Rick Brant 14 The Pirates of Shan Read online

  Captain Lim inspected the design and nodded.

  “It is. I know Chinese. Those lines form the word for ‘ shan/ which in English is mountain. But I have no idea why it should frighten the old man. I will ask.”

  The three Spindrifters looked at each other, excitement on all of their faces. “Now we know the word the headman at the Bagobo village used,” Zircon commented. “Shan,or mountain.”

  They waited, keeping close watch on the crowd until Captain Lim emerged. The officer shook his head.

  “I could get little from him. He fears the ‘Pirates of Shan,’ of which he says this Moro is a member. He would not elaborate.”

  “Who are the Pirates of Shan?” Rick demanded.

  “I don’t know. The phrase is new to me.”

  “Silly,” Scotty muttered. “Piracy has been dead for a century.”

  “Not so,” Lim corrected. “Excuse me, but piracy is not uncommon, especially along theChina coast and in the islands south ofBorneo . Only a short time ago Chinese pirates captured an ocean-going cargo ship.”

  “He’s right,” Zircon confirmed. “I’ve read of piracy quite recently. And don’t forget, the Moros of Sulu were a pirate nation until Spanish gunboats and troops cut down the activity, and the Americans finally stopped it. Piracy is not new to this part of the world.”

  Scotty helped Captain Lim put the Moro in the sedan. “I will be surprised if we get much from this man,”

  Lim said, “but we can try at the Fort. I will see you at dinner tonight.”

  The crowd dispersed and the three walked back to the hotel. Zircon left them in the lobby. “Be back Page 27

  shortly. I’m going to wire Okola about pirates.”

  In their room the boys took off their outer clothes and sprawled on their beds in shorts. “This is shaping up to something big,” Rick said thoughtfully.

  “I know what you mean.Robbery at Cotabato , kidnaping atDavao, and now this. It must tie together.

  Apparently some people have heard of the Pirates of Shan, but most haven’t.”

  “Strange the constabulary doesn’t know about them. But I supposeit’s natural enough in an area like this, with only a few troops and millions of square miles. But why would pirates take our friends?”

  Scotty didn’t even try to guess. “Isn’t Chahda due pretty soon?” he asked.

  “Not until eight.” Rick had given Chahda details of the findings at the Bagobo village and the Hindu boy had decided to spend another day inDavao . He would join them at Bayot’s .

  “At least we’re collecting some pieces that add up,” Rick said with more satisfaction than he had felt in a long time. He closed his eyes and began to review the information they had obtained. Presently he drifted off to sleep.

  Scotty woke Rick some time later. “Wake up! Chahda’s here.”

  Rick sat up, blinking. “What time is it?”

  “After nine.We’re due at dinner shortly.”

  “Where’s Chahda?”

  “Getting cleaned up.He’ll be back.”

  “Where’s Zircon?”

  “Gone out.He had a call from the hotel desk.”

  Rick got into the shower for a quick wake-up bath. By the time he was dressed Zircon had returned, a yellow sheet of paper in his hands. Chahda arrived a moment later.

  “All here,” Chahda said. “Good. Now I tell. You know who got our friends?Pirates!”

  Rick stared at him in awe. “How did you find that out?”

  “Word you said, one that scared Bagobos.I said it too, in few places atDavao . I try different ways to say, and I must have said it good one time. Filipino snapped at me to shut up, becauseword no good. But did Chahda shut up?”

  “Never,” Scotty said emphatically.

  “Is true.Anyway, Filipino whispers to me about Pirates of Shan. He knows little. Only that they kill quick, and no one knows who is a pirate and who is not. Not many have heard of them.”

  “Some have,” Zircon interjected. He waved the paper. “Okola replied by return wire. Listen.”

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  The big physicist read: “’Pirates of Shan date back to seventeenth century. Originally Chinese Moslems, later joined by Filipino Moslems and some Malays.Most active around 1800. Shan is from Chinese word for mountain, but no one knows what mountain. Some believe Shan located nearBorneo coast. Some mention pirates in action against Japanese during World War Two. No record since. Regret no more available.’”

  “Okola certainly knows his history,” Scotty stated. “Well, at least we have a tag to hang on the enemy.

