MAN OR MONSTER?
When Muda Saffir from the two Dyaks who had him news of the he to the long-house and the of the who there that that the have at once two manned. Now the power of the old Malay from one end of this great river on which the long-house to the other, and though not all the to him, yet there were who would not him with men and when he them; for his him often up and the stream, and with his it was possible for him to and terrible upon those who him.
When he had his to the chief, the latter, though at and Muda Saffir, not refuse; but to a second he offered opposition until the to out his entire should he not to his demands.
The thing which the to had to Muda Saffir as he walked from the river after with the two Dyak messengers. The of the treasure, the while he to the Ninaka, his with happiness. Now if he but once more himself of the girl! And why not? There was only the old man, a Chinaman and Horn to prevent it, and the were that they all were asleep.
So he to the the plan that had so to his mind.
"Three men with may easily the old man, his and the Chinaman," he said, "and then we can take the girl along with us."
The at first, point-blank, to be a party to any such proceedings. He what had to the Sakkaran Dyaks after they had a party of Englishmen, and he did not purpose himself and his open to the of the white men who came in many and with and to take a terrible for every of white blood spilled.
So it was that Muda Saffir was to compromise, and be satisfied with the chief's in the girl, for it was not so difficult a to the that she had to the rajah, and that she had been from him by the old man and the doctor.
Virginia slept in a room with three Dyak women. It was to this that the to two of his warriors. The men the dark until they came to the sleeping of one of the Dyak women. Cautiously they her.
"Where is the white girl?" asked one of the men in a low whisper. "Muda Saffir has sent us for her. Tell her that her father is very and wants her, but do not mention Muda Saffir's name she might not come."
The Virginia and she what the of the midnight might be, for she that one of the speakers was a man, and there had been no man in the when she had gone to sleep in the night.
Presently she some one approach her, and a moment later a woman's voice her; but she not of the native to make out the message the to convey. The "father," "sick," and "come," she after repetitions, for she had up a of the Dyak language her with the natives.
The moment that the possibilities by these upon her, she to her and the woman toward the door of the apartment. Immediately without the two upon the their victim, and as Virginia passed through the she was from either side, a hand was over her mouth, and she make an to she had been to the end of the verandah, the to the ground and a moment later herself in a which was pushed into the stream.
Since Virginia had come to the long-house after her from the outangs, by Horn, Rajah Muda Saffir had very much out of sight, for he that should the girl see him she would him as the man who had her from the Ithaca. So it came as a to the girl when she the of the man she had from the two nights before, and that the Malay sat close her, and that she was again in his power. She looked now for no mercy, she to again him so easily as she had before, and so she sat with in the of the moving craft, in thoughts, and miserable.
Along the of black river that the and her that night Virginia Maxon saw no thing other than a single in a small which the of the as the two larger met and passed it, answered their hail.
Where Horn and his two Dyak had landed, Muda Saffir's and into the jungle. Rapidly they along the well toward the point by the two messengers, to come upon the spot almost with the party under Barunda's uncle, who, by the two hours previously, had been through the for an of them.
They had gone for that they might upon Ninaka's party Muda Saffir with reinforcements, and but just now had they the of their two companions. One was dead, but the other was still and had just left after the of his to that they had been by the white man who had been at the long-house where they had Muda Saffir—then the without having an opportunity to the place of the treasure, over the top of which his lay.
Now Bulan had been an of all that transpired. At he had been to come out of his place and Horn, but so much had already the of the great tree where the that he to wait until at least, for he was sure that he had by no means the last of the which the box. This was by the by Ninaka and Horn to the neighborhood as as possible, as though they that they might be should they for a moment.
Number Three and Number Twelve still slept, not having been by the by Horn. Bulan himself had after the of the doctor, but the of Barunda's uncle with his had him, and now he wide and as the second party, under Muda Saffir, came into view when they left the and entered the clearing.
His in either party was but until he saw the blouse, skirt and of the walking two of the Dyaks of Muda Saffir's company. At the same he the of the as those of the man who had the of Virginia Maxon from the Ithaca.
Like a great cat Bulan himself to all fours—every nerve and with the of the moment. Before him he saw a hundred and fifty Borneo hunters, with parangs, and sumpitans. At his slept two almost creatures—his support against the he must he to the image was in his and heart.
The out upon his as he the stock of his whip. He that he was going to his death, for as were his he that in the of the they would him little, yet he saw no other way than to by while the girl to her doom, and that he not do. He Number Twelve. "Silence!" he whispered, and "Come! The girl is here. We must save her. Kill the men," and the same to the and terrible Number Three.
