Soon they were winging across the rugged interior. The steppes and plateaus were almost barren, but there were pasture lands and farm villages on the upward slopes, watered by melting snows from the peaks.
Retracing their route, Tom picked out a site for his base camp near a winding river. He set the Queen down vertically on its jet lifters and a small amount of equipment was unloaded. Tom, Bud, and Chow were to set up camp here long enough to investigate the area, while Arv and Slim flew back to Shirabad to meet Hank.
As dusk fell, the three Americans ate a supper of canned beef and potatoes cooked over a blazing campfire.
“Oh-oh! We ain’t alone, boss,” Chow said suddenly. His keen eyes had detected a movement on the skyline.
Tom conned the cliffs through binoculars and made out at least two figures-evidently lookouts watching the camp. The darkness deepened. Suddenly a flare shot up from the cliffs.
Was it a signal? Were the campers about to be attacked?
CHAPTER X
MAGNETIC HOMING PIGEON
TENSELY Bud eyed the cliffs from which the flare had appeared.
“What if they jump us?” he asked.
Tom tried to sound more confident than he felt. “No reason why they should.
We haven’t harmed anyone, and so far as I know, the people inhabiting these mountains aren’t hostile to strangers.”
“I sure wouldn’t call it friendly-the way them sidewinders is spyin’ on us,”
Chow grumbled. He scratched his stubby chin thoughtfully, then added, “On the other hand, Injuns out West used to spy on wagon trains without attackin’.”