THE SOUL OF NUMBER 13
Scarcely had the Ithaca the which almost across the mouth of the little where she had been for so many months than the upon her in all its fury. Bududreen was no sailor, but he was handed, is it to that with a full he have the which upon the vessel. Buffeted by great waves, and of every of by the of the wind that about her, the Ithaca a soon after the her.
Below the girl to a as the ship the hurricane. For an hour the endured, and then with a crash the struck, and from to stern.
Virginia Maxon to her in prayer, for this she must surely be the end. On Bududreen and his had themselves to the masts, and as the Ithaca the the harbor, upon which she had been driven, the tall with their at the and every thing with them and of terror that were and by the wild of the night.
Twice the girl the ship upon the reef, then a great and her high into the air, her with a which to the girl to be the ship to the very of the ocean. With closed she in prayer her waiting for the moment that would the and oblivion—praying that the end might come and her from the of that had her for what an eternity.
After the last, long the Ithaca herself laboriously, drunkenly, but upon an in less waters. One long minute after another, yet no in upon the girl, and presently she that the ship had, at least temporarily, the of the elements. Now she but a roll, though the wild of the still came to her ears through the of the Ithaca's hull.
For a long hour she what had overtaken the and she had been driven, and then, with a sound, the ship stopped, around, and came to with a list to starboard. The wind about her, the rain upon her, but for a the ship quiet.
Hours passed with no other than those of the tempest. The girl no of life upon the ship. Her more and more aroused. She had that indefinable, that she was alone upon the vessel, and at length, unable to the and longer, her way to the where for an hour she to remove the hatch.
As she she failed to the of over the ship's side, or the of upon the above her. She was about to give up her work at the when the to move above her as though by some power. Fascinated, the girl in wide-eyed as one end of the rose higher and higher until a little of sky the that had come. Then the and Virginia Maxon herself looking into a and terrible face.
The dark skin was in about the and mouth. Gleaming tiger cat's teeth from to them in the upper of each ear. The ear supported weight had the skin until the long rested upon the shoulders. The and teeth the added the last touch of to this terrible countenance.
Nor was this all. A score of from the foremost. With a little Virginia Maxon to the and ran toward her stateroom. Behind her she the of many men the companionway.
As Number Thirteen came into the after the his was a of emotions. His little world had been out. His creator—the man he his only friend and benefactor—had against him. The he was either or dead; Sing had said so. He was nothing but a THING. There was no place in the world for him, and should he again Virginia Maxon, he had Horn's word for it that she would from him and him more than another.
With no plans and no he walked through the rain, of it and of the and thunder. The at length him to a stop. Mechanically he on his with his against it, and there, in the of the of the he the that in his own breast. The that rose again and again in his he by of the sweet, pure of the girl image he had set up in the temple of his being, as a gentle, divinity.
"He me without a soul," he over and over again to himself, "but I have a soul—she shall be my soul. Von Horn not to me what a is. He not know. None of them knows. I am than all the rest, for I have learned what a is. Eyes cannot see it—fingers cannot it, but he who it that it is there for it his whole with a great, love and for something than man's can gauge—something that him into paths above the plain of and men.
"Let those who will say that I have no soul, for I am satisfied with the I have found. It would permit me to on others the terrible that Professor Maxon has on me—yet he his own of a soul. It would not allow me to in the of Horn—and I am sure that Horn thinks he has a soul. And if the men who came tonight to kill have souls, then I am that my is after my own choosing—I would not for one like theirs."
The the man still musing. The had and as the the to view Number Thirteen aware that he was not alone in the campong. All about him the eleven terrible men he had from the the previous night. The of them a of new responsibilities. To them here in the would the death of Professor Maxon and the Chinaman. To turn them into the might a for Virginia Maxon were she about in search of the encampment— Number Thirteen not that she was dead. It too to that he should see her again, and he so little of death that it was for him to that that to be with the of life.
The man had to the himself—partly on account of the Professor Maxon had at him the night before, but in order that he might search for the girl. Of he had not the idea where to look for her, but as Horn had that they were upon a small he sure that he should her in time.
As he looked at the sleeping near him he that the only of his problem was to take them all with him. Number Twelve to him, and to his he him with the of the he still carried. The opened his eyes.
"Get up," said Number Thirteen.
Number Twelve rose, looking at the whip.
"We are not wanted here," said Number Thirteen. "I am going away and you are all going with me. We shall a place where we may live in peace and freedom. Are you not of always being up?"
"Yes," Number Twelve, still looking at the whip.