  The kidnapers were pirates.”

  Zircon agreed. “Being trailed by one certainly seems to tie up with Tony and Howard’s disappearance.

  And speaking of kidnapers, that Filipino boy, Elpidio Torres was kidnaped. His folks now have a ransom demand.” He held out a recent newspaper.

  Rick scanned the front-page story. “Think there might be a connection?”

  “Possible, I suppose, but consider the distance. According to the story, a ransom of one million pesos is to be left on the Batangas coast, south ofManila .”

  Scotty whistled. “Half a million bucks,That would make piracy worth while!”

  “Yes, butManila isn’t theSulu Sea ,” Zircon pointed out. “Also, there has been no ransom demand for Tony and Howard. They weren’t taken until some time after the Torres boy vanished.”

  “What we do now?” Chahda asked.

  “We eat, with the local constabulary chief,” Rick replied. “Think it’s safe to join us?”

  Chahda grinned. “Safe or no, I go.I hungry.”

  Rick and Scotty were hungry, too. The Spanish-Filipino custom of dining late did not appeal to them.

  But as it developed, dinner was worth waiting for. Captain Lim was apparently a gourmet. He had ordered soup made of smoked oysters from Palawan Island, a second course of delicate butterfly fish fillets in a marvelous sauce of fresh coconut, a main course of breasts of chicken boiled in coconut milk, a salad of hearts of palm, a Spanish dessert called lecheflcm , which was a kind of custard swimming in caramel sauce, and thick, aromatic Batangas coffee.

  Rick and Scotty ate until they could hold no more, and Chahda groaned, “Once I read words ‘stuffed like Christmas goose.’ This now fits me.”

  Zircon lighted aManila cigar and sat back in his chair, a look of pure contentment on his face.“A wonderful meal, Captain. Thank you, for all of us. I haven’t dined so well in months.”

  Captain Lim beamed his pleasure. “Then you may forgive me for failing with the Moro. He would say nothing. I have no legal grounds on which to hold him for long, either.”

  Zircon nodded his understanding. “We expected nothing, but we had to try. Chahda, tell Captain Lim what you found out inDavao , and I’ll give him Okola’s message.”

  The exchange of information completed, Zircon changed the subject. The scientist knew they were in need of something to take their minds off the search for a while, and he encouraged Captain Lim to tell Page 29

  them about Zamboanga and its long and sometimes bloody history.

  The officer turned out to be an entertaining storyteller. He kept them laughing, or on the edges of their chairs until aftermidnight . Then he began teaching them the famous song that goes: The monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga!

  The monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga!

  The monkeys have no tails;

  They were bitten off by whales!

  Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga!

  The Spindrifters had just gotten into the swing of the rollicking melody when a sergeant came in with a message for the captain. Lim tore the envelope open and read rapidly. Then he slapped his hand on the table. “Good! This is from Major Lacson. A boat answering the description of the Sampaguita was seen about four days after the kidnaping, heading south of theislandof Bulan . A fisherman saw it.”

  Rick’s heart leaped with sudden hope and excitement. “Where is Bulan ?”

  “Acr
oss the Strait from here is Basilan . Bulan is a small island south of it.”

  Scotty said with relief, “At least we know now which way they’re heading.”

  “And we know what to do next,” Zircon added.

  “We go after it!” Chahda concluded grimly.

  CHAPTER VIII

  The “Swift Arrow”

  Jose Santos’ boatyard was not large, but to Rick it seemed as though the Filipino boatman had a sample of every kind of craft from a rowboat to a Chinese junk.

  “We want a boat,” Zircon stated. “Not a sailboat. That would be too slow. We want something reasonably fast, and with enough room for comfort. We may have to live aboard for some time.”

  Santosnodded.“You no care how big?”

  “There are four of us to handle it.”

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  “Plenty,”Santos said. “No more help needed for my Swift Arrow. See over there?”

  Rick’s quick eyes caught the lines of the craft first. He exclaimed, “Well, I’ll be a galloping grampus I It’s a torpedo boat!”

  “Yes,”Santos confirmed, beaming.“Motor torpedo boat. I convert her myself. Come see.”

  Chahda asked, “Rick, what is torpedo boat?”

