied, stressing the -word "very." "Ping Lu has seen to that." - -Uncle Charlie glanced at Ping Lu, then deliberately turned from him and -bowed low to Tao Kwang. A fleeting smile crossed the Ancient One's face. - -"Quite a reunion," Ping Lu said. "And surely a most happy one." - -"It would be, under different circumstances," Charles Keene said. - -"Those circumstances can be altered to suit you and your nephew, Keene," -Ping Lu said. He added, "It is but a slight thing I ask you to do." - -Charles Keene shrugged his shoulders. - -"Perhaps you would like to discuss it with your nephew. And I'm sure the -Ancient One could advise you well." Ping Lu clapped his hands. The door -through which Charles Keene had entered opened again. Across the room -came a tall, white-robed man. Biff glanced at the man, then stared hard -at him. It was Palung, the Chinese who had attempted to kidnap him at -the Rangoon airport. - -Palung didn't even look at Biff. Biff's escape from him and his two -knife-wielding thugs, had undoubtedly caused Palung to lose face. -Certainly Palung must have been disgraced in the eyes of his superior, -Ping Lu. - -"Show our guests to the large court. They have much to talk about. And -be sure this time the young one doesn't get away." The expression on -Ping Lu's face, the bark in his voice plainly said, "That's an order." - -The two guards who had escorted Charles Keene into the room took their -positions behind the three. A short, crisp sentence came from Ping Lu's -lips. The Ancient One arose from his chair and joined them. Palung led -them from the room. The guards stayed close behind. - -The room they were taken to was large, but sparsely furnished. There -were two wooden chairs, plain but sturdy. Low benches, used for -sleeping, lined the walls. - -The door closed behind the four, and they could hear a key turning in -the door's lock. No one spoke for several moments. Then Biff went to the -door to peer through its barred window. His stare was returned by a -guard's expressionless face. - -Biff turned back to rejoin the group. - -"All right, young man," Charles Keene said. "Now suppose you just tell -me how you happen to be here." - -"I will, Uncle Charlie. But first, don't you think we'd better check to -see if this room is bugged?" - -"You're right, Biff. Should have thought of that myself. There could -very well be a microphone hidden in this room. I imagine Ping Lu would -be most interested in what we'll be talking about." - -The inspection of the room took only a few minutes. The walls were bare. -There were no light fixtures, no wiring. There was no place where a -microphone could have been concealed. - -"Guess we're safe from their ears," Uncle Charlie said. "But why did -they put us together? They've got some reason, I know." - -Biff nodded his head. He picked up one of the chairs and placed it near -the bench directly opposite the barred door. Chuba brought over the -other one. Biff wanted to be as far away from the guard as possible. -Plans had to be made. Biff didn't want them upset by any eavesdropper. - -The two Americans and the two Chinese huddled by the wall. They spoke in -low tones. Biff quickly sketched in his experiences since leaving -Indianapolis. Then he plied his uncle with questions. - -"But what I don't understand, Uncle Charlie, is why they would want to -capture me? I'm sure that blinky-eyed Chinese was spying on me from the -moment I left Indianapolis. Even before, according to your friend Ling -Tang." - -"You're right, Biff." - -"And then I've told you how they tried to put the snatch on me at the -airport. But why?" - -"I can't give you all the answers, Biff. I'm not sure of them myself. -But I have a pretty good idea." Charles Keene paused to light a -cigarette. - -"I've been held here almost a month, now. Sort of lost track of the -actual number of days. At first I thought they'd ship me off to Peking, -the capital. But if I should agree to what Ping Lu wants me to, it would -be a large feather in his cap. He'd become a big shot in the eyes of the -big bosses in Peking." - -"What does he want you to do?" Biff asked. - -"Just sign a paper." - -"Sign a paper? Is _that_ all?" Biff asked, disbelief in his voice. - -Charlie Keene nodded his head. "It would be quite a document, Biff. He -hasn't let me read it, but from what he has said, I get the message." - -"But why the paper, Uncle Charlie?" - -"That's what I'm not altogether sure of. I think Ping Lu believes--in -fact, I know he does--he's convinced that I came into China for a reason -quite different from the real one. He believes the reason I gave him for -daring to enter this forbidden country is merely a cover-up story for my -real mission." - -"What does he think