"You need not the whip," said the man. "I shall not use it on those who make no trouble. Wake the others and tell them what I have said. All must come with me—those who shall the whip."
Number Twelve did as he was bid. The among themselves for a minutes. Finally Number Thirteen his long to their attention.
"Come!" he said.
Nine of them after him as he toward the gate—only Number Ten and Number Three back. The man walked to where they him sullenly. The others to watch—ready to upon their new master should the of the turn against him. The two away snarling, their in rage.
"Come!" Number Thirteen.
"We will here," Number Ten. "We have not yet with Maxon."
A in the of the was about the man's wrist. Dropping the from his hand it still by the loop. At the same he himself at the of Number Ten, for he that a victory now without the of the they all would make the of his work easier.
The met the with and hands, and in another second they were locked in a clinch, at one another like two great gorillas. For a moment Number Three the battle, and then he too in to his mutineer. Number Thirteen was with his hands upon the and of his antagonist, while the long, of the had his and a dozen times. Blood them both. Number Three his weight into the with the of a bull.
Again and again he got a upon the giant's only to be by the muscles. The of the was telling upon the minds of the spectators. Presently one who was almost brainless, acting upon the of suggestion, in among the fighters, and at Number Thirteen. It was all that was needed—another second the whole upon the single man.
His him but little in the conflict—eleven to one were too great for those powerful thews. His great in his intelligence, but this in the of the weight of numbers that him. Time and again he had almost himself free only to once more—dragged by arms about his legs.
Hither and about the the until the rolled against the palisade, and here, at last, with his to the structure, Number Thirteen his feet, and with the stock of the off, for a moment, those nearest him. All were winded, but when those who were left of the eleven original to their breath, the gave them no respite, but among them with the long they had such good to and fear.
The result was as his higher had foreseen—the to the of the and a moment later he had them at his mercy. About the four who had the full of his fist, while not one but some mark of the battle.
Not a moment did he give them to after he had them he them up once more near the gate—but now they were and submissive. In he ordered them to their to their and them into the jungle, for Number Thirteen was setting out into the world with his in search of his lady love.
Once well the they to eat of the more familiar fruit which had always the of their sustenance. Thus refreshed, they set out once more after the leader who the of the tall trees the and gay, birds—and of the twelve only the leader saw the that them or the strange, of the world they trod. Chance took them toward the west until presently they upon the harbor's edge, where from the they for the time the of the little and the of beyond, until their rested at last upon the lines of Borneo.
From other points at the jungle's border two other looked out upon the scene. One was the Horn had sent to the Ithaca the night but who had the after she sailed. The other was Horn himself. And were looking out upon the of the Ithaca where it in the near the harbor's southern edge.
Neither from his place of concealment, for the Ithaca ten were into the of the basin.
Rajah Muda Saffir, by the the night as he had been about to across to Borneo, had for one of the many which the island's entire coast. It that his of was but a south of the in which he the Ithaca to be moored, and in the he to pay that a visit in the that he might learn something of about the girl from one of her crew.
The Malay had long from the Ithaca for such an act might against the larger he against her white owner, but when he the point and came in of the he put all such from him and for the to of might yet her hull.
The old had little of the the Ithaca's clean as he ordered his up her while he upon his sleeping the which protected his vice-regal from the sun.
Number Thirteen the wild with as they the vessel. With Horn he saw the which the opening of the hatch, though neither its cause. He saw the with which a dozen of the the and their as they their the of the ship.
A minutes later they a woman with them. Von Horn and Number Thirteen the girl simultaneously, but the doctor, though he ground his teeth in rage, that he was to the tragedy. Number Thirteen neither cared.
"Come!" he called to his horde. "Kill the men and save the girl—the one with the hair," he added as the came to him that none of these had a woman before. Then he from the of the jungle, across the beach and into the water, his pack at his heels.
The Ithaca now in about five of water, and the of Muda Saffir upon her side, so that those who them did not see the twelve who through the water from land. Never had any of the a larger of water than the little which through their campong, but and in that had them the of their heads. They not swim, but all were large and strong, so that they were able to push their way through the water to the very of the ship.
Here they in the deck, but in a moment Number Thirteen had solved the problem by one of the of his to close in by the ship while the others upon his and from there to the Ithaca's deck.
Number Thirteen was the to himself over the vessel's side, and as he did so he saw some dozen Dyaks preparing to her upon the opposite side. They were the last of the party—the girl was in sight. Without waiting for his men the across the deck. His one was to Virginia Maxon.
At the of his approach the Dyak turned, and at the of a white man only with a long they of anticipation, the upon the white one's as already theirs. Number Thirteen would have paid no attention to them had they not him, for he only to the girl's as as possible; but in another moment he himself by a dozen dancing wild men, looking parangs, and tauntingly.
