But there wasn't time to think about that now. Scotty and Zircon were already moving into action. The big scientist unwound the rope ladder from around his waist while Scotty drove spikes into a cleft in the lava. His wooden mallet, muffled with cloth padding, made only a dull, almost inaudible sound. Zircon secured the end of the ladder to the spikes, then put his weight on it, testing. It held. He moved forward, and lowered the free end over the cliff. Rick and Scotty stood by to give a hand to the men on the ledge below. They were already on their way, Howard Shannon first. Rick eyed the village anxiously. He was sure they were practically invisible against the dark lava, but he wouldn't feel secure until they had moved out of sight. Shannon reached the top, and Rick and Scotty helped him over. A Filipino boy was next up, and Rick knew this must be the famous Elpidio Torres. The boy came up the ladder like a sailor and scrambled over the top without help. Tony Briotti was last. The youthful archaeologist wasted no time in swarming up the ladder to the top, and in a moment the six of them were shaking hands in silent glee. Scotty pulled the ladder up, so it wouldn't be seen dangling, then whispered urgently, "Let's get going." By prearrangement, Scotty led the way with Zircon next in line, followed by Shannon, Briotti, and the Filipino boy, with Rick bringing up the rear. He paused long enough to unstring the bow and put it back in the quiver. As the group paused before making the difficult stage of the journey around the cone, Rick took the Megabuck unit from Tony. In the excitement no one had called Chahda. "On our way back now, Chahda," Rick said calmly. "All six of us." The Hindu boy's yell of triumph and relief almost shattered Rick's eardrum. He whispered, "Stow it, you wild Indian. You'll ruin my hearing." "Sorry," Chahda said, but he didn't sound it. "Hurry back now. I wait for word to come." Rick followed as the group started off again. He wondered how the guard was doing. By all reckoning, the man should still be unconscious. He'd better be! The party reached the eastern slope of the volcano, directly under the cone, and started the last descent. The rope ladders made the trip comparatively easy, except for the final drop before the ground leveled off somewhat. It was a rough stretch, too long for a ladder. A single rope had been saved for the purpose. Rick took it from Scotty and made it fast around a spike they had driven earlier. Zircon was the first to use it. He went down swiftly, keeping hold of the rope in case of a slip. Scotty followed, then Shannon. The lanky zoologist was halfway down when Rick felt the rope tighten with a jerk and he heard Shannon's choked cry of pain. Rick rechecked to be sure the rope was secure, then motioned to Briotti and the Filipino boy. "Go on. We've got to get down to him."