you're doing here?" Biff insisted. - -Charles Keene grinned. "He has me marked as a big fat spy." - -An idea was buzzing around Biff's mind. He thought he might have -stumbled on why Ping Lu was spy-minded. But he'd tell Uncle Charlie -about that later. He wanted to know some other things first. - -"But how does this all connect up with me?" Biff asked. - -"I figure it this way, Biff. I'm sure if Palung had been able to kidnap -you, they'd have started putting the pressure on me much sooner. When -you escaped, it upset their plans and their timetable. They had to have -you to force my hand." - -"To sign the paper, you mean?" - -"That's right. They would have held you hostage. They would have -promised to release you, unharmed, if I would agree to their demands." - -"You wouldn't trust them to live up to their promise?" - -"No. But more than that. I didn't think they had you. Certain questions -I asked led me to believe you were safe in Unhao." - -"And now I turn up right in their own backyard." - -"That's about it. I expect now they'll start turning up the heat." - -"What do you figure is in this paper they want you to sign?" - -"I think, Biff, they want me to sign an official paper, stating that I -came here under the orders of the United States Government to spy on the -Chinese. Just what they think I was looking for, I don't know." - -"Would such a document be so damaging?" - -"Very. It would embarrass our government and put an additional strain on -relations that are strained enough already. In the eyes of the world, -the Chinese could use such a paper to further discredit our country. -They would aim the propaganda at those countries that are wavering in -their opinion of the U.S." - -"Just why did you come into China? I think I know, but I'd like to be -sure," Biff said. - -"It goes back to Indianapolis and to my friendship with Ling Tang." - -"I thought so." - -"Ling Tang is a grandson of the Ancient One here. Before I left to come -out to Burma, Ling Tang asked me if I would help him and members of the -House of Kwang if the occasion should arise. Naturally, I told my old -friend that I would. Didn't know then, though, how much I was letting -myself in for." - -The Ancient One, although unable to understand English, pricked up his -ears at mention of Ling Tang and the House of Kwang. - -"I'd been out here about three months when I got a letter from Tang -telling me one of his brothers was going to try to escape from China. He -was going to try to cross into Burma. He would seek me out, identifying -himself with the ring which bears the seal of the House of Kwang." - -"Like the ring that came through my window?" - -"That's right, Biff. Tang's brother did get out. He gave me the ring. I, -in turn, sent it on to Tang in the States. Whenever another escape was -about to take place, the ring was to be sent me to alert me of the fact. -A lot safer than putting such information in writing." - -"Then it was Ling Tang _himself_ who got the ring to me so -mysteriously!" Biff said. - -"Yes. You were to bring that ring to me, and then I would know that -another Kwang was on the way out." - -"But why didn't you wait?" Biff asked. "Wait until I got here with the -ring?" - -"I couldn't. There's an underground network that passes information -along. From it, I learned that the Ancient One had finally been -persuaded to seek haven and peace in the outside world. I also learned -that he was in grave danger of being made a prisoner. If this happened, -then all members of the House of Kwang would have to obey the orders of -the Chinese Red government. The government believes that the House of -Kwang has hidden valuables worth millions of dollars. If they took the -Ancient One prisoner, the family would be forced to tell where these -valuables are or never see the head of their family again. And you know -how the Chinese worship and revere the head of the house." - -Chuba sat silent, wide-eyed, as Charles Keene told his story. - -"It was foolish of me, I guess. But when I heard they were about to move -in on the Ancient One, I decided on a gamble. I sent word back that I -was flying in. They were to have the Ancient One ready. I'd pick him up -and come out. I had the whole thing figured out. Wouldn't take more than -five hours in and out. I also figured on the element of surprise. No one -would be expecting such a bold move." - -"And what happened?" - -"Everything got fouled up. My starboard motor conked out. Carburetor -iced up in the rarefied atmosphere. Couldn't maintain flying speed and -had to make a forced landing. Banged the plane up so I couldn't take off -again. And then, just as I was making a signal to Unhao, they grabbed -me." - -"That _was_ you then. Your signal came