Up the great whip, and without his speed a particle the man into the of the that him. Right and left with the of the upon heads, and arms. There was no to a in the of that onslaught, for the fell, not with the ordinary of a man-held lash, but with all the power of those and arms it.
A single the hunter, his and into the and as a bites. Again and again the leather fell, while in the Muda Saffir and his men loud of to their on the ship, and a wide-eyed girl in the of Muda Saffir's own looked on in terror, and at the man of her own she was against all these for her alone.
Virginia Maxon her as he who had for her and saved her once before, from the of her father's experiments. With hands tight pressed against her the girl forward, with excitement, every move of the lithe, figure, as, against the sky, it above the dancing, who the lash.
Muda Saffir saw that the was going against his men, and it him with anger. Turning to one of his he ordered two more of to the Ithaca's deck. As they were to their leader's there was a in the on the ship, for the three who had not the had to the which had overtaken their comrades.
As the started to the vessel's Number Thirteen's the girl in Muda Saffir's prahu, where it a little off from the Ithaca, and as the of the enemy over the rail she saw a of light the clear cut of the man above her. Virginia Maxon sent an smile—a that the giant's with and happiness—such a as men have been to and die for since woman learned the art of smiling.
Number Thirteen have many of the party they the deck, but he did not to do so. In the of the man there no place for an over an enemy, and added to this was his newly love of battle, so he was to wait until his on an with him he them. But they came of his lash. Instead, as they came above the ship's they paused, wide-eyed and terror stricken, and with of and into the sea, to those who were about to the hull.
Muda Saffir in his and the Dyaks. He did not know the of their alarm, but presently he saw it the upon the Ithaca's deck—eleven forward, and growling, to their leader's side.
At the his own dark ashen, and with he ordered his to for the open sea. The girl, too, saw the that the man upon the deck. She that they were about to attack him, and gave a little of warning, but in another she that they were his companions, for with him they to the of the ship to for a moment looking upon the Dyaks in the water below.
Two directly them, and into these the were scrambling. The of the was now making under and sail toward the mouth of the harbor, and as Number Thirteen saw that the girl was being away from him, he a to his crew, and without waiting to see if they would him into the nearer of the two beneath.
It was already with Dyaks, some of were the oars. Others of the were over the gunwale. In an in the little vessel. Savage toward the tall above them. Parangs flashed. The and cracked, and then into the of it all came a of and monsters—the giant's had at his command.
The in the was and fierce. For an the Dyaks to their own, but in the of the snarling, that them terror got the of them all, so that those who were not overcome and toward shore.
The other had not waited to its companion, but it was had under way and was now the of the fleet.
Von Horn had been an to all that had upon the of the little harbor. He had been with at of the of the of under the of Number Thirteen, and now he the outcome of the adventure.
The of the girl being away in the of the Malay to a than death, had in him and rage, but it was the life of that he was that him most. He had so sure of Professor Maxon's through either a or marriage with the girl that his now were as of one has been from him. The of the girl's and were of but secondary to him, for the man was of either love or true chivalry.
Quite the were the which on the who now himself in of a Dyak prahu. His only was of the girl being away across the of the strait. He not to what she was exposed, or what her. All he was that she had been taken by against her will. He had the look of terror in her eyes, and the die out as the that her had away from the Ithaca. His one now was to her from her and return her to her father. Of his own or profit he no single thought—it was if he for her. That would be sufficient.
Neither Number Thirteen any of his had a boat, and of the leader there was in the entire party to it at all likely that they it, but the man saw that the other were being by the long which from their sides, and he also saw the with wind, though he had but a of their purpose.
For a moment he the of the men in the nearest boat, and then he set himself to the of his own men at the and them in the manner of the implements. For an hour he with the that his party. They not to learn what was of them. The were one another, or being into the water and without the of a made.
The had them about in circles and across the harbor, but by it Number Thirteen had himself learned something of the proper method of and his craft. At last, more through accident than intent, they came opposite the mouth of the basin, and then did for them what days of upon their part might have failed to accomplish.
As they in the opening, the them, and their fast to small upon the horizon, a land the sail. The about with nose pointed toward the sea, the sail filled, and the long, narrow out of the and on over the dancing in the wake of her sisters.
On them the Dyaks who had to the beach and shrieked; Horn, from his place, looked on in wonder, and Bududreen's the that had left a party of upon the same small with him.
Smaller and smaller the as, as an arrow, she toward the of Borneo.
