the monster men-第11节

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d；　and　it　is　still　more　wicked　to　continue　the　work　and　bring　still　other　unfortunate　creatures　into　the　world　to　be　the　butt　and　plaything　of　cruel　fate。〃

〃He　intends　to　do　that？〃　asked　the　youth。

〃Unless　he　is　stopped；〃　replied　von　Horn。

〃He　must　be　stopped；〃　cried　the　other。　　〃Even　if　it　were　necessary　to　kill　him。〃

Von　Horn　was　quite　satisfied　with　the　turn　events　had　taken。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　turned　on　his　heel　toward　the　outer　campong。

〃If　he　had　wronged　me　as　he　has　you；　and　those　others；〃　with　a　gesture　toward　the　court　of　mystery；　〃I　should　not　be　long　in　reaching　a　decision。〃　　And　with　that　he　passed　out；　leaving　the　door　unlatched。

Von　Horn　went　straight　to　the　south　campong　and　sought　out　Bududreen。　　Motioning　the　Malay　to　follow　him　they　walked　across　the　clearing　and　entered　the　jungle　out　of　sight　and　hearing　of　the　camp。　　Sing；　hanging　clothes　in　the　north　end　of　the　clearing　saw　them　depart；　and　wondered　a　little。

〃Bududreen；〃　said　von　Horn；　when　the　two　had　reached　a　safe　distance　from　the　enclosures；　〃there　is　no　need　of　mincing　matterssomething　must　be　done　at　once。　　I　do　not　know　how　much　you　know　of　the　work　that　Professor　Maxon　has　been　engaged　in　since　we　reached　this　island；　but　it　has　been　hellish　enough　and　it　must　go　no　further。　　You　have　seen　the　creatures　in　the　campong　next　to　yours？〃

〃I　have　seen；〃　replied　Bududreen；　with　a　shudder。

〃Professor　Maxon　intends　to　wed　one　of　these　to　his　daughter；〃　von　Horn　continued。　　〃She　loves　me　and　we　wish　to　escapecan　I　rely　on　you　and　your　men　to　aid　us？　　There　is　a　chest　in　the　workshop　which　we　must　take　along　too；　and　I　can　assure　you　that　you　all　will　be　well　rewarded　for　your　work。　　We　intend　merely　to　leave　Professor　Maxon　here　with　the　creatures　he　has　created。〃

Bududreen　could　scarce　repress　a　smileit　was　indeed　too　splendid　to　be　true。

〃It　will　be　perilous　work；　Captain；〃　he　answered。　〃We　should　all　be　hanged　were　we　caught。〃

〃There　will　be　no　danger　of　that；　Bududreen；　for　there　will　be　no　one　to　divulge　our　secret。〃

〃There　will　be　the　Professor　Maxon；〃　urged　the　Malay。　〃Some　day　he　will　escape　from　the　island；　and　then　we　shall　all　hang。〃

〃He　will　never　escape；〃　replied　von　Horn；　〃his　own　creatures　will　see　to　that。　　They　are　already　commencing　to　realize　the　horrible　crime　he　has　committed　against　them；　and　when　once　they　are　fully　aroused　there　will　be　no　safety　for　any　of　us。　　If　you　wish　to　leave　the　island　at　all　it　will　be　best　for　you　to　accept　my　proposal　and　leave　while　your　head　yet　remains　upon　your　shoulders。　　Were　we　to　suggest　to　the　professor　that　he　leave　now　he　would　not　only　refuse　but　he　would　take　steps　to　make　it　impossible　for　any　of　us　to　leave；　even　to　sinking　the　Ithaca。　　The　man　is　madquite　madBududreen；　and　we　cannot　longer　jeopardize　our　own　throats　merely　to　humor　his　crazy　and　criminal　whims。〃

