the monster men-第17章

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nce　as　they　danced　and　howled；　menacing　and　intimidating；　in　the　path　of　the　charging　foe。

A　single　backward　glance　was　all　that　Virginia　Maxon　found　it　possible　to　throw　in　the　direction　of　the　rescue　party；　and　in　that　she　saw　a　sight　that　lived　forever　in　her　memory。　　At　the　head　of　his　hideous；　misshapen　pack　sprang　the　stalwart　young　giant　straight　into　the　heart　of　the　flashing　parangs　of　the　howling　savages。　　To　right　and　left　fell　the　mighty　bull　whip　cutting　down　men　with　all　the　force　and　dispatch　of　a　steel　saber。　The　Dyaks；　encouraged　by　the　presence　of　Muda　Saffir　in　their　rear；　held　their　ground；　and　the　infuriated；　brainless　things　that　followed　the　wielder　of　the　bull　whip　threw　themselves　upon　the　head　hunters　with　beating　hands　and　rending　fangs。

Number　Ten　wrested　a　parang　from　an　adversary；　and　acting　upon　his　example　the　other　creatures　were　not　long　in　arming　themselves　in　a　similar　manner。　Cutting　and　jabbing　they　hewed　their　way　through　the　solid　ranks　of　the　enemy；　until　Muda　Saffir；　seeing　that　defeat　was　inevitable　turned　and　fled　toward　his　prahu。

Four　of　his　creatures　lay　dead　as　the　last　of　the　Dyaks　turned　to　escape　from　the　mad　white　man　who　faced　naked　steel　with　only　a　rawhide　whip。　　In　panic　the　head　hunters　made　a　wild　dash　for　the　two　remaining　prahus；　for　Muda　Saffir　had　succeeded　in　getting　away　from　the　island　in　safety。

Number　Thirteen　reached　the　water's　edge　but　a　moment　after　the　prow　of　the　rajah's　craft　had　cleared　the　shore　and　was　swinging　up　stream　under　the　vigorous　strokes　of　its　fifty　oarsmen。　　For　an　instant　he　stood　poised　upon　the　bank　as　though　to　spring　after　the　retreating　prahu；　but　the　knowledge　that　he　could　not　swim　held　him　backit　was　useless　to　throw　away　his　life　when　the　need　of　it　was　so　great　if　Virginia　Maxon　was　to　be　saved。

Turning　to　the　other　prahus　he　saw　that　one　was　already　launched；　but　that　the　crew　of　the　other　was　engaged　in　a　desperate　battle　with　the　seven　remaining　members　of　his　crew　for　possession　of　the　boat。　　Leaping　among　the　combatants　he　urged　his　fellows　aboard　the　prahu　which　was　already　half　filled　with　Dyaks。　　Then　he　shoved　the　boat　out　into　the　river；　jumping　aboard　himself　as　its　prow　cleared　the　gravelly　beach。

For　several　minutes　that　long；　hollowed　log　was　a　veritable　floating　hell　of　savage；　screaming　men　locked　in　deadly　battle。　　The　sharp　parangs　of　the　head　hunters　were　no　match　for　the　superhuman　muscles　of　the　creatures　that　battered　them　about；　now　lifting　one　high　above　his　fellows　and　using　the　body　as　a　club　to　beat　down　those　nearby；　again　snapping　an　arm　or　leg　as　one　might　break　a　pipe　stem；　or　hurling　a　living　antagonist　headlong　above　the　heads　of　his　fellows　to　the　dark　waters　of　the　river。　　And　above　them　all　in　the　thickest　of　the　fight；　towering　even　above　his　own　giants；　rose　the　mighty　figure　of　the　terrible　white　man；　whose　very　presence　wrought　havoc　with　the　valor　of　the　brown　warriors。

Two　more　of　Number　Thirteen's　creatures　had　been　cut　down　in　the　prahu；　but　the　loss　among　the　Dyaks　had　been　infinitely　greater；　and　to　it　was　now　added　the　desertions　of　the　terror　stricken　savages　who　seemed　to　fear　the　frightful　countenances　of　their　adversaries　even　as　much　as　they　did　their　prowess。

There　remained　but　a　handful　of　brown　warriors　in　one　end　of　the　boat　when　the　advantage　of　utilizing　their　knowledge　of　the　river　and　of　navigation　occurred　to　Number　Thirteen。　　Calling　to　his　men　he　commanded　them　to　cease　killing；　making　prisoners　of　those　who　remained　instead。　　So　accustomed　had　his　pack　now　become　to　receiving　and　acting　upon　his　orders　that　they　changed　their　tactics　immediately；　and　one　by　one　the　remaining　Dyaks　were　overpowered；　disarmed　and　held。