the first morning I was in -Unhao." - -"So part of it did get through! I hoped it had." Charlie continued his -story. "I was brought here, and the next day, they brought in the -Ancient One." - -The conversation was cut short by the sound of the key turning in the -door. It swung open, and a Chinese entered bringing food. Biff hadn't -realized how much time had passed. But now he realized he was ravenously -hungry. As the servant placed the food on one of the benches, the guard -stood just inside the door, his gun covering the prisoners. - -Nothing was said as they ate. All were famished. Biff raised his plate -to scrape up the last few grains of rice. As he did so, his eye was -caught by a small, square piece of thin paper stuck on the bottom of the -plate. - -He removed the paper, and once more, saw the symbol "K," the seal of the -House of Kwang. - -Without a word, Biff handed it to the Ancient One. The old man looked at -it. Now it was his time to talk as the Americans and Chuba listened. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - Muscles "Muscles" In - - -Muscles checked his watch for the tenth time in the past five minutes. -He was growing more and more impatient. The minute hand showed it to be -ten minutes past four o'clock. Twenty minutes remained before Biff's -four-hour deadline would run out. - -The powerful mechanic had returned to the spring. He kept his eyes -turned in the direction of the path taken by Chan Li, Biff, and Chuba. -He kept them turned that way except for the times he glared at the -crystal of his watch. - -There was no sign of anyone. He could see the path at several spots. He -had watched closely as long as he could when the party of three had -left. Since their departure, he had seen no one. - -"They could be back by now," he said to himself. "Plenty of time to get -there and back." Impatiently, he strode up and down. Deep within him, -Muscles knew that he really wasn't expecting them to return. His doubts, -his fears had grown as the minutes became hours. He pounded his fist -into the palm of his other hand. He wanted action. He was a man of -action. This waiting, he told himself, was strictly for the birds. - -At 4:25, Muscles could stand it no longer. He started for the path. If -Biff, Chuba, Charlie Keene, and their guide were returning, he'd meet -them on the way. - -Muscles went along the path at a dog trot. Without realizing, he broke -into a run. He checked himself when he came to the path's sharp left -turn and the steep rise to the crumbling stone wall. - -Now he was certain that Chan Li had led his friends into a trap. It was -nearly 5:30--an hour over the deadline. The path by the wall, Muscles -noticed, ran each way. Which way to turn, left or right? His decision -was made for him by a sound. Muscles crouched low, just off the path, -out of sight. He could plainly hear someone coming toward him. - -He stared through a small opening in the thick bush he was using as -cover. His muscles tensed, he was ready to spring like a tiger. - -A figure suddenly came into view. It was Chan Li. With a snarl, Muscles -sprang. He jumped on the back of the Chinese. His weight hurled the -slighter man to the ground. Like a cat, Muscles leaped up. He snatched -Chan's right arm, twisted it, until Chan was face down on the ground. -Muscles, keeping pressure on the arm, plunked himself down on Chan's -back. Increasing pressure on the arm until Chan gasped in pain, Muscles -rasped out, "Okay, let's have it, and fast. Where are the boys?" - -Chan didn't answer. - -"You're going to be a one-armed Chinese if you don't talk." Muscles -cupped his free hand on the back of Chan's head. He ground the man's -face in the dirt. "Talk!" - -The pain was bad enough, but the humiliation of having his face ground -into the dirt, of losing face literally, was more than Chan could stand. - -"I talk," he said. - -Muscles released the pressure. He stood up. "Now get up, you dog. Get up -and tell me what happened." - -"I had to do it. I had to lead boys to Ping Lu. If I don't, he do great -harm to my family." - -"Ping Lu? Who's he? Member of the Kwang tribe?" - -"No, he big boss in this territory." - -"So, you turned traitor to your own. Where are the boys?" - -"In big house, not far from here." - -"Let's get going then. Show me the way." - -Chan Li seemed to shrink in size at Muscles' words. "Oh, no! No! Never. -They kill me. They kill you if we go back. Many guards. All armed." - -Muscles thought fast. "Charles Keene is there, too?" - -Chan nodded his head. - -"Now listen, you double-crosser. I don't trust you, but I've got to. Do -you know any members of the Kwang family who are opposed to this Ping Lu -you mentioned?" - -"Oh, yes. Are many around