The　Malay　was　thinking　fast；　and　could　von　Horn　have　guessed　what　thoughts　raced　through　the　tortuous　channels　of　that　semi…barbarous　brain　he　would　have　wished　himself　safely　housed　in　the　American　prison　where　he　belonged。

〃When　do　you　wish　to　sail？〃　asked　the　Malay。

〃Tonight；〃　replied　von　Horn；　and　together　they　matured　their　plans。　　An　hour　later　the　second　mate　with　six　men　disappeared　into　the　jungle　toward　the　harbor。　They；　with　the　three　on　watch；　were　to　get　the　vessel　in　readiness　for　immediate　departure。

After　the　evening　meal　von　Horn　sat　on　the　verandah　with　Virginia　Maxon　until　the　Professor　came　from　the　workshop　to　retire　for　the　night。　　As　he　passed　them　he　stopped　for　a　word　with　von　Horn；　taking　him　aside　out　of　the　girl's　hearing。

〃Have　you　noticed　anything　peculiar　in　the　actions　of　Thirteen？〃　asked　the　older　man。　　〃He　was　sullen　and　morose　this　evening；　and　at　times　there　was　a　strange；　wild　light　in　his　eyes　as　he　looked　at　me。　　Can　it　be　possible　that；　after　all；　his　brain　is　defective？　It　would　be　terrible。　　My　work　would　have　gone　for　naught；　for　I　can　see　no　way　in　which　I　can　improve　upon　him。〃

〃I　will　go　and　have　a　talk　with　him　later；〃　said　von　Horn；　〃so　if　you　hear　us　moving　about　in　the　workshop；　or　even　out　here　in　the　campong　think　nothing　of　it。　I　may　take　him　for　a　long　walk。　　It　is　possible　that　the　hard　study　and　close　confinement　to　that　little　building　have　been　too　severe　upon　his　brain　and　nerves。　A　long　walk　each　evening　may　bring　him　around　all　right。〃

〃Splendidsplendid；〃　replied　the　professor。　　〃You　may　be　quite　right。　　Do　it　by　all　means；　my　dear　doctor；〃　and　there　was　a　touch　of　the　old；　friendly；　sane　tone　which　had　been　so　long　missing；　that　almost　caused　von　Horn　to　feel　a　trace　of　compunction　for　the　hideous　act　of　disloyalty　that　he　was　on　the　verge　of　perpetrating。

As　Professor　Maxon　entered　the　house　von　Horn　returned　to　Virginia　and　suggested　that　they　take　a　short　walk　outside　the　campong　before　retiring。　　The　girl　readily　acquiesced　to　the　plan；　and　a　moment　later　found　them　strolling　through　the　clearing　toward　the　southern　end　of　the　camp。　　In　the　dark　shadows　of　the　gateway　leading　to　the　men's　enclosure　a　figure　crouched。　The　girl　did　not　see　it；　but　as　they　came　opposite　it　von　Horn　coughed　twice；　and　then　the　two　passed　on　toward　the　edge　of　the　jungle。



6

TO　KILL！


The　Rajah　Muda　Saffir；　tiring　of　the　excuses　and　delays　which　Bududreen　interposed　to　postpone　the　fulfillment　of　his　agreement　with　the　former；　whereby　he　was　to　deliver　into　the　hands　of　the　rajah　a　certain　beautiful　maiden；　decided　at　last　to　act　upon　his　own　initiative。　The　truth　of　the　matter　was　that　he　had　come　to　suspect　the　motives　of　the　first　mate　of　the　Ithaca；　and　not　knowing　of　the　great　chest　attributed　them　to　Bududreen's　desire　to　possess　the　girl　for　himself。

So　it　was　that　as　the　second　mate　of　the　Ithaca　with　his　six　men　waded　down　the　bed　of　the　little　stream　toward　the　harbor　and　the　ship；　a　fleet　of　ten　war　prahus　manned　by　over　five　hundred　fierce　Dyaks　and　commanded　by　Muda　Saffir　himself；　pulled　cautiously　into　the　little　cove　upon　the　opposite　side　of　the　island；　and　landed　but　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　camp。