With　difficulty　Number　Thirteen　communicated　with　them；　for　among　them　there　was　but　a　single　warrior　who　had　ever　had　intercourse　with　an　Englishman；　but　at　last　by　means　of　signs　and　the　few　words　that　were　common　to　them　both　he　made　the　native　understand　that　he　would　spare　the　lives　of　himself　and　his　companions　if　they　would　help　him　in　pursuit　of　Muda　Saffir　and　the　girl。

The　Dyaks　felt　but　little　loyalty　for　the　rascally　Malay　they　served；　since　in　common　with　all　their　kind　they　and　theirs　had　suffered　for　generations　at　the　hands　of　the　cruel；　crafty　and　unscrupulous　race　that　had　usurped　the　administration　of　their　land。　　So　it　was　not　difficult　to　secure　from　them　the　promise　of　assistance　in　return　for　their　lives。

Number　Thirteen　noticed　that　when　they　addressed　him　it　was　always　as　Bulan；　and　upon　questioning　them　he　discovered　that　they　had　given　him　this　title　of　honor　partly　in　view　of　his　wonderful　fighting　ability　and　partly　because　the　sight　of　his　white　face　emerging　from　out　of　the　darkness　of　the　river　into　the　firelight　of　their　blazing　camp　fire　had　carried　to　their　impressionable　minds　a　suggestion　of　the　tropic　moon　which　they　admired　and　reverenced。　　Both　the　name　and　the　idea　appealed　to　Number　Thirteen　and　from　that　time　he　adopted　Bulan　as　his　rightful　cognomen。

The　loss　of　time　resulting　from　the　fight　in　the　prahu　and　the　ensuing　peace　parley　permitted　Muda　Saffir　to　put　considerable　distance　between　himself　and　his　pursuers。　　The　Malay's　boat　was　now　alone；　for　of　the　eight　prahus　that　remained　of　the　original　fleet　it　was　the　only　one　which　had　taken　this　branch　of　the　river；　the　others　having　scurried　into　a　smaller　southerly　arm　after　the　fight　upon　the　island；　that　they　might　the　more　easily　escape　their　hideous　foemen。

Only　Barunda；　the　headman；　knew　which　channel　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　intended　following；　and　Muda　wondered　why　it　was　that　the　two　boats　that　were　to　have　borne　Barunda's　men　did　not　catch　up　with　his。　　While　he　had　left　Barunda　and　his　warriors　engaged　in　battle　with　the　strangers　he　did　not　for　an　instant　imagine　that　they　would　suffer　any　severe　loss；　and　that　one　of　their　boats　should　be　captured　was　beyond　belief。　But　this　was　precisely　what　had　happened；　and　the　second　boat；　seeing　the　direction　taken　by　the　enemy；　had　turned　down　stream　the　more　surely　to　escape　them。

So　it　was　that　while　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　moved　leisurely　up　the　river　toward　his　distant　stronghold　waiting　for　the　other　boats　of　his　fleet　to　overtake　him；　Barunda；　the　headman；　guided　the　white　enemy　swiftly　after　him。　Barunda　had　discovered　that　it　was　the　girl　alone　this　white　man　wanted。　　Evidently　he　either　knew　nothing　of　the　treasure　chest　lying　in　the　bottom　of　Muda　Saffir's　boat；　or；　knowing；　was　indifferent。　　In　either　event　Barunda　thought　that　he　saw　a　chance　to　possess　himself　of　the　rich　contents　of　the　heavy　box；　and　so　served　his　new　master　with　much　greater　enthusiasm　than　he　had　the　old。

Beneath　the　paddles　of　the　natives　and　the　five　remaining　members　of　his　pack　Bulan　sped　up　the　dark　river　after　the　single　prahu　with　its　priceless　freight。　　Already　six　of　the　creatures　of　Professor　Maxon's　experiments　had　given　up　their　lives　in　the　service　of　his　daughter；　and　the　remaining　six　were　pushing　forward　through　the　inky　blackness　of　the　jungle　night　into　the　untracked　heart　of　savage　Borneo　to　rescue　her　from　her　abductors　though　they　sacrificed　their　own　lives　in　the　endeavor。