here." - -"All right. Now get this, and get it straight. You're going to take me -to one of them. And if you try to cross me, you'll die along with me. I -can knock you off with one blow." Muscles held a clenched fist to Chan's -face. He twisted it on the Chinese's nose. "I'll be this close to you -all the time. And believe me, I'll get you before anyone gets me. -Understand?" - -"I understand. Chan Li won't try double cross." - -"Okay. Let's get going then. And on the double." - - -The Ancient One took the slip of paper from Biff. He looked at it -carefully, then nodded his head. He turned to Chuba and spoke softly, -swiftly. After a few moments, he stopped and indicated with a nod toward -Biff and Charles Keene that Chuba was to interpret. - -"The Ancient One says there is great hope for escape. This piece of -paper comes from one of his grandsons. He works in the kitchen. It is -not known by the officials here that this cook is member of the House of -Kwang. He was placed here to spy on Ping Lu. To try to find out plans. -To warn when danger threatens Kwang House people." - -The Ancient One resumed his speaking. - -[Illustration: _He grabbed the guard by the collar and lifted him by one -hand into the room_] - -"He says that paper with 'K' on it is signal. Either tonight, when clock -makes twelve strikes, or tomorrow night at same time, attempt will be -made to rescue him and us." - -"How, Chuba? Ask him how?" Biff said. - -As Chuba spoke, the Ancient One shook his head. - -"Does not know exact plans. His grandson will try to be servant who -comes for tray. He will tell us plan." - -Biff looked at his uncle. "Guess there's nothing we can do but wait." - -Uncle Charlie agreed. "But things look good. When members of the House -of Kwang act, they're usually successful." - -"Then how in the world did they ever let the Ancient One get captured in -the first place?" Biff asked. - -"I think the Ancient One himself had something to do with that. He -doesn't really want to leave his homeland. He is old, and like all -Chinese, he wants his final resting place to be in the earth of his -native land." - -"I've heard that was true--Look, Uncle Charlie, I think I may have an -idea as to why Ping Lu is so desperate for you to sign that paper." - -"Give out, Biff. Give out." - -"Well, I'm not sure, of course, but on our way to Jaraminka, we ran into -something very strange." - -"Was much big workings," Chuba cut in. "Many, many more big machines -than when camp was cleared at Unhao." - -"Tell me more, Biff." - -Biff described the activity they had discovered behind the wire fence. -He told his uncle of the immensity of the project, of the furious pace -at which the men worked, of the bulldozers, the cranes, the steam -shovels. - -"And there's an air strip already completed. It was loaded with planes. -You have an idea what it might be?" - -Charles Keene thought a few moments before replying. "Only a slight idea -from what you've told me, Biff. I'd have to see the place." - -"Maybe you can take a look on our way back." - -"If we ever get out of here," his uncle said soberly. - -"We'll get out," Biff said spiritedly. - -"Hope you're right, Biff. You know, putting two and two together, the -build-up of the Army in this area, and what you've described, it could -be that Ping Lu thinks my real reason for coming in was to get -information on the huge construction job." - -"That's what I thought, Uncle Charlie." - -There was a noise at the door. All four raised expectant, hopeful eyes. -Their expression of hope changed to one of despair. - -The same servant who had brought the meal came into the room to remove -the tray piled with dishes. - -What had happened to the Ancient One's grandson? - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - Out of the Frying Pan - - -The clank of a heavy key in the lock of the door woke Biff the next day. -He started to yawn, and stretched the kinks from his shoulders and legs. -Abruptly he sat up. It could be the "cook!" Biff's hopes dimmed when the -man entered. Again it was the same old servant, well protected by an -armed guard. - -Biff looked at the Ancient One. His face was expressionless. Uncle -Charlie shrugged his shoulders at Biff's questioning look. - -"Don't let it get you down, Biff. We haven't lost yet. Maybe at the noon -meal, perhaps we'll get some word then." - -"Wish Muscles were here. If he were we could overpower the guard and -make a break for it." - -"Muscles--what made you think of Muscles all of a sudden?" - -Biff clamped his open hand on his head, his jaw dropped as a thought -struck him. - -"I com-plete-ly forgot to tell you. Muscles is _here_, in _China_, in -Jaraminka!" - -"Where'd you leave him?" Uncle Charlie decided details