  “It’s a very fast, light boat, designed to launch torpedoes at bigger ships. It depends on speed for safety.

  This one must be left over from World War Two.”

  “Plenty old,” Chahda said doubtfully.

  Scotty chuckled. “Age doesn’t mean anything to a boat if it’s well built and well taken care of. The MTB’s were light, but very well built. You’ll see.”

  Zircon was well acquainted with boats and Rick and Scotty were not novices. They went over the Swift Arrow from stem to stern, missing nothing. The armament had been removed and the original gasoline engines were gone. Instead, it was operated by a pair of marine diesels.Santos claimed that the engines were in excellent shape and that the boat could make a speed of twenty knots even in rough water, with a top speed of nearly thirty knots in calm seas.

  Scotty checked the engines and confirmed the claim. They ran like Swiss watches. The boat was fully equipped, even to searchlight, horn, and a brass saluting cannon that fired blanks much like shotgun shells.

  “We’ll take it,” Zircon announced. “Fill it with fuel and water, put charts for the whole area aboard with navigation instruments, and we’ll be back in an hour and get under way.” He hastily signed a traveler’s check for the advance fee,then the four hiked back to the hotel and got down to business.

  They made up a provision list, arranged to rent bed linens and towels from the hotel, found out where ammunition could be purchased, packed their bags, and prepared to check out.

  Chahda spoke up. “Where you go first?Jolo, maybe? Suppose I go ahead on PAL, and snoop round a little. Meet you there.”

  Zircon considered. “I suppose Jolo is the logical destination. It’s the capital of the Sulu Archipelago.

  We’ll refuel there, probably by tomorrow morning.”

  Rick thought it was probably a good idea for Chahda to go ahead. He could use his Indian contacts to pick up any information that might be available. It would save them time. “I’m for it,” he said.

  Zircon made sure Chahda had ample funds,then the three bade him good-by for the time being and started on their shopping tour.

  Within the promised hour they had their luggage and provisions loaded aboard and were prepared to cast off.Santos had the boat ready, even to putting in a box of shells for the saluting cannon.

  Scotty and Rick cast off while Zircon sent the MTB smoothly away from the dock, through the breakwater and into BasilanStrait . Then Scotty took over, while Zircon checked the first leg of their Page 31

  course. On the chartsSantos had given them the routes between principal ports were clearly marked.

  Zircon found the route from Zamboanga to Jolo and gave Scotty the first compass setting.

  Scotty opened the throttle wide. The Swift Arrow responded instantly, planing along at a fast clip.

  Zircon took sightings with the pelorus ,then calculated his readings.

  Rick watched with interest, anxious to find out what speed they were making. Finally the big physicist looked up, grinning. “We’ve picked a champion. Twenty-eight knots!”

  It was far below the original speed of the craft, but probably far above the speed of anything else in theSulu Sea . Rick was satisfied. “I’m going below. I’ll store the chow,then relieve Scotty.”

  In a short time, taking turns at the helm, the three had everything stowed and bunks ready for occupancy. Zircon and Scotty had broken out the newly purchased ammunition and loaded their weapons. Rick hungShannon ’s quiver on a hook near the bunks.

  The Swift Arrow sped steadily on. Basilan dropped astern as they negotiated the countless islands of the Pilas Group. Two islands formed a narrow channel ahead, Rick saw, as he took the wheel from Scotty. Once through the channel they would be in open water, nothing between them and Jolo but theSulu Sea .

  Scotty walked to the bow, to check on the readiness of the anchor. In a moment he returned and joined Rick.“Must be good fishing country.Lots of vintas in the channel ahead.”

  Rick had noticed.“Must be two dozen.” Between the islands, the channel was dotted with red, purple, green, and brown sails. As the MTB drew nearer, Rick throttled down a little. He was already traveling at cruising speed, considerably less than top speed, but he didn’t want to take a chance of ramming one of the Moro craft.

  The distance closed rapidly, and Zircon pointed out that the vintas seemed to be spreading in a line across the channel, only a boat’s length between them. “Slow down more,” he advised. “They may be hauling a net or something.”

  Rick did so, keeping a careful eye out for net floats. “Not much room to go through. I’ll toot the horn.”

