Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY BY JOHN BLAINE GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, N. Y. 1962 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Printed in the United States of America_ [Illustration: _Rick swung the Sky Wagon onto a northward course that would 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 them past 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