Both the and rose to their hands and without noise that be above the of the natives, who had to view the of Horn's victims. Silently Bulan came to his feet, the two at his and pressing close him. Along the the three to a position in the of the natives. The girl's had with the others to join in the that the of the warrior, her upon the of the crowd.
For an a of to Virginia Maxon's mind—there was none her and the through which they had just passed. Though unknown in the black and of the forest, would not death in any be to the which her in the person of the Malay pirate?
She had to take the step toward when three from the of her. She saw the war-caps, shields, and war-coats, and her sank. Here were others of the rajah's party—stragglers who had come just in time to her plans. How large these men were—she had a native of such proportions; and now they had come close to her, and as the to speak to her she in fear. Then, to her surprise, she in English; "Come quietly, while they are not looking."
She the voice familiar, but not place it, though her that it might to the of her dreams. He out and took her hand and together they and walked toward the jungle, by the two who had him.
Scarcely had they the one of the Dyaks it had been to the girl that she was gone. With a he his fellows, and in another a pair of the movement of the four who had now into a run.
With the entire of in pursuit. Bulan Virginia in his arms and on ahead of Number Twelve and Number Three. A of from a hundred about them, and then Muda Saffir called to his to using their blow-pipes they kill the girl.
Into the the four while close them came the pack of savages. Now one closed upon Number Three only to with a as the their upon him. A close to Number Twelve, but his own, which he had now learned to with effect, through the warrior's him wide to the bone.
Thus they the while they their way and into the dark of the vegetation. The of the was by the two monsters, for Bulan was Virginia, and a little ahead of his to the girl's safety.
Now and then of moonlight through occasional openings in the to Virginia the that was being for of her, and once, when Number Three toward her after of a new assailant, she was to see the and terrible of the creature. A moment later she of Number Twelve's face. She was appalled.
Could it be that she had been from the Malay to into the hands of and without souls? She up at the of him who her. In the of the night she had not yet had an opportunity to see the of the man, but after a at those of his two she to think of the thing that might be to her.
Could it be that she had at last into the hands of the and terrible Number Thirteen! Instinctively she from with the man in arms she had been without a of until the itself that he might be the of her father's experimentation, to arms she had been by the of her parent.
The man her now to give himself use of his right arm, for the were pressing more closely upon Twelve and Three, and the it for the girl to see his in the more places.
But she see the two who ran and just them, and she at her fate. For should the three be successful in her away from the Dyaks she must an unknown doom, while should the her there was the terrible Malay into she had already twice fallen.
Now the were pressing closer, and suddenly, as the girl looked directly at him, a passed through the of Number Three. Clutching at the from his the thing on for a dozen paces, and then to the ground as two of the upon him with parangs. An later Virginia Maxon saw the and high in the hand of a dancing, savage.
The man who her was now to turn and off the enemy that pressed past Number Twelve. The and across the and of the Dyaks. It was a when by the Herculean that rolled and Bulan's sun-tanned skin, and many were the that its lash.
Virginia see that the who her was not of body, but she from the of what a of his might reveal. How much longer the two off the at their the girl not guess; and as a of she was to the outcome of the strange, that was being with herself as the victor's spoil.
The country now was and more open. The to be leading into a range of low hills, where the less dense, and the way and rugged. They had entered a narrow when Number Twelve a dozen parangs. Again the girl saw a on high and the fierce, wild of victory. She how long it would be the her would add his to the of the hunt.
In the that the had paused to Number Twelve's head, Bulan had fifty yards upon them, and then, of a sudden, he came to a across the narrow he had been following. Ahead there was no way—a cat have that barrier—but to the right he what appeared to be a and up the canyon's side, and with a he along it to where it the wall.
There he turned, winded, to the foe. Here was a spot where a single man might an army, and Bulan had been quick to see the natural of it. He the girl upon her a of the canyon's which rose to a still above them. Then he to the that was up the narrow toward him.
At his an of from the above, and as a sped, singing, close above his shoulder, the a use for the and which about him in such profusion. Many of the pieces were large, twenty and thirty pounds, and some as much as fifty. Picking up one of the larger Bulan it high above his head, and then it the warriors. In an reigned, for the had a score of the pursuers, arms and in its descent.
Missile after Bulan upon the struggling, Dyaks, until, by panic, they and into the of the and along the narrow they had come, and then the that the had started, for one to another that this was the terrible Bulan and that he had but them on into the that he might call all his and them.
For a moment Bulan the savages, a upon his lips, and then as the he to the girl.
As Virginia Maxon saw the of the where she had to the and of a monster, she gave a quick little of and relief.
"Thank God!" she fervently. "Thank God that you are a man—I that I was in the of the and monster, Number Thirteen."
The upon the man's died. An of pain, and hopelessness, and across his features. The girl saw the change, and wondered, but how she the her had inflicted?
