A NEW FACE
As Professor Maxon and Horn from the to their own campong, they neglected, in their haste, to lock the door between, and for the time since the was it and ajar.
The had been in taking of the of his latest experiment, the while he the man in the of spoken language, and now the of his labors himself and alone. He had not yet been without the four of the workshop, as the had to keep him from with the results of his experiments, and now a natural him to approach the door through which his and the man with the had so disappeared.
He saw him a great by a dome, and the the of green trees in the soft breezes. His the of fresh earth and things. For the time he the of Nature, free and unconfined, upon his brow.
He his to its full and in the and the of it all, his great to their fullest; and with the taste he learned to the close and of his prison.
His mind was with wonder at the of new which to his brain through every sense. He for more, and the open of the was a needed to pass to the wide world beyond. With the free and easy of of self, he passed across the and out into the which the and the jungle.
Ah, here was a still more world! The green to him, and at their he came and the out its arms to him. Now him, behind, on either there was but green with of color that him in wonderment.
Brilliant rose from it all, and above his head—he that the flowers and the were the same, and when he out and a blossom, tenderly, he that it did not in his hand. On and on he walked, but slowly, for he must not miss a single in the and place; and then, of a sudden, the of the was by the of a through the underbrush.
Number Thirteen was in a little open place in the when the note upon his ears, and as he his in the direction of the he was at the of the thing which through the him.
What a creature! But on the same his upon another in the arms of the terrible one. This one was different—very different,—soft and and white. He what it all meant, for was and new to him; but when he saw the of the one upon him, and her arms toward him, though he did not the upon her lips, he that she was in distress. Something told him that it was the thing that her that was the author of her suffering.
Virginia Maxon had been from when she saw a white man, in coarse, white, native pajamas, her and the that was her away to what she but conjecture.
At the of the man her voice returned with returning hope, and she her arms toward him, calling upon him to save her. Although he did not respond she that he for he toward them her was uttered.
As before, when Sing had to his new from him, Number One the girl with one hand while he met the attack of this new with the other; but here was very different metal than had to him before.
It is true that Number Thirteen nothing of personal combat, but Number One had but little of him in the of experience, while the was with great natural as well as no less powerful than his predecessor.
So it was that the his single hand to with the of his foeman, and in a powerful at his throat. Still to his upon his prize, he at the of his enemy, but at last the of him to the girl and with the man who him with one hand and and upon his and with the other.
His to the ground, too weak from the of to escape, and with horror-filled the two who over her. She saw that her would-be was and featured—all together a very of manhood; and to her great it was soon that he was no match for the great of that he fought.
Both and and and in the of mad, strife, about on the soft of the almost for their and an occasional beast-like from Number One. For minutes they thus until the man succeeded in hands upon the of his adversary, and then, relentlessly, he the with him from the ground and him against the of a tree. Again and again he the thing upon the wood, until at last it and in his clutches, then he it from him, and without another at it toward the girl.
Here was a problem indeed. Now that he had her, what was he to do with her? He was but an adult child, with the brain and of a man, and the and of the new-born. And so he as a child acts, in of what it has others do. The had been the creature, therefore that must be the thing for him to do, and so he and Virginia Maxon in his great arms.
She to tell him that she walk after a moment's rest, but it was soon that he did not her, as a puzzled came to his and he did not put her as she asked. Instead he for a time, and then moved slowly through the jungle. By his direction was toward the camp, and this so the girl's mind that presently she was from to in his arms.
After a moment she to look up into his face. She that she had so clean cut features, or a more high and countenance, and she how it was that this white man was upon the and she not have it. Possibly he was a new arrival—his presence by her father. That he was neither English American was from the that he not her native tongue. Who he be! What was he doing upon their island!
As she his he his upon her, and as she looked away she was with herself as she a her cheek. The man only sensed, in a of way, the meaning of the tell color and the eyes; but he aware of the pressure of her against his, as he had not been before. Now he his upon her as he walked, and a new his breast. He did not it, but it was very pleasant, and he that it was of the thing that he in his arms.
The that had Horn and Professor Maxon them along the toward the east of the island, and about of the they upon the and Sing just as he was on the point of consciousness.
"For God's sake, Sing, what is the matter?" Horn. "Where is Miss Maxon?"
"Big blute, he Linee. Tly kill Sing. Head tlee. No see any more. Wakee up—all glone," the Chinaman as he to his feet.
"Which way did he take her?" Horn.
Sing's quick the jungle, and in a moment, to his feet, he cried, "Look see, klick! Foot plint!" and ran, weak and drunkenly, along the by the and its prey.