could be -explained later. - -"Back at a spring, just west of the city. I hope he got my message. I -tried to tell him--he was hiding, but I'm sure he could hear us--that if -we weren't back in four hours then we'd been led into a trap." Biff's -words rushed out in one jumbled sentence. - -"That's the best news I've heard yet, Biff. Muscles is a good operator." - -"But what could he do? He'd be spotted in a minute," Biff said. - -"Haven't got the answer to that one," Uncle Charlie replied. "But I'd -bet on Muscles in any situation. He bulldogs in where angels fear to -tread." - -The morning hours dragged. As noon approached, Biff became more and more -restless. - -"Wish something would happen--anything! I wonder why Ping Lu hasn't sent -for us?" - -"Playing a waiting game, Biff," his uncle replied. "The longer he keeps -us here with no word, the more tense and nervous we'll get. He knows -that. Uncertainty, waiting, not knowing what move the enemy will make -next is one of the surest ways of making a man reach his breaking point. -And your being here, he reasons, will make me twice as jittery." - -The hour of noon came and passed. No one came to the prison room. Biff -was wondering how near his breaking point was when, shortly after one -o'clock, the now familiar rasp of a key in the door was heard. - -"Make it be the Ancient One's grandson," Biff said half aloud. The -others were praying for the same thing. - -The door swung inward. Whether the new servant was the grandson, Biff -didn't know. But it was a different man. He brought a tray of food over -and placed it beside Tao Kwang. Biff thought he saw the man's lips move, -but he couldn't be sure. The servant left. The door was locked behind -him. Biff looked at Chuba. "Did he say anything? Ask the Ancient One." - -Chuba spoke softly, rapidly to the old man. The old one's reply was a -single sentence. Chuba translated: - -"Tonight when the clock makes the twelve strikes." - -"That's all? Didn't give you any details?" - -"That's all Ancient One tell Chuba. I think that all grandson tell the -Ancient One." - -Never had Biff known a day to pass so slowly. The suspense became -unbearable. Charlie Keene tried to calm Biff down. - -"I think you'd be better off if you'd try to rest. Pacing back and forth -isn't going to make the time go by any quicker. Get Chuba to teach you -the Oriental art of patience." - -"Rest? Who can rest at a time like this?" Biff replied. Then he was -ashamed at the angry tone in his voice. "I'm sorry, Uncle Charlie. I -didn't mean to--" - -"I understand, Biff. But you may need all your strength when midnight -comes. Try stretching out for a little while." - -Biff took his uncle's advice. His mind was in a turmoil as he lay on the -hard wooden bench, his cupped hands beneath his head serving for a -pillow. Sleep would never come, he told himself. The next thing he knew, -he was being gently shaken. Uncle Charlie was bending over him, -grinning. - -"Almost midnight, Biff. Better come alive." - -"Midnight!" Biff sat up in astonishment. He couldn't believe it. "But -what about supper? Did I sleep right through it?" - -"No one brought anything tonight. Don't know why." Charles Keene picked -up the kerosene lamp which gave the room its only light, and blew it -out. "If anything is going to happen, it would be better if the guards -thought we were asleep." - -They waited in the darkness. There was no conversation. But the tension -in the room was so strong, it seemed as though you could touch it like a -physical thing. Biff knew he could feel it. - -Biff's hopes went high and low like a playground swing. Suddenly his -ears caught a strange noise. It came from the far end of the corridor -through which Biff and Chuba had been led to Ping Lu. - -The noise grew louder. Shouts were heard. Running feet could be heard in -the corridor. Biff sprang to the barred window of the door. He peered -into the dimly lighted hall. The guard was gone. Now the cries became -louder. - -"Chuba! Can you make out what's being said?" - -Chuba came to the door. He put his head close to the bars. - -"Fire! Much shoutings of fire. Fire in kitchen!" - -In the kitchen. Where the grandson served as a cook. This must be it! - -Moments passed. Heavy footsteps were heard in the hall. Biff, his uncle, -and Chuba crowded toward the door. Only the Ancient One remained where -he was, seated on the far wall bench. He sat quietly, waiting. - -The sound of running feet came nearer. A figure skidded to a stop by -their door. Behind this figure stood what was certainly the biggest -Chinese in all the Orient. - -The key turned. The grandson came in. Behind him came the giant. Under -an almost concealing broad-brimmed hat, the "Oriental" was