  He gave the horn a long blast. The Moros paid no attention. Apparently fishing boats had the right of way, and they didn’t intend to move. The Swift Arrow was close enough now, so he could see the triangular masts and the booms of the lateen sails. He could make out the crews, too. The boats seemed to be crowded with men.

  “They’re not going to make way!” Zircon exclaimed. The MTB was already well within the channel.

  “They’re intercepting us front and rear!” Scotty yelled. “Look!”

  The vintas on the ends of the line had moved rapidly, and the rest followed. The MTB would soon be surrounded! Rick spun the wheel and turned the big boat nearly in its own length, heeling far over. In the same instant a rifle slug splintered wood on the cabin roof overhead.

  Scotty jumped for his rifle and started firing. Zircon hauled the automatic from his belt and yelled, “Gun it, Rick!”

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  Rick didn’t need the advice. He straightened the MTB out and rammed the throttles to full speed. Slugs smacked into the hull or blossomed as stars on the glass of the pilothouse. He made the MTB dance through the water at top speed. His evasive action made it hard for Scotty and Zircon to fire accurately and they stopped.

  In a few moments they were out of range of the vintas. Zircon called out a new course that would take them through another channel more to the west. It was longer, but safer.

  The three remained silent while Rick got on the new course. Attack by vintas in open water was about the last thing any of them had expected.

  Finally Zircon slipped the clip from his pistol, ejected the shell in the chamber, and reloaded. The scientist said severely, “Mr. Scott, on a certain occasion at Zamboanga yesterday, you were heard to make a remark to the effect that piracy has been dead for a century. In view of our recent experience, I believe it is only fair to offer an opportunity to correct the record.”

  Scotty bowed ceremoniously. “You are most kind, Dr. Zircon. It would perhaps be more accurate to state that piracy has not been dead for a century. My conclusion is entirely empirical, of course, but observation leads me to conclude that the vintas in the channel may
indeed have been manned by pirates.”

  “Handsomely said, Mr. Scott.You have a comment, Mr. Brant?”

  “I concur,” Rick said gravely. “Would you care to hazard a surmise about the identity of these putative pirates?”

  Zircon stroked his chin thoughtfully. “We had no opportunity to remove shirts and examine backs. Yet I must venture the opinion that the men in the vintas carry the mark of the mountain.”

  “And why did they lay in wait for us?” Scotty asked.

  “My surmise,” Zircon boomed, “is that we are doing exactly the right thing. They fear our ultimate success. Ergo, they try to remove us.”

  Rick had to grin. “I’ve always wanted to hear someone say ‘ergo.’ But how did they know we were coming?”

  Zircon shook his head. “The islands in the vicinity are too small to have radio or telephone. However, we’ve not been too careful about our plans. The waiter last night, or a houseboy outside our hotel door could have overheard us, and a vinta could have gotten here in time to lay a trap.”

  “We’ll probably never be sure,” Rick said. Suddenly he grinned widely. He had the feeling they were making progress.

  “At least,” he stated, “we’ve met the Pirates of Shan!”

  CHAPTER IX

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  The Moro Knives

  Rick walked to the bow as the Swift Arrow approached theharborofJolo in the early-morning hours. He usedShannon ’s long glass to inspect some curious-looking houses to the west of the harbor entrance.

  The glass showed him they were built on stilts over the water, and connected by a series of bamboo walkways.

  Zircon joined him and borrowed the glass for a look. “ Samalvillage,” he explained. “I’ve never seen one, but I spent last night reading a pocket guide I picked up at Bayot’s . The Samals are Moros, noted as fishermen.”

  “And pirates?”

  Zircon smiled. “The book didn’t say.”

  In spite of the primitive Samal village, the dock and the city were fairly modern. As Scotty took the Swift Arrow closer, Rick and Zircon looked for a place to tie up.

  Chahda saved them the trouble. The Hindu boy appeared on a bale of abaca and waved both arms until they saw him, then he motioned them to the left and ran down the dock. Scotty swung the MTB past the dock and saw a smaller dock where a few pleasure boats were tied up. In a moment they were alongside. Chahda caught the line Rick threw and hauled the bow in.