The Flaming Mountain: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story Read online

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  THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN

  A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY

  BY JOHN BLAINE

  GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERSNEW YORK, N. Y.1962

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  _Printed in the United States of America_

  _Rick swung the Sky Wagon onto a northward course thatwould take them past the volcano_]

  _THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN_

  Rock, melting like butter on a hot stove! It is hard to believe, but that is what happens on San Luz, a small island off the coast of South America. When Rick Brant and his pal Dan Scott fly to the famous resort island to join Rick's father, head of the Spindrift Scientific Foundation, a seemingly inactive volcano is about to explode in an eruption which could easily blow San Luz off the map.

  The immediate threat is to a small town at the foot of the volcano, where the air reeks with the fumes of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, and it is here that Rick and Scotty help Dr. Brant and his scientist associates set up headquarters, in the hope of finding a way of controlling an eruption that is growing into a certainty with fantastic speed.

  But their efforts to save the island town are hindered by the superior forces of nature, the superstitious fatalism of the people--and sabotage!

  With the earth opening up all around them, Rick, Scotty, and the scientists have little hope of preventing a catastrophe, until a decision is made to unleash the awesome power of atomic energy in a desperate last attempt to fight the volcanic eruption.

  Jam-packed with excitement and swift, tense action, _The Flaming Mountain_ has all the elements that have made the Rick Brant Science Adventure series a favorite with boys all over the world.

  Contents

  I VULCAN'S HAMMER

  II SAN LUZ

  III FIRING PARTIES

  IV SEISMIC TRACINGS

  V DYNAMITE MISSING

  VI DANGEROUS TRAIL

  VII CASA GUEVARA

  VIII THE GOVERNOR VANISHES

  IX THE YELLOW GROUND

  X THE VOLCANIC PIPE

  XI EARTHQUAKE!

  XII THE RISING MAGMA

  XIII ARMED REVOLT

  XIV NIGHT PATROL

  XV STALEMATE

  XVI THE BRANT APPROACH

  XVII SOLUTION: NUCLEAR

  XVIII THE SEABEES

  XIX THE OLD ONE YIELDS

  XX A FEW SOUVENIRS

  List of Illustrations

  _Rick and Scotty's scale model of San Luz Island_

  _Spindrift Island_

  _Rick swung the Sky Wagon onto a northward course that would take thempast the volcano_

  _Connel was alone in the jeep_

  _The three invaders waited while the long minutes ticked away_

  _"They're shooting at us!" Rick exclaimed, and gave the plane the gun_

  THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN

  CHAPTER I

  Vulcan's Hammer

  The entire staff of the world-famed Spindrift Scientific Foundationgathered in the conference room of the big gray laboratory building onthe southeast corner of Spindrift Island. It was unusual for the wholestaff to be called to a meeting. Even more unusual--not a single memberknew what the meeting was about.

  Rick Brant, son of the Spindrift Foundation's director, Dr. HartsonBrant, was perhaps even more mystified than the professional scientists.His father had phoned from Florida with brief instructions. "Rick, Iwant you and Scotty to make a scale model of San Luz Island. It's offthe coast of Venezuela. You'll find it on the sailing chart of the area,and there are references in the library. Be as complete and detailed aspossible, and have the model ready by Saturday. Pick me up at NewarkAirport Saturday noon. I'll have a guest. Ask Hobart Zircon to call afull staff meeting for two o'clock Saturday."

  Rick and his pal Don Scott had completed the model, which was nowresting on a table at the front of the lab conference room. One hour agohe had flown with Scotty in his plane, the Sky Wagon, to Newark Airportwhere he had picked up his father and a short, white-haired elderly manby the name of Dr. Esteben Balgos.

  _Rick and Scotty's scale model of San Luz Island_]

  Rick, a teen-aged version of his long-legged, athletic father, wasconsumed with curiosity. He could tell that the scientist was deeplyconcerned over something. It seemed likely Dr. Balgos was at leastinvolved in that concern, if not the actual cause. But Rick still knewof nothing that would relate Spindrift Island off the coast of NewJersey to San Luz, an island off the coast of northern South America.

  The Spindrift scientists were gathering, pausing to examine the model onthe table before they took their seats. Hobart Zircon, the huge, beardedsenior physicist and associate director of the Foundation, looked at themodel in company with Tony Briotti, the youthful staff archaeologist.Dr. Howard Shannon, chief biologist, came in with Julius Weiss, thefamous mathematical physicist.