Von Horn and Professor Maxon closely in Sing's wake, the man by the terrible possibilities that themselves into his despite his every to himself that no come to Virginia Maxon they her. The girl's father had not spoken since they that she was missing from the campong, but his was white and drawn; his wide and as those of one mind is on the of from a great shock.
The of the was erratic. A dozen through the underbrush, then a turn at right for no reason, only to again in a new direction! Thus, and twisting, the way them toward the south end of the island, until Sing, who was in advance, gave a of surprise.
"Klick! Look see!" he excitedly. "Blig dead—vely dead."
Von Horn to where the Chinaman was over the of Number One. Sure enough, the great motionless, its more in death than in life, if it were possible. The was black, the protruded, the skin was from the of his and the thick and from impact with the tree.
Professor Maxon over Horn's shoulder. "Ah, Number One," he sighed, "that you should have come to such an end—my child, my child."
Von Horn looked at him, a of in his hard face. It touched the man that his was at last from the of his work to a of the love and he his daughter; he that the professor's last to Virginia.
"Though there are twelve more," Professor Maxon, "you were my son and I loved you most, dear child."
The man was horrified.
"My God, Professor!" he cried. "Are you mad? Can you call this thing 'child' and over it when you do not yet know the of your own daughter?"
Professor Maxon looked up sadly. "You do not understand, Dr. Horn," he coldly, "and you will me, in the future, by not again to the of my labors as 'things.'"
With an look upon his Horn his upon the older man—what little of and he had for him gone forever. Sing was looking about for of the of Number One's death and the direction in which Virginia Maxon had disappeared.
"What on earth have killed this brute, Sing? Have you any idea?" asked Horn.
The Chinaman his head.
"No savvy," he replied. "Blig flight. Look see," and he pointed to the and turf, the bushes, and to one or two small trees that had been off by the impact of the two that had and about the little clearing.
"This way," Sing presently, and started off once more into the brush, but this time in a direction, toward camp.
In the three men the new trail, all puzzled measure to account for the death of Number One at the hands of what must have been a of strength. What it have been! It was that any of the Malays or have done the thing, and there were no other creatures, or human, upon the large to have for an with the of the monster, except—von Horn's brain came to a at the thought. Could it be? There no other explanation. Virginia Maxon had been from one to into the hands of another and terrifying.
Others then must have from the campong. Von Horn his in their holsters, and took a fresh upon his as he Sing upon the trail. He which one it was, but not once did it to him that the latest result of Professor Maxon's be the of Virginia Maxon. In his mind he see only the of one of the others.
Quite they came upon the two, and with a Horn forward, his upraised. Number Thirteen in at the cry, and a new for her who in his arms, he set her upon the ground him and to meet his assailant.
"Out of the way, you—monstrosity," Horn. "If you have Miss Maxon I'll put a in your heart!"
Number Thirteen did not the that the other to him but he the man's as menacing, not to himself, but to the he now his particular charge; and so he met the man, more to keep him from the girl than to offer him for he him as one of the two who had his consciousness.
Von Horn, possibly intentionally, the other's motive, and his Number Thirteen a cut across the face, at the same time his point blank at the breast. But he the an of was upon him, and he to the of the with five at his throat.
His in the air, and then another hand it from him and it into the underbrush. Number Thirteen nothing of the of firearms, but the noise had him and his with the cut of the him that this other was some of of of which it would be as well to his antagonist.
Virginia Maxon looked on in as she that her was Dr. Horn to death. With a little she to her and ran toward them, just as her father from the through which he had been in the of the Chinaman and Horn. Placing her hand upon the great of the she to his from Horn's throat, meanwhile with voice and for the life of the man she loved her.
Again Number Thirteen the without the words, and Horn permitted him to rise. With a he was upon his and at the same his other gun from his and it upon the man who had him; but as his upon the Virginia Maxon them and Horn's the of the gun just as the exploded. Simultaneously Professor Maxon from his and him with the of a maniac.
"Fool!" he cried. "What would you do? Kill—," and then of a he his daughter's presence and the for the of the from her knowledge.
"I am at you, Dr. Horn," he in a more level voice. "You must have to thus attack a upon our until you know he be friend or foe. Come! Escort my to the camp, while I make the proper to this gentleman." As he saw that Virginia and Horn hesitated, he his in a tone, adding; "Quick, now; do as I you."
The moment had Horn an opportunity to his self-control, and as well as did his employer, but from another motive, the of the truth from the girl, he took her arm and her from the scene. At Professor Maxon's direction Sing them.
Now in Number Thirteen's career he had no other authority than Professor Maxon's, and so it was that when his master a hand upon his he him while another walked away with the he had his very own.
Until after dark the the man in the jungle, and then, safe from detection, him to the laboratory.
