The Pirates of Shan: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story “Dangerous Discovery” - Chapter 12 Search the Wide Seas

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter twelve of the Pirates of Shan, a Rick Brandt
science adventure story by Harold L. Goodwin. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Cinda J. M.
Chapter twelve, Search the Wide Seas. There was an atmosphere
of rising excitement on the Swift Arrow. Rick felt it

(00:22):
and knew the others did too. Little by little they
were narrowing the search. With only a few island groups remaining.
He felt sure it would not be long before the
pirate stronghold was located. The Swift Arrow had poked its
sharp bow into nearly every port and the vast Tawi
Tawi group, and had put into the port of Dungan
on the main island to refuel. Since the pirate attack

(00:45):
of two nights before, the spin drifters had practically eliminated
the Tawi Tawi islands as possibilities for the pirate hideout.
Hobart Zirkhan, checking their progress on the chart, called the
boys together. There's only one island group remaining in this
immediate area, Zirkon pointed out, and I'm not even sure
it's in Philippine waters. Rick studied the place on the

(01:06):
chart indicated by the big scientists. There were only three
tiny islands in the datu Ahman group. They're pretty far
to the southeast. Rick commented, just about on the border
of Indonesia and the Philippines. Do we head for them next?
Zircon poked a big finger at the chart. I think
we better then if we find nothing, we can head

(01:27):
southwest towards Sibutu Island. These datu Aman islands aren't very big,
Rick pointed out, but that's the general direction from which
the pirates have been coming. We have to eliminate every
island in this area before going on to Subutu and Borneo.
We've got full tank, Scotti observed, might as well get started.

(01:47):
I think this also. Shahada agreed we not miss any islands. Besides,
these far out of way not on ship lanes, could
be good place for pirates. My thoughts exactly, Zirk constated,
who has the wheel, Shahata all right, heads southeast and
I'll plot a course. Why not use both engines, Rick suggested,

(02:09):
Then we can get there before dark. If nothing turns up,
we can travel all night from there to Subuto. It's
all open water. If we use both engines, someone had
better keep watch from the top of the pilot house.
Scotty added, then if we see vintas, we can throttle
down that way. We won't have to give up our
disguise of being a partial cripple. Good ideas, zurkona prove.

(02:32):
Suppose you start, Scotti, Rick, can we leave you later?
Rick grinned. That's what you get for having ideas. Tell
you what I'll toss you heads Ie, take the first
watch top side tails, I'll start making lunch. Sold. Scotti
produced a centavo and they flipped. Rick won and climbed
to the top of the pilot house, while Scotty went

(02:52):
below to prepare sandwiches. Rick sat in a canvas chairs
Zirkon handed up to him and watched the sea now
and then sweeping the horizon with Shannon's long glass, the
swift Arrow cut the water cleanly. With both engines roaring
at three quarters throttle, they were cruising the Celeby sea
now the sulu Arpeggio rapidly falling astern. It was a calm,

(03:14):
clear day, without even a single white cap to mar
the blue perfection of the sea. Now and then a
school of flying fish broke water from under the empty
bee's bow and twice. Rick spotted sharks, one of them
a hammerhead. There were no Vintas in sight. Zircon handed
up sandwiches and coffee, then relieved Shahata at the wheel.
The Hindu boy's shoulder was healing nicely, but it was

(03:36):
still a little stiff, and he was careful not to
move his arm more than necessary for fear of breaking
open the wound. The afternoon wore on without sign of
a sail. Scotty relieved Rick, who relaxed on the after deck.
The boy glanced at his watch. They should be picking
up the island soon. Suddenly Scotty sang out, sail, ho,

(03:58):
how many? Rick called just one on the horizon off
the port bow. Rick relieved Shahata at the helm, and
the Hindu boy hurried below, saying that he wanted a
cold drink before the fight started. Rick watched for the
Vinta sail, but before the craft was visible from his
lower vantage point, Scotty called out again, land behind the

(04:18):
Vinta looks like a coral a toll. I can see
the tips of palms. Zirkon checked the chart. It should
be the most westerly of the three islands. The physicist
reported Scotty any more vintas just the one head for
the island. Zirkon instructed, Rick will want a close look.
Shahata emerged from the galley with cold cokes for all hands,

(04:41):
and they drank while waiting for the boat to get
within examination distance of the island. It was clearly visible
within a short time. As Scotty had said, it was
a coral a toll, the highest point not more than
ten feet above sea level. They passed the Vinta at
a distance of a hundred yards. There were only three
men aboard and they were fishing. Then Rick cut closer

(05:04):
to the island while Scotty kept a sharp lookout for
shoal waters and coral heads. Details were clearly visible now
there were a dozen huts on the island and only
a handful of people were visible. Zirkon took the long
glass from Scotty and inspected carefully. Apparently it's a small
fishing community. I see nets and another three vinas pulled
up on shore. There seems to be wait. Rick watched

(05:28):
as a scientist swung the long glass into the air,
following something for a moment, then lowered it his face.
Grim I caught a glimpse of a man releasing something
into the air and managed to pick it up with
a glass. It was a pigeon, and you know what
that means? The boys did, Which way did it go?
Rick asked, due east Rick swung the emptybe into an

(05:50):
easterly course without another word. He knew from the chart
that the biggest island of the three in the dantu
Amman group lay that way. The third island was about
ten miles to the release of the carrier. Pigeon could
mean only that the island they were now passing was
a lookout position from which the people on the biggest
island had now been notified of their arrival, and that

(06:13):
meant what Rick had a good idea, which inspection should
soon prove. Land ho Scotty called down. It's a peak
of some sort. Rick saw it. A few moments later,
a golden glitter on the ocean as the fast setting
sun struck Land. The four watched as the land mass
slowly took shape. It's a mountain, all right, Zirkon said,