  A slender, attractive dark-haired girl, Rick's own age, moved throughthe crowd to his side. He gave her a smile of welcome. Jan Miller wasthe daughter of one of the staff physicists, Dr. Walter Miller.

  "What's all this about, Rick?" Jan asked. "And where are Barby andScotty?"

  "I wish I knew what it's all about," Rick replied. "Barby and Scotty areat the house with Dad's guest, a Dr. Esteben Balgos. We picked Dad andBalgos up at Newark an hour ago. They'll be over in a few minutes." Rickhad come to the lab ahead of the others to be sure there were sufficientchairs set up and that the model was in position on the table.

  "You must have some idea," the girl insisted. "You and Scotty made themodel."

  "Sure we did. But we don't know why. Dad called from the University ofFlorida and gave instructions, and I didn't have a chance to ask anyquestions."

  "It must be important," Jan commented. "The whole staff hasn't beentogether since Christmas."

  Rick nodded. That had been a social occasion, not business, and on theday after Christmas he, Scotty, and Dr. Parnell Winston had taken offfor Cairo where they had become involved in intrigue and a majorscientific mystery. The episode was now referred to as _The Egyptian CatMystery_. The boy wondered if this meeting was a beginning of somethingexciting, too, and in the same instant he was sure that it was.

  "Here comes Barby," Jan said suddenly. "Excuse me, Rick."

  Barby Brant, Rick's pretty blond sister, paused in the doorway until shesaw Jan hurrying to meet her. The two girls conferred briefly, thenhurried to take seats in the exact center of the front row.

  It was the custom at Spindrift to include the island's young people instaff activities, and Rick had been a part of the various projects anddiscussions since he could remember. But not until Jan Miller's arrivalon the island, during the adventure of _The Electronic Mind Reader_, hadBarby bothered to attend the scientific discussions. Jan, as bright asshe was attractive, had succeeded in persuading Rick's sister thatscience was not only exciting, but understandable.

  The buzz of talk in the room stopped as Hartson Brant and his guestentered, followed by Scotty. The husky, dark-haired ex-Marine at oncejoined Rick. The two had been close friends and constant companionssince the day Scotty joined the staff during _The Rocket's Shadow_project. An orphan, Scotty was now a permanent member of the Spindriftfamily.

  Hartson Brant did not need to rap for attention. Th
ere was an expectanthush as he began immediately. "Our guest today is Dr. Esteben Balgos, ofwhom many of you have heard. Until his retirement a few years ago, hewas considered by his colleagues as the dean of South Americangeophysicists. His primary field of interest was--and stillis--volcanology."

  Rick leaned forward. Volcanology, study of volcanoes. The mountain thatformed the backbone of San Luz had once been a volcano, but it had beendead or inactive since prehistoric times. El Viejo--the Old One--was itsname. Rick wondered if it might not be the connecting link between SanLuz and Spindrift, but he couldn't yet see how.

  "Dr. Balgos reached me at Florida University while I was lecturingthere. We talked, and I agreed that we would examine his problem. It isso unusual and challenging that I wanted all of you to hear what he hasto say. Rick and Scotty have built a scale model of the island to helpDr. Balgos describe the problem to us."

  "So that's why we built it," Scotty whispered. "I've been wondering."

  Rick grinned. So had he.

  Dr. Balgos acknowledged Hartson Brant's introduction, took a moment towipe his horn-rimmed spectacles, and got down to business, using apencil as a pointer. He spoke perfect English with a soft, musicalSpanish accent which Rick found pleasant.

  "This, young ladies and colleagues, is San Luz. I retired to this islandfrom my native Peru a few years ago, so it is now my home. Itsrelationship to South America is the same as that of Bermuda to the eastcoast of your country. In other words, it is an island vacation resort.There are about 32,000 people on San Luz, engaged in caring fortourists, in fishing, in farming bananas and cacao, and in digging andexporting pumice."

  Rick knew this from his research. He hoped Dr. Balgos wouldn't lingertoo long over descriptions.

  "The tourist facilities are along the south coast, which is onecontinuous beach, starting at the main town of Calor, and running toRedondo, a fishing village at the northern tip of the island. There areseveral excellent hotels and guest homes."

  Dr. Balgos pointed with his pencil to a cluster of buildings at the baseof the mountain. "The location of this hotel is an exception. It iscalled the Hot Springs Hotel, and it is one of our biggest. It is namedfor the hot springs at the base of the mountain. You will see at oncethat El Viejo--this mountain--is clearly a volcano. The presence of hotsprings at its base indicates that it is not entirely dead."