grinning -widely. - -"Muscles! How did you get here?" Biff and Charlie shot the question at -their friend in the same breath. - -"No time for an answer now. We got to make with the feet. There's enough -excitement in the kitchen now to cover our escape." - -The grandson was at the side of the Ancient One. He helped him to his -feet. - -"Hold it," Muscles called out. "Let me see if the coast is clear." He -leaned out the door. "Looks okay--oh-oh--hold it. A guard's coming -along. I'll take him." - -And he did. As the guard reached the door, Muscle's huge arm snaked out. -He grabbed the guard by the collar and lifted him by one hand into the -room. With his other hand, he struck the guard a chopping blow, and the -guard went limp without uttering a sound. Charlie Keene caught him as he -slumped over. - -"Stack him in the corner, Charlie. Might be another one coming along." - -Muscles was right. Another guard came trotting down the hall and -received the same treatment. - -"Two down--how many to go?" Muscles was enjoying himself. - -"More guards coming," Chuba whispered excitedly. - -"Two of them this time," Muscles said. "Makes a more even match." - -The giant mechanic waited until the two were in the corridor a pace -beyond the door. He jerked the door open, pounced on the two guards, and -in a swooping motion, cracked their heads together. He dragged them into -the room. - -"Muscles, look, let's put these four on the benches. Anybody looking in -will think it's us sleeping," Biff suggested in a whisper. - -"Smart," Uncle Charlie agreed, nodding. The unconscious guards were -carefully posed as drowsy prisoners. Chuba had taken a position just -outside the door as this was being done. - -"No more guards coming," he called softly. - -The four prisoners left their cell. Muscles motioned to the grandson for -the keys. He turned the lock. - -"Don't know whether you'd call that a fair exchange," he said, "but it's -an even one." - -"Come. We must lose no more time." The grandson took the lead. The -others followed. They passed through the room where Ping Lu had held -court. A door on the other side of the room led to another corridor, -this one narrower and shorter. - -"Hope he knows where he's going," Biff said. - -"He ought to. This used to be his home. He grew up here," Muscles -replied. - -At the end of the corridor, their path was blocked by another door. The -grandson tried it. It wouldn't yield. - -"No keys," he said. - -"Okay then, stand back." Muscles took six steps away from the door. -Then, with a bull-like charge, he hurtled his powerful body against it. -The door sprang from its hinges, fell flat on the ground outside, with -Muscles sprawling on top of it. - -It took only seconds to reach the stone wall. The Ancient One was helped -over. Biff turned as he crossed the wall. One end of the house was -ablaze. Figures could be seen running frantically around, casting weird, -dancing shadows. - -As Biff watched, he saw four men leave the light of the blaze and come -on a run to the place in the wall they had just crossed. - -"Hurry," Biff shouted. "They're after us." - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - Hong Kong and Points East - - -The party moved swiftly through the night. The grandson never hesitated. -He knew every bend and turn in the path. Suddenly he stopped. - -"We must rest a few minutes," he said. "Honorable grandfather is old. He -cannot stand this pace." - -"But we've got to keep going," Biff insisted. "I saw four men leave the -fire and come after us." - -"Fear not, my friend. I think I know who they are. But stay here, I'll -go back down the path and make certain," the "cook" said. - -The grandson vanished in the night. Biff felt sure that any moment the -party would be jumped by pursuing guards. Then he heard voices. The -grandson came back, followed by four men. - -"My brothers and cousins," the grandson said. "They are more grandsons -of the Old Lord. One of them is brother to your friend Ling Tang." - -Muscles stepped into the group. "Sure, I know these guys. They're okay. -These are real members of the House of Kwang. I made that double-crosser -Chan Li take me to them. We worked out the whole escape. This fellow," -Muscles pointed to the grandson-servant, "he started the whole thing. -Set the kitchen on fire. Then he grabbed the keys, and led me to your -room. The others stayed back to watch the guards. Held some of them back -all right. Must have been more than twenty on duty." - -"We can go on now," the grandson said quietly. "The Ancient One has -rested." - -Two grandsons came to the side of the old man. Each placed a supporting -arm around his waist. The party continued on its way. - -Except for short, regular rest