(06:36):
excitement in his booming voice. Looks like a volcanic cone.
Can you see it clearly? Scotty, It's a cone and
not much land under it either, Hey, Ventas ahead must
be hundred of them. Rick felt excitement surged through him.
That was too many Vintas for a simple fishing community
on an island of small size. They're forming a line

(06:58):
between us and the islands. Scotty called down. A moment later,
Rick could make out the tips of sails, and as
the swift arrow forged ahead, the entire fleet slowly came
into view. Scotty was right. The Ventas were in a line,
like a playanned defense. The island was almost entirely visible now.
A volcanic cone, perhaps five hundred feet high formed most

(07:19):
of the island. From the base of the cone, flat
land spread out toward the oncoming mptb ending in a
white beach. Get within gunshot of the Vintas, Zirkon directed grimly,
Let's see if they're really hostile. If they are, well
know we've found something. And forget the crippled engine disguise.
It served its purpose. Rick figured his course carefully. He

(07:41):
would take the MTB on a gradually sweeping curve that
would place them within gunshot, but in a position to
beat a fast retreat. In a few minutes. Now they
would be in position, he kept his fingers crossed. Things
looked promising if this were only the end of the search.
He throttled back a little in order to keep a
good amount of speed and reserve, and kept the empty

(08:04):
beyond the course he had planned. Sweeping toward one end
of the vent a line. He saw the outrigger craft
back their sails as they turned to intercept him. Then,
as the long curve brought him within rifle range, he
put the helm hard over, running broadside to the line
of bright sails. Scotty called watch it, heads down. The
boy was flat on the top of the pilot house,

(08:26):
now with his own rifle within reach. As an echo
to his warning, Shahata yelled, they shoot. Rick couldn't hear
the shots above the engine roar, but he took Shahata's
word for it. He put the helm over again, turning
the stern toward the line of boats. Scotty jumped to
the deck. They took several shots at us, but none hit.
I saw the muzzle flashes, Zircon nodded. I saw muzzle

(08:49):
flashes too, Lads, look like we've really found something, including
a mountain. Now I suggest we reconnoiter thoroughly. What's your plan,
Rick asked, Circle the island completely at close range, swing
wide to approach from the north, then go around the
island clockwise, staying as close to shore as safety allows.
We can outrun the Ventas without trouble. If necessary, we

(09:12):
can even cut inside the line for a close look.
The big physicist was almost trembling with excitement. Rick wasted
no time in swinging north away from the Vintas. Scotty
went back to the top of the pilot house to
watch for shoal waters. Once he was far beyond the
line of Ventas, Rick cut back again, pointing the bow
of the MTB at the northern shore of the island.

(09:34):
He took out his handkerchief to white palms that were
suddenly damp with nervous perspiration. This had to be the
place he could see now that the volcanic peak occupied
the entire eastern part of the island. It dropped steeply
into the ocean on both the eastern and northern shores.
The inhabitable land area was a broad shelf that sloped

(09:56):
from the base of the volcano to the western shore
as the MTB pl to where the island. More details
became visible. There was a very small crescent of beach
on the northern shore, but black volcanic rock dropped into
the sea in most places. Let's see what the rest
of this place looks like. Circon directed Rick put the
MTB on a curving course that would take them completely

(10:17):
around the island. About one hundred yards off shore, they
left the northern coast and passed the eastern edge of
the island. Surf broke on the black volcanic rock on
the eastern shore, except at one point, where there appeared
to be a fair sized cove. The southern shore was
equally forbidding until the volcanic cone was passed. There was
a large cove where the land's shelf met the volcano.

(10:39):
Docks could be seen and a few vinas. Apparently this
was the island's boat anchorage. Zircon nodded his satisfaction. We
seemed to have something here. Boys. It's an ideal spot
for a pirate stronghold. Notice they didn't try to follow
us or cut us off anywhere except the west. That's
because the island is a natural fortress except for the

(11:00):
western landslope. They need only look for trouble from the west.
The MTB was inside of the pirate fleet. Again, they
were still in a battle array to protect the vulnerable
western shore. The line of Ventas formed a long curve
from a point just off the pirate anchorage around the
western shore to where the volcano rose from the land

(11:20):
shelf on the north. I'll stay out a rifle shot,
Rick said, take a look at the village through the
long glass, Professor, there may be some signs of Shannon
and Tony. I'm not hopeful about that, Zircon replied, they'd
be under cover. The pirates made no move to follow
the EMPTYB on its curving course around their battle line.
Apparently the Vindas were holding position in a planned defense.

(11:42):
Across the Venta line, Rick could see a field of
what appeared to be grain, separated by a street from
a field of what was certainly corn. The village itself
was of nippus shacks on stilts, all of them located
near the volcano. There were a few trees, mostly mango
and av A plenty room for plenty pirates, Shahata commented.

(12:05):
Rick grinned mirthlessly, You're so right. The village would provide
housing for three four hundred anyway, no sign of volcanic activity,
Scotty said, it must be a dead volcano anyway. I
don't think even pirates would be foolish enough to live
under a live one. You're right, Zircon agreed. He waved
a hand at the island. Does anyone doubt that this

(12:26):
is the right place? No one? Did? I not see scientists,
Shahada observed, they wouldn't be in the open anyway. But
did anyone see their boat? All boats were vinas, replied Rick.
I thought so too. However, I wouldn't expect the pirates
to keep the Sambunguita in sight. Head back toward Tawi Tawi. Rick,

(12:47):
We've plans to make, Rick returned the scientist's jubilant grin.
Then he turned to look back at the rapidly receding
pirate island, the volcano black and forbidding in the gathering dusk.
We'll be back, he promised the invisible scientists. We'll be back.
End of chapter twelve.