Chapter I: Front Matter

THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN

A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY

BY JOHN BLAINE

GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, N. Y. 1962

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

_Printed in the United States of America_

_THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN_

Rock, melting like butter on a hot stove! It is hard to believe,
but that is what happens on San Luz, a small island off the coast
of South America. When Rick Brant and his pal Dan Scott fly to the
famous resort island to join Rick's father, head of the Spindrift
Scientific Foundation, a seemingly inactive volcano is about to
explode in an eruption which could easily blow San Luz off the map.

The immediate threat is to a small town at the foot of the volcano,
where the air reeks with the fumes of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur
dioxide, and it is here that Rick and Scotty help Dr. Brant and his
scientist associates set up headquarters, in the hope of finding a
way of controlling an eruption that is growing into a certainty
with fantastic speed.

But their efforts to save the island town are hindered by the
superior forces of nature, the superstitious fatalism of the
people--and sabotage!

With the earth opening up all around them, Rick, Scotty, and the
scientists have little hope of preventing a catastrophe, until a
decision is made to unleash the awesome power of atomic energy in a
desperate last attempt to fight the volcanic eruption.

Jam-packed with excitement and swift, tense action, _The Flaming
Mountain_ has all the elements that have made the Rick Brant
Science Adventure series a favorite with boys all over the world.

Contents

I VULCAN'S HAMMER

II SAN LUZ

III FIRING PARTIES

IV SEISMIC TRACINGS

V DYNAMITE MISSING

VI DANGEROUS TRAIL

VII CASA GUEVARA

VIII THE GOVERNOR VANISHES

IX THE YELLOW GROUND

X THE VOLCANIC PIPE

XI EARTHQUAKE!

XII THE RISING MAGMA

XIII ARMED REVOLT

XIV NIGHT PATROL

XV STALEMATE

XVI THE BRANT APPROACH

XVII SOLUTION: NUCLEAR

XVIII THE SEABEES

XIX THE OLD ONE YIELDS

XX A FEW SOUVENIRS

List of Illustrations

_Rick and Scotty's scale model of San Luz Island_

_Spindrift Island_

_Rick swung the Sky Wagon onto a northward course that would take them past the volcano_

_Connel was alone in the jeep_

_The three invaders waited while the long minutes ticked away_

_"They're shooting at us!" Rick exclaimed, and gave the plane the gun_

THE FLAMING MOUNTAIN