Free Sword in Sheath by Andre Norton Page A

and intends to keep it in his own pocket.”
    “Any suggestion as to what that something big might be?”
    “Oh, there are several different ones, ranging from buried treasure to oil. But everyone is certain it is a rich find. Hakroun doesn't trouble to deal in anything less than millions. Anyway, he and his agents discourage southern travel. Where does that leave us?”
    “If I know van Bleeker it leaves us preparing for a fight. I don't think the captain is going to honor any ‘No Trespassing’ signs if they interfere with his own plans — he's as much as said that already. But what about our own little problem of the missing man? That trader have any bright ideas on the subject?”
    “He said that hundreds could be hiding out down there, there's room enough — ”
    “Hiding out voluntarily, yes. But marooned involuntarily, I wonder. Hiding out — Does that expression give you any ideas now? Did he use just that term?”
    “He did!”
    Kane grinned. “Ironjaw might be amused atthat. ‘Hidingout’, a very thought-provoking term. We had better do a little poking around down south too.”
    “Haven't you always intended to?”
    “Naturally. And now we have such a good excuse for being stubborn about it too!”
    Beaming contentedly upon the world, as represented by the dust, smells and heat of Manado, they turned back toward the Harmonie Club and the company of Lorens, whom they discovered seated by himself at a table in the bar.
    “Where's all the population?” Kane surveyed the somewhat bare room.
    “Most of them are not back from captivity yet, I gather.” The Netherlander shut the notebook in which he had been scribbling. “The plantations have not begun to produce again, and the Sumba is one of the first privately owned vessels to touch this port since the war ended. Did you get a good look at the town?”
    “We did some shopping. Show him your new luck piece, Sam.”
    The Nisei rang the dollar on the table, and Lorens picked it up.
    “We think it's a remainder from the clipper ship days — when the tea trade was on with China — lots of our ships in these waters then,” Kane explained.
    But the Netherlander had taken out a jeweler's glass and was now examining one side of the coin closely.
    “What is it? Secret writing or something?” asked Sam.
    To their surprise Lorens was sober enough when he answered. “Almost that. In the first place this has been someone else's lucky piece. See this tiny hole — that was made for a ring — perhaps to suspend the coin from a watch chain. And there is something scratched on it — ”
    “What?”
    “The letters ‘R’ and ‘S’ and the numerals ‘1944’.”
    “R and S — Rodney Safield!”

    “Or maybe Rudolph Schmidt,” returned Sam to his companion's jubilation. “More than one man in this world has those two initials. Did his father say anything about his having such a luck charm?”
    Kane tried to remember the details on that sheet of identification particulars they had received from Col. Thurston. But he was sure there had been no mention of such a coin.
    “Coincidence is a strange thing,” commented Lorens. “You may not be right about this dollar — and then again it may be a real clue. Where did you get it?”
    But Sam was already on his feet. “Clue or not, I’m going back and have another talk with that trader. If he thinks we mean business about this he may open up — ”
    With Kane and Lorens at his heels, the ex-sergeant wove back through the hut maze to the shelter which had been a squatting place for the Japanese merchant. But now no one came in answer to Sam's hail, and when the three crowded into the dusky room it was to find it empty of both occupant and trade goods.
    “Hi!” Kane jumped through the door and clamped hands on a small naked figure who wriggled as desperately as a fish for an instant, then hung limp and shivering in the American's grip. “He was peeking around the corner at us,” explained the captor.