  Now they were getting somewhere, Rick thought.

  "Starting a few months ago, earthquakes in the vicinity began toincrease in frequency. Since we are on the edge of a major geologicalfault, earthquakes are not at all unusual, and the increase attractedlittle attention. However, I have corresponded with seismologiststhroughout the area, and it is clear that the increase is due toactivity directly under our island."

  The Peruvian scientist held up his pencil, like a teacher addressing aclass. "I see that you consider this significant. So do I. There is oneother bit of information that is also significant. The flow from the hotsprings has changed in character. There is an occasional outpouring ofhydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. Also, the average temperature ofthe springs has gone up several degrees."

  The area must smell pretty bad, Rick thought. Hydrogen sulfide was whatgave the characteristic aroma to rotten eggs, and sulfur dioxide wasn'texactly perfume. He wasn't surprised when Dr. Balgos added that thehotel had been virtually abandoned.

  "My data is not sufficient for any conclusion, but the general one thatsome kind of volcanic activity is increasing. However, I'm sure most ofyou depend, as I do, on intuition as well as on data. This intuition issimply the result of years of experience. Mine tells me that El Viejo isabout to become active again."

  There was a murmur from the scientists.

  "I am aware," Balgos went on, "that this is a conclusion which cannotyet be supported. But I am certain in my own mind that such is the case.I do not believe the present mild activity causing the earthquakes willsubside. But more than that, I believe the activity will grow in aparticularly disastrous way."

  The scientist pointed to the volcano. "I have examined this cone. It isancient, covered with jungle growth. It is clearly stable. The crater isfilled in with compacted, weathered lava. If there should be a normaleruption, it would have to vent through the hot springs, which is theonly active channel. Notice that the town of Calor would then be rightin line with the eruption."

  Rick could see it clearly. The contours of the terrain were such that alava flow of any magnitude would engulf the little city.

  "I believe the volcano will vent through the hot springs," Balgos wenton. "But my examination of the volcano leads me to expect that it willvent with fantastic violence. The hot-springs channel is purely seepage.There is no open vent. This means the mountain will resist the growingforces under it until it is forced to give with great suddenness. To beas concise as possible, what I see here is another Krakatoa."

  There was a concerted gasp from the assembled group. Rick felt hisscalp prickle. He had expected nothing like this. Krakatoa, he knew fromhis reading, had been the greatest cataclysm in recorded history. Thevolcano, in the East Indies, had blown up with enormous violence. Theisland on which it was located had been literally blasted to bits;nothing was left. Nearby islands were blazed clean. No one knew how manypeople had perished instantly. The blast was felt completely around theworld, and the dust of Krakatoa had so filled the world's skies that theweather was changed. Winters came earlier and stayed longer, until thedust settled at last.

  "This is our problem," Balgos said simply. "It is made more difficult bytwo things, our people and our politics. The people are superstitiousfatalists. I know them too well to expect that they will move from theisland. And where would they move? San Luz is claimed by threecountries: England, Colombia, and Venezuela. But we consider ourselvesindependent. We have our own legislature. We cannot go to any onecountry for help without acknowledging its sovereignty over us. Wecannot go to all three at once, because the diplomatic difficulties ofgetting three nations together would take too much time. Besides, I donot know what any nation could do. And so, I come to you, on behalf ofour governor, and of myself."

  There was silence when Balgos finished. Then big Hobart Zircon boomed,"If we assume your conclusions are correct, what can be done? There isno way of stopping a volcanic eruption, much less an explosion. Man ishelpless before such natural forces. It would be easier to stop ahurricane than another Krakatoa."

  Balgos shrugged. "I agree. Yet, can we stand by and wait without evenmaking an attempt?"

  "Certainly not," Hartson Brant replied. "First, we must develop moredata. Dr. Balgos had said that his conclusions are based on intuition,and not facts. I, for one, trust his intuition. But we must know theexact situation before we can even begin to study the possibilities ofdoing something."

  Tony Briotti objected. "Even with a study, what can be done? I'm not aphysical scientist, so this is outside of my field. But I've never heardof anyone even attempting to change the direction of a lava flow, muchless control an eruption."

  Dr. Balgos spread his hands expressively. "In mythology, Vulcan was theblacksmith, the god of fire and volcanoes. We have grown too wise tobelieve in myths, but we do believe in the scientific method. I come toyou, as some of its most famous practitioners. If anything can bedone--and I do not know if it can--then you are the scientific team thatcan do it. If you can do nothing, then San Luz will die, violently,under Vulcan's hammer!"