At　the　same　moment　von　Horn　was　leading　Virginia　Maxon　farther　and　farther　from　the　north　campong　where　resistance；　if　there　was　to　be　any；　would　be　most　likely　to　occur。　At　his　superior's　cough　Bududreen　had　signalled　silently　to　the　men　within　the　enclosure；　and　a　moment　later　six　savage　lascars　crept　stealthily　to　his　side。

The　moment　that　von　Horn　and　the　girl　were　entirely　concealed　by　the　darkness；　the　seven　moved　cautiously　along　the　shadow　of　the　palisade　toward　the　north　campong。　　There　was　murder　in　the　cowardly　hearts　of　several　of　them；　and　stupidity　and　lust　in　the　hearts　of　all。　　There　was　no　single　one　who　would　not　betray　his　best　friend　for　a　handful　of　silver；　nor　any　but　was　inwardly　hoping　and　scheming　to　the　end　that　he　might　alone　possess　both　the　chest　and　the　girl。

It　was　such　a　pack　of　scoundrels　that　Bududreen　led　toward　the　north　campong　to　bear　away　the　treasure。　In　the　breast　of　the　leader　was　the　hope　that　he　had　planted　enough　of　superstitious　terror　in　their　hearts　to　make　the　sight　of　the　supposed　author　of　their　imagined　wrongs　sufficient　provocation　for　his　murder；　for　Bududreen　was　too　sly　to　give　the　order　for　the　killing　of　a　white　manthe　arm　of　the　white　man's　law　was　too　longbut　he　felt　that　he　would　rest　easier　were　he　to　leave　the　island　with　the　knowledge　that　only　a　dead　man　remained　behind　with　the　secret　of　his　perfidy。

While　these　events　were　transpiring　Number　Thirteen　was　pacing　restlessly　back　and　forth　the　length　of　the　workshop。　　But　a　short　time　before　he　had　had　his　authorthe　author　of　his　miserywithin　the　four　walls　of　his　prison；　and　yet　he　had　not　wreaked　the　vengeance　that　was　in　his　heart。　　Twice　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　springing　upon　the　man；　but　both　times　the　other's　eyes　had　met　his　and　something　which　he　was　not　able　to　comprehend　had　stayed　him。　　Now　that　the　other　had　gone　and　he　was　alone　contemplation　of　the　hideous　wrong　that　had　been　done　loosed　again　the　flood　gates　of　his　pent　rage。

The　thought　that　he　had　been　made　by　this　manmade　in　the　semblance　of　a　human　being；　yet　denied　by　the　manner　of　his　creation　a　place　among　the　lowest　of　Nature's　creaturesfilled　him　with　fury；　but　it　was　not　this　thought　that　drove　him　to　the　verge　of　madness。　　It　was　the　knowledge；　suggested　by　von　Horn；　that　Virginia　Maxon　would　look　upon　him　in　horror；　as　a　grotesque　and　loathsome　monstrosity。

He　had　no　standard　and　no　experience　whereby　he　might　classify　his　sentiments　toward　this　wonderful　creature。　All　he　knew　was　that　his　life　would　be　complete　could　he　be　near　her　alwayssee　her　and　speak　with　her　daily。　　He　had　thought　of　her　almost　constantly　since　those　short；　delicious　moments　that　he　had　held　her　in　his　arms。　　Again　and　again　he　experienced　in　retrospection　the　exquisite　thrill　that　had　run　through　every　fiber　of　his　being　at　the　sight　of　her　averted　eyes　and　flushed　face。　　And　the　more　he　let　his　mind　dwell　upon　the　wonderful　happiness　that　was　denied　him　because　of　his　origin；　the　greater　became　his　wrath　against　his　creator。

It　was　now　quite　dark　without。　　The　door　leading　to　Professor　Maxon's　campong；　left