periods, they kept going all night. As -dawn broke, the party stopped for a lengthier rest. All were near -exhaustion from the excitement and the steady pace they had kept up. The -Old One slept like a baby, held in the arms of one of his grandsons. - -They rested most of the morning. It was far safer to travel at night. On -the second day, as they reached a safer distance from Jaraminka, they -continued toward the plateau where Jack Hudson was to pick them up. In -turn, the grandsons went ahead to make certain no one was lying in wait -for them. - -"Biff, are we anywhere near the spot where you saw all that -construction?" Uncle Charlie asked. - -"We should be," Biff replied. "We should be nearing the valley soon. -What do you think, Chuba? And you, Muscles?" - -"Chuba think we reach it right over next hill." - -"I'll trust Chuba's judgment," Muscles chimed in. - -Chuba was right. The valley was over the next hill. They had reached it -at a point below where it rose steeply to the metal fence. - -"The rest of you wait here," Charles Keene ordered. "I'll make a quick -trip for a fast look-see." - -"And _I'm_ with you," Biff said quickly. His uncle gave him a look, -hesitated for a moment, but apparently decided not to protest. - -"But Charlie--" Muscles started to say. - -"No buts about it. Come on, Biff." - -Uncle and nephew climbed the slope. Biff found the opening in the fence. -They crawled underneath and reached the rim of the huge amphitheater. -Uncle Charlie stared down at the activity for minutes. He took in every -detail, storing the information in his mind. A nodded signal told Biff -they were going back. - -Once down on the floor of the valley, Biff asked his uncle what he -thought the construction was. - -"I'm almost certain, Biff, that they're building a rocket launching -site." - -"Like Cape Canaveral?" - -His uncle nodded his head. "I was at Canaveral at its beginning. Saw the -place grow. That work back up there is much the same type of -construction. Still in its earliest stages, somewhat crude. Be a long -time before they can try a moon shot, or any other kind." - -"Is knowing about this important?" - -"Important. You just bet it is. News of this development is vital. It's -the biggest, most important information Uncle Sam has had out of China -in years. You really found something, Biff." - -Shortly after noon of the second day since their escape, the party -reached the plateau where Muscles had been landed by Jack Hudson. - -"This is it," Muscles said. "If Jack gets my signal, we'll be away and -winging by dark. Here, Chuba, take the end of this wire and scamper up -that tree. Attach it to the highest limb you can reach." - -The antenna was connected to the portable transmitter. The tree's height -increased the distance of transmission possible. Ground transmission -would have limited the signal. - -"All is okay, Muscles," Chuba called down. Muscles picked up the hand -mike. He snapped on a button. A slight hum could be heard. - -Muscles turned to the anxiously waiting group. "Let's hope I get -through. I can't repeat my signal more than once. It may be picked up by -the enemy." He grinned at them. "Well, here goes." Muscles held the mike -close to his mouth. "There's gold in these hyar hills...." He waited ten -seconds. "Repeating.... There's gold in these hyar hills." - -[Illustration: _The plane winged in on the prayers of the group_] - -He snapped off the transmitter. "That was our pre-arranged signal. It -tells Jack Hudson that I've found you and that we're all set to come -out. If he got my signal, he's on his way to the plane right now, I -hope, I hope, I hope. It's been on the runway, warmed up around the -clock, ever since he got back." - -"Well, we'll know in about two hours," Uncle Charlie said. - -Jack did get the signal. Almost exactly two hours after Muscles' signal, -the faint hum of a plane was heard. It grew louder, and then came into -sight. It winged in on the prayers of the whole group, the most welcome -sight Biff had ever seen. - -Farewells were short. The moment the plane touched down, the Ancient One -was put aboard. The others followed fast. - -The last Biff saw of the Ancient One's grandsons was a picture he would -keep in his heart and mind forever. The five grandsons stood in a line, -facing in the direction of the departing plane. All were bowing deeply -to show their gratitude. - -No one really relaxed until the plane crossed the border, but they -reached Unhao with no trouble. Jack Hudson taxied the plane to a neat -stop and whistled in relief, "Whew-uw!" Then briskly he turned to the -group. "We're going to refuel and take right off again," he announced. - -"What's the hurry, Jack?" Charlie asked. "How's about letting me