Far　ahead　of　them　in　the　bottom　of　the　great　prahu　crouched　the　girl　they　sought。　　Her　thoughts　were　of　the　man　she　felt　intuitively　to　possess　the　strength；　endurance　and　ability　to　overcome　every　obstacle　and　reach　her　at　last。　　Would　he　come　in　time？　　Ah；　that　was　the　question。　　The　mystery　of　the　stranger　appealed　to　her。　　A　thousand　times　she　had　attempted　to　solve　the　question　of　his　first　appearance　on　the　island　at　the　very　moment　that　his　mighty　muscles　were　needed　to　rescue　her　from　the　horrible　creature　of　her　father's　creation。　Then　there　was　his　unaccountable　disappearance　for　weeks；　there　was　von　Horn's　strange　reticence　and　seeming　ignorance　as　to　the　circumstances　which　brought　the　young　man　to　the　island；　or　his　equally　unaccountable　disappearance　after　having　rescued　her　from　Number　One。　And　now；　when　she　suddenly　found　herself　in　need　of　protection；　here　was　the　same　young　man　turning　up　in　a　most　miraculous　fashion；　and　at　the　head　of　the　terrible　creatures　of　the　inner　campong。　

The　riddle　was　too　deep　for　hershe　could　not　solve　it；　and　then　her　thoughts　were　interrupted　by　the　thin；　brown　hand　of　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　as　it　encircled　her　waist　and　drew　her　toward　him。　　Upon　the　evil　lips　were　hot　words　of　passion。　　The　girl　wrenched　herself　from　the　man's　embrace；　and；　with　a　little　scream　of　terror；　sprang　to　her　feet；　and　as　Muda　Saffir　arose　to　grasp　her　again　she　struck　him　full　in　the　face　with　one　small；　clenched　fist。

Directly　behind　the　Malay　lay　the　heavy　chest　of　Professor　Maxon。　　As　the　man　stepped　backward　to　recover　his　equilibrium　both　feet　struck　the　obstacle。　For　an　instant　he　tottered　with　wildly　waving　arms　in　an　endeavor　to　regain　his　lost　balance；　then；　with　a　curse　upon　his　lips；　he　lunged　across　the　box　and　over　the　side　of　the　prahu　into　the　dark　waters　of　the　river。



10

DESPERATE　CHANCE


The　great　chest　in　the　bottom　of　Rajah　Muda　Saffir's　prahu　had　awakened　in　other　hearts　as　well　as　his；　blind　greed　and　avarice；　so　that　as　it　had　been　the　indirect　cause　of　his　disaster　it　now　proved　the　incentive　to　another　to　turn　the　mishap　to　his　own　profit；　and　to　the　final　undoing　of　the　Malay。

The　panglima　Ninaka　of　the　Signana　Dyaks　who　manned　Muda　Saffir's　war　prahu　saw　his　chief　disappear　beneath　the　swift　waters　of　the　river；　but　the　word　of　command　that　would　have　sent　the　boat　hurriedly　back　to　pick　up　the　swimmer　was　not　given。　　Instead　a　lusty　cry　for　greater　speed　ahead　urged　the　sinuous　muscles　gliding　beneath　the　sleek　brown　hides；　and　when　Muda　Saffir　rose　to　the　surface　with　a　cry　for　help　upon　his　lips　Ninaka　shouted　back　to　him　in　derision；　consigning　his　carcass　to　the　belly　of　the　nearest　crocodile。

In　futile　rage　Muda　Saffir　called　down　the　most　terrible　curses　of　Allah　and　his　Prophet　upon　the　head　of　Ninaka　and　his　progeny　to　the　fifth　generation；　and　upon　the　shades　of　his　forefathers；　and　upon　the　grim　skulls　which　hung　from　the　rafters　of　his　long…house。　Then　he　turned　and　swam　rapidly　toward　the　shore。

Ninaka；　now　in　possession　of　both　the　chest　and　the　girl；　was　rich　indeed；　but　with　Muda　Saffir　dead　he　scarce　knew　to　whom　he　could　dispose　of　the　white　girl　for　a　price　that　would　make　it　worth　while　to　be　burdened　with　the　danger　and　responsibility　of　retaining　her。　He　had　had　some　experience　of　white　men　in　the　past　and　knew　that　dire　were　the　punishments　meted　to　those　who　wronged　the　white　man's　women。　　All　through　the　remainder　of　the　long　night　Ninaka　pondered　the　question　deeply。　　At　last　he　turned　to　Virginia。

〃Why　does　the　big　white　man　who　leads　the　ourang　outangs　follow　us？〃　he　asked。　　〃Is　it　the　chest　he　desires；　or　you？〃

〃It　is　certainly　not　the　chest；〃　replied　the　girl。　〃He　wishes　to　take　me　back　to　my　father；　that　is　all。　If　you　will　return　me　to　him　you　may　keep　the　chest；　if　that　is　what　you　wish。〃

Ninaka　looked　at　her　quizzically　for　a　moment。　Evidently　then　she　was　of　some　value。　　Possibly　should　he　retain　her　he　could　wring　a　handsome　ransom　from　the　white　man。　　He　would　wait　and　see；　it　were　always　an　e