<h2 id="c20"><span class="small">CHAPTER XX</span> <br/>Muscles “Muscles” In</h2>
<p>Muscles checked his watch for the tenth time in
the past five minutes. He was growing more and more
impatient. The minute hand showed it to be ten minutes
past four o’clock. Twenty minutes remained before
Biff’s four-hour deadline would run out.</p>
<p>The powerful mechanic had returned to the spring.
He kept his eyes turned in the direction of the path
taken by Chan Li, Biff, and Chuba. He kept them
turned that way except for the times he glared at the
crystal of his watch.</p>
<p>There was no sign of anyone. He could see the path
at several spots. He had watched closely as long as he
could when the party of three had left. Since their departure,
he had seen no one.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</div>
<p>“They could be back by now,” he said to himself.
“Plenty of time to get there and back.” Impatiently,
he strode up and down. Deep within him, Muscles
knew that he really wasn’t expecting them to return.
His doubts, his fears had grown as the minutes became
hours. He pounded his fist into the palm of his other
hand. He wanted action. He was a man of action. This
waiting, he told himself, was strictly for the birds.</p>
<p>At 4:25, Muscles could stand it no longer. He
started for the path. If Biff, Chuba, Charlie Keene,
and their guide were returning, he’d meet them on
the way.</p>
<p>Muscles went along the path at a dog trot. Without
realizing, he broke into a run. He checked himself
when he came to the path’s sharp left turn and the
steep rise to the crumbling stone wall.</p>
<p>Now he was certain that Chan Li had led his friends
into a trap. It was nearly 5:30—an hour over the
deadline. The path by the wall, Muscles noticed, ran
each way. Which way to turn, left or right? His
decision was made for him by a sound. Muscles
crouched low, just off the path, out of sight. He
could plainly hear someone coming toward him.</p>
<p>He stared through a small opening in the thick bush
he was using as cover. His muscles tensed, he was
ready to spring like a tiger.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</div>
<p>A figure suddenly came into view. It was Chan Li.
With a snarl, Muscles sprang. He jumped on the back
of the Chinese. His weight hurled the slighter man to
the ground. Like a cat, Muscles leaped up. He snatched
Chan’s right arm, twisted it, until Chan was face down
on the ground. Muscles, keeping pressure on the arm,
plunked himself down on Chan’s back. Increasing
pressure on the arm until Chan gasped in pain, Muscles
rasped out, “Okay, let’s have it, and fast. Where
are the boys?”</p>
<p>Chan didn’t answer.</p>
<p>“You’re going to be a one-armed Chinese if you
don’t talk.” Muscles cupped his free hand on the back
of Chan’s head. He ground the man’s face in the dirt.
“Talk!”</p>
<p>The pain was bad enough, but the humiliation of
having his face ground into the dirt, of losing face
literally, was more than Chan could stand.</p>
<p>“I talk,” he said.</p>
<p>Muscles released the pressure. He stood up. “Now
get up, you dog. Get up and tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>“I had to do it. I had to lead boys to Ping Lu. If I
don’t, he do great harm to my family.”</p>
<p>“Ping Lu? Who’s he? Member of the Kwang
tribe?”</p>
<p>“No, he big boss in this territory.”</p>
<p>“So, you turned traitor to your own. Where are
the boys?”</p>
<p>“In big house, not far from here.”</p>
<p>“Let’s get going then. Show me the way.”</p>
<p>Chan Li seemed to shrink in size at Muscles’ words.