have a -bath?" - -"Man, do you know how hot you and Biff have become since you went -inside? There have been spies all over the camp. You and Biff aren't -even to get out of this plane. Biff's things and yours are all packed. -I've got 'em in the luggage compartment. Soon as this crate is refueled, -it's off for Hong Kong. You can dunk the body there." - -"But what about you, Jack?" - -"Oh, they don't want me. It's you two got the information they want to -keep from getting out. I don't know what you know, and I don't want to. -They don't know I've crossed into the big 'C.'" - -Biff looked at Chuba. Unashamed tears filled the native boy's eyes. Biff -choked up. "Don't worry, Chuba, we'll meet again," he said, and meant -it. - -Muscles ruffled Chuba's dark hair and said, "Chum, next year you and I -go Stateside, and we'll visit this character." Muscles gave Biff an -affectionate punch on the chin. "See you soon," he said, as he and Chuba -left the plane. - -They made Hong Kong safely. Biff and his uncle found a U.S. military -policeman, who took them to the consulate. There they reported their -discovery to an amazed official. - -"You have performed a great service for your country," the embassy -official said solemnly, and added with a faint smile, "although you -should have your passports taken away for such a foolhardy venture." - -"I know you're right, sir," Charles Keene said, "but I would like to ask -a favor of you. Can you get us out of Hong Kong?" - -"So fast it will make your head swim. Diplomatically speaking, we don't -want you around here. There's a jet bomber taking off for Honolulu in an -hour. You'll be on it. From there, you're on your own." - -Two hours later, Biff and his uncle were winging over the blue Pacific, -homeward bound--and sound asleep. - - - _A Biff Brewster Mystery Adventure_ - - MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE RING - - By ANDY ADAMS - -Burma! Biff Brewster can hardly believe he'll soon be flying to Burma to -visit his Uncle Charlie. Not even when a green jade ring comes hurtling -through his bedroom window is he fully aware of the excitement and -danger awaiting him. - -Is the ring a good-luck charm or a bad omen? Biff suspects that Uncle -Charlie's sudden departure from Cape Canaveral to Burma might well have -international implications, and that the ring is a warning. - -But even with a warning, Biff is still a boy alone in a strange country. -As he disembarks at Rangoon, the young adventurer walks straight into an -attempted kidnaping. Using his wits, Biff escapes from his captors only -to learn that his uncle is somewhere in the heart of Red China, perhaps -in serious trouble. - -Horrified at the news, Biff persuades Chuba, a Burmese boy, to lead him -through the jungle swamplands and across the Chinese border. Once in -forbidden enemy territory, Biff uncovers the strange meaning of the jade -ring, learns of the secret mission which has brought his uncle to Red -China, and discovers a startling project of vital importance to the -United States. - -Join Biff Brewster in more thrilling, world-wide adventure stories, now -available at your local booksellers. - - - _NEW!_ BIFF BREWSTER - Mystery Adventures - - By ANDY ADAMS - - [Illustration: Biff Brewster] - -Biff Brewster, sixteen, is a tall, strongly built blond youth who lives -in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his parents and the eleven-year-old -twins, Ted and Monica. Because his mother and father believe that travel -is as important to education as formal schooling, Biff is encouraged to -travel to various countries during the vacation months. His experiences -in these lands, and the young people he meets there, form the basis of a -new series for adventure-loving readers. In every journey there is a -strong element of mystery, usually a direct result of conditions -peculiar to the region in which he is traveling. Thus, in addition to -adventure, these books impart carefully researched information about -foreign countries. - -_Start reading one today_-- - - (1) BRAZILIAN GOLD MINE MYSTERY - (2) MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE RING - (3) HAWAIIAN SEA HUNT MYSTERY - (4) MYSTERY OF THE MEXICAN TREASURE - (5) AFRICAN IVORY MYSTERY - (6) ALASKA GHOST GLACIER MYSTERY - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP, Inc. Publisher - New York 10, N. Y. - - [Illustration: Endpapers] - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mystery of the Chinese Ring, by Andy Adams - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE RING *** - -***** This file should be named 51608.txt or 51608.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/6/0/51608/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |