"I AM COMING!"
The the of Virginia Maxon by Muda Saffir, Professor Maxon, Horn, Sing Lee and the from the of the Ithaca set out across the toward the of Borneo in the small which the doctor had in the near the harbor. The party was well with and ammunition, and the of the was packed full with and cooking utensils. Von Horn had been to see that the was with a and sail, and now, under a good the party was making excellent time toward the land of their destination.
They had the when they a ship out across the strait. Its movements their attention upon it, and later, as they nearer, they that the was a good sized with but a single and sail. For a minute or two her sail would with the wind and the make headway, then she would come about, only to repeat the same a moment later. She this way and then that, one minute what she had the minute before.
Von Horn was the to her.
"It is the Ithaca," he said, "and her Dyak are having a of a time her—she as though she were rudderless."
Von Horn ran the small of the was now with waving, natives. They were peaceful fishermen, they explained, had been in the typhoon. They had with their by this which Allah had been so as to place directly in their road. Would the Tuan Besar be so good as to tell them how to make the big steer?
Von Horn promised to help them on condition that they would him and his party to the of Rajah Muda Saffir in the of Borneo. The Dyaks agreed, and Horn his small in close under the Ithaca's stern. Here he that the had been all but unshipped, as the was over the the storm, but a single in its gudgeon. A hour's work was to repair the damage, and then the two their toward the mouth of the river up which those they had passed the night before.
Inside the river's mouth an was for the Ithaca near the very upon which the Number Thirteen and Muda Saffir's had occurred. From the of the larger the which had Bulan across the was visible, as were the of the Dyaks and the of the white giant's forces.
In the called Horn's attention to these of conflict, and the doctor his up to the and ashore, by Professor Maxon and Sing. Here they the of the four who had in an attempt to their creator's daughter, though little did any there the truth.
About the of the four were the of a dozen Dyak to the of the and the of the who had their so dearly.
"Evidently they out about the of the captive," Horn. "Let us that she did not into the of Number Thirteen—any would be than that."
"God give that that has not her," Professor Maxon. "The might but her for ransom, but should that her my prayer is that she the and the means to take her own life he had an opportunity to have his way with her."
"Amen," Horn.
Sing Lee said nothing, but in his he that Virginia Maxon was not in the power of Rajah Muda Saffir. The he had had with Number Thirteen the in the had his old toward the giant, and he was a good judge of nature to be that the girl would be safe in his keeping.
It was to the small and the entire party in the prahu. A hour later saw the mixed up the river, but not until Horn had the Ithaca and to his that the was not on her.
Far above them on the right bank Muda Saffir still in his place, for no or had passed his way since dawn. His up and the long of river that was visible from his position a toward him from stream. As it closer he it as one which had to his own his with the wild white man and his pack, and a moment later his as he saw the familiar of of his men; but who were the in the stern, and what was a Chinaman doing there upon the bow?
The was nearly opposite him he Professor Maxon and Horn as the white men of the little island. He how much they of his part in the upon their encampment. Bududreen had told him much the doctor, and as Muda Saffir the that Horn was to himself of the and the girl he that he would be safe in the man's hands so long as he out promises of one or the other over to him; and so, as he was of upon the bank and was very hungry, he and the prahu.
His men his voice and as they nothing of the of any of their fellows, the boat's toward without waiting for the from Horn. The latter, treachery, to his with rifle, but when one of the that it was the Rajah Muda Saffir who them and that he was alone Horn permitted them to nearer the shore, though he to to any and the and Sing to be on guard.
As the prahu's nose touched the bank Muda Saffir and with many of that he had from his own the night and that his him drowned, since none of his had returned to search for him. Scarcely had the Malay seated himself Horn him in the rajah's native tongue, not a word of which was to Professor Maxon. Sing, however, was as familiar with it as was Horn.
"Where are the girl and the treasure?" he asked.
"What girl, Tuan Besar?" the Malay innocently. "And what treasure? The white man speaks in riddles."
"Come, come," Horn impatiently. "Let us have no foolishness. You know perfectly well what I mean—it will go with you if we work together as friends. I want the girl—if she is unharmed—and I will the with you if you will help me to obtain them; otherwise you shall have no part of either. What do you say? Shall we be friends or enemies?"
"The girl and the were from me by a panglima, Ninaka," said Muda Saffir, that it would be as well to for the white man for the time being at least—there would always be an opportunity to use a upon him in the of the to which Muda Saffir would lead them.
"What of the white man who the monsters?" asked Horn.
"He killed many of my men, and the last I saw of him he was pushing up the river after the girl and the treasure," the Malay.
"If another should ask you," Horn with a toward Professor Maxon, "it will be well to say that the girl was by this white and that you in an attempt to her of your for us. Do you understand?"
Muda Saffir nodded. Here was a man after his own heart, which loved and duplicity. Evidently he would be a good in upon the white who had all his discomfiture—afterward there was always the if the other should inconvenient.
At the long-house at which Barunda and Ninaka had halted, Muda Saffir learned all that had transpired, his being the two Dyaks who had Bulan and his pack into the jungle. He the to Horn and men were that thus their most enemy had been of. It would be but a question of time the in the forest—that they their steps to the river was most unlikely, and the were that one by one they would be by while they slept.
Again the party embarked, by the two Dyaks who were only too to their to Muda Saffir while he was by the of the white men. On and on they up the river, from the in the long-houses of the of the two with Barunda, Ninaka, and the white girl.
Professor Maxon was to every detail that Horn from Muda Saffir and the Dyaks that were at the long-house and along the of river they covered. The doctor told him that Number Thirteen still had Virginia and was up the river in a prahu. He upon the by Muda Saffir and his men in their attempt to his daughter, and through it all Sing Lee sat with closed eyes, to all that passed him. What were the of that brain none can say.
Far in the of the Bulan and his five on in an to the river. Had they it they were moving with the stream, but a miles from it. At times it in wide close to the path of the creatures, and again it away from them.
As they they upon the fruits with which they had familiar upon the of their creation. They for of water, but upon a small at which they their stomachs. Here it to Bulan that it would be wise to the little river, since they be no more than they now were no where it should lead them, and it would at least them of fresh water.
As they the bank of the it in size until presently it a sized river, and Bulan had that it might prove the that they had from the and that soon he would meet with the and possibly Virginia Maxon herself. The of the six through the had their light into so that they were all naked, while their were and from by and through which they had their way.
Bulan still his while his five were with the they had taken from the Dyaks they had upon the at the mouth of the river. It was upon this and company that the of a score of river Dyaks through the foliage. The had been in when their quick ears the noisy passage of the six while yet at a distance, and with the toward the of the party.
At they were terror at the of five of the they beheld, but when they saw how their numbers, and how they were, as well as the with which they their parangs, their with the weapons, they took and prepared to them.
What those terrible would be when properly and decorated! The in of the they would in the of their long-house when they returned with six such trophies.
Their came on through the to where the twenty in wait for them. Bulan was in the lead, and close him in single file his crew. Suddenly there was a of close him and he himself in the of twenty cutting, parangs.
Like his into action, and to the it was as though a score of men were upon them in the person of this white giant. Following the example of their leader the five at his upon the nearest warriors, and though they their the of their and sent the already blood through many a body.
The Dyaks would have after the of their attack, but Bulan his men on after them, and so they were to to their at all. At last five of them managed to into the jungle, but fifteen upon the earth where they had fallen—the of their own over confidence. Beside them two of Bulan's five, so that now the little party was to four—and the problem that had Professor Maxon was so much closer to its own solution.
From the of the Dyaks Bulan and his three companions, Number Three, Number Ten, and Number Twelve, took cloths, caps, war-coats, and to fit them out completely, after the of their pajamas, and now, more terrible in than before, the company of their the river's brim.
The five Dyaks who had the news of the terrible that had upon them in the jungle, and of the of the white man who them. They told of how, only with a whip, he had been a match and more than a match for the best of the tribe, and the news that they started spread the river from one long-house to another until it the into which the smaller river flowed, and then it up and to the above and the in the manner that news in the wild places of the world.
So it was that as Bulan he the long-houses in his path deserted, and came to the larger river and up toward its without meeting with or a of the brown-skinned people who him from their places in the brush.
That night they slept in the long-house near the bank of the stream, while its the best of it in the behind. The next the four again on the the sun had the dark places of the forest, for Bulan was now sure that he was on the right and that the new river that he had come to was the same that he had in the Prahu with Barunda.
It must have been close to when the giant's ears the of the movement of some animal in the a to his right and away from the river. His with men had him to be wary, for it was that every man's hand was against him, so he to learn at once the noise he came from some enemy along his to upon him with at a moment that he was least prepared, or from some brute.
Cautiously he his way through the in the direction of the sound. Although a from the of a Dyak at his he his in his right hand, it to the less of the hunter. For a dozen yards he without the object of his search, but presently his were by a of a reddish, body, and a pair of close set, at him from a tree.
At the same a movement at one his attention to where another in the underbrush, and then a third, fourth and about him. Bulan looked in upon the strange, man-like who him from every hand. They as high as the Dyak warriors, but their were for the of which them, to black upon the and hands.
The of the nearest were in an angry that looking fangs, but the did not to hostilities, and as they were and but upon their own Bulan to without them further. As he to his steps he his three in wide-eyed upon the new which them.
Number Ten was broadly, while Number Three toward one of the creatures, making a low noise, that only be as peaceful and conciliatory—more like a it was than anything else.
"What are you doing?" Bulan. "Leave them alone. They have not offered to us."
"They are like us," Number Three. "They must be our own people. I am going with them."
"And I," said Number Ten.
"And I," Number Twelve. "At last we have our own, let us all go with them and live with them, away from the men who would us with great whips, and cut us with their swords."
"They are not beings," Bulan. "We cannot live with them."
"Neither are we beings," Number Twelve. "Has not Horn told us so many times?"
"If I am not now a being," Bulan, "I to be one, and so I shall act as a being should act. I shall not go to live with beasts, shall you. Come with me as I tell you, or you shall again taste the whip."
"We shall do as we please," Number Ten, his fangs. "You are not our master. We have you as long as we to. We are of walking, walking, walking through the that tear our and us. Go and be a being if you think you can, but do not longer with us or we shall kill you," and he looked at Number Three and then at Number Twelve for of his ultimatum.
Number Three his and head—he was so with long black that he more nearly an than a being. Number Twelve looked doubtful.
"I think Number Ten is right," he said at last. "We are not human. We have no souls. We are things. And while you, Bulan, are beautiful, yet you are as much a thing as we—that much Horn us well. So I that it would be were we to keep from the of men. I do not much like the of with these strange, monsters, but we might a place here in the where we live alone and in peace."
"I do not want to live alone," Number Three. "I want a mate, and I see a one now. I am going after her," and with that he again started toward a female outang; but the lady her and his advance.
"Even the will have none of us," Number Ten angrily. "Let us take them by then," and he started after Number Three.
"Come back!" Bulan, after the two deserters.
As he his voice there came an from a little ahead—a for help, and it was in the of a woman's voice.
"I am coming!" Bulan, and without another at his he through the line of outangs.