“Oh, no! No! Never. They kill me. They kill you if
we go back. Many guards. All armed.”</p>
<p>Muscles thought fast. “Charles Keene is there,
too?”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</div>
<p>Chan nodded his head.</p>
<p>“Now listen, you double-crosser. I don’t trust you,
but I’ve got to. Do you know any members of the
Kwang family who are opposed to this Ping Lu you
mentioned?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes. Are many around here.”</p>
<p>“All right. Now get this, and get it straight. You’re
going to take me to one of them. And if you try to
cross me, you’ll die along with me. I can knock you
off with one blow.” Muscles held a clenched fist to
Chan’s face. He twisted it on the Chinese’s nose. “I’ll
be this close to you all the time. And believe me, I’ll
get you before anyone gets me. Understand?”</p>
<p>“I understand. Chan Li won’t try double cross.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Let’s get going then. And on the double.”</p>
<p class="tb">The Ancient One took the slip of paper from Biff.
He looked at it carefully, then nodded his head. He
turned to Chuba and spoke softly, swiftly. After a
few moments, he stopped and indicated with a nod toward
Biff and Charles Keene that Chuba was to interpret.</p>
<p>“The Ancient One says there is great hope for escape.
This piece of paper comes from one of his
grandsons. He works in the kitchen. It is not known
by the officials here that this cook is member of the
House of Kwang. He was placed here to spy on Ping
Lu. To try to find out plans. To warn when danger
threatens Kwang House people.”</p>
<p>The Ancient One resumed his speaking.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</div>
<div class="fig"> <ANTIMG src="images/p05.jpg" alt="" width-obs="500" height-obs="573" /> <p class="caption"><i>He grabbed the guard by the collar and lifted him by one hand into the room</i></p> </div>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</div>
<p>“He says that paper with ‘K’ on it is signal. Either
tonight, when clock makes twelve strikes, or tomorrow
night at same time, attempt will be made to rescue
him and us.”</p>
<p>“How, Chuba? Ask him how?” Biff said.</p>
<p>As Chuba spoke, the Ancient One shook his head.</p>
<p>“Does not know exact plans. His grandson will try
to be servant who comes for tray. He will tell us
plan.”</p>
<p>Biff looked at his uncle. “Guess there’s nothing we
can do but wait.”</p>
<p>Uncle Charlie agreed. “But things look good. When
members of the House of Kwang act, they’re usually
successful.”</p>
<p>“Then how in the world did they ever let the Ancient
One get captured in the first place?” Biff asked.</p>
<p>“I think the Ancient One himself had something to
do with that. He doesn’t really want to leave his
homeland. He is old, and like all Chinese, he wants his
final resting place to be in the earth of his native land.”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard that was true—Look, Uncle Charlie, I
think I may have an idea as to why Ping Lu is so desperate
for you to sign that paper.”</p>
<p>“Give out, Biff. Give out.”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m not sure, of course, but on our way to
Jaraminka, we ran into something very strange.”</p>
<p>“Was much big workings,” Chuba cut in. “Many,
many more big machines than when camp was cleared
at Unhao.”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</div>
<p>“Tell me more, Biff.”</p>
<p>Biff described the activity they had discovered behind
the wire fence. He told his uncle of the immensity
of the project, of the furious pace at which
the men worked, of the bulldozers, the cranes, the
steam shovels.</p>
<p>“And there’s an air strip already completed. It was
loaded with planes. You have an idea what it might
be?”</p>
<p>Charles Keene thought a few moments before replying.
“Only a slight idea from what you’ve told me,
Biff. I’d have to see the place.”</p>
<p>“Maybe you can take a look on our way back.”</p>
<p>“If we ever get out of here,” his uncle said soberly.</p>
<p>“We’ll get out,” Biff said spiritedly.</p>
<p>“Hope you’re right, Biff. You know, putting two
and two together, the build-up of the Army in this
area, and what you’ve described, it could be that Ping
Lu thinks my real reason for coming in was to get
information on the huge construction job.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I thought, Uncle Charlie.”</p>
<p>There was a noise at the door. All four raised expectant,
hopeful eyes. Their expression of hope
changed to one of despair.</p>
<p>The same servant who had brought the meal came
into the room to remove the tray piled with dishes.</p>
<p>What had happened to the Ancient One’s grandson?</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</div>
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