The boys jumped to their feet. The giant mechanic, a big grin splitting his face, strode up to the fire. Biff and Chuba leaped on him, pounding him on the back.
“Easy boys. Easy. I’m footsore and bone-tired from walking over these here mountains. Never had anything like them back in good old Kentucky.”
“How’d you get here? Was that your plane? Who was flying it? Where’d you land? Is my uncle safe?” Biff’s questions shot out in a rapid-fire burst.
“Easy, Biff. Easy. One at a time. Now I’ll try to answer your quiz program. No word from your uncle. Yep, that was me in that plane that flew over here a coupla hours ago. Jack Hudson was flying her. We touched down just long enough for me to hop out. Jack’s almost back to Unhao by now. Now how ’bout a spot of China tea? I’m tired and hungry.”
“Me fix, Muscles. Right away. Chop. Chop.” Chuba got busy. More wood went on the fire. Out came the all-purpose can, this time to boil water for Muscles’ tea.
“Now what about you two? Give me a fill-in.”
Biff quickly sketched the happenings since he and Chuba had slipped out of the camp at Unhao.
“So you think someone’s spotted you?” Muscles asked.
“I’m sure of it. Someone sure knows Uncle Charlie’s being looked for. We’ve been getting more information than they hand out at Grand Central Station in New York.”
“And you’ve been told that a plane came down near a place called Jaraminka.”