the monster men-第21节

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they　would　help　him　in　pursuit　of　Muda　Saffir　and　the　girl。

The　Dyaks　felt　but　little　loyalty　for　the　rascally　Malay　they　served；　since　in　common　with　all　their　kind　they　and　theirs　had　suffered　for　generations　at　the　hands　of　the　cruel；　crafty　and　unscrupulous　race　that　had　usurped　the　administration　of　their　land。　　So　it　was　not　difficult　to　secure　from　them　the　promise　of　assistance　in　return　for　their　lives。

Number　Thirteen　noticed　that　when　they　addressed　him　it　was　always　as　Bulan；　and　upon　questioning　them　he　discovered　that　they　had　given　him　this　title　of　honor　partly　in　view　of　his　wonderful　fighting　ability　and　partly　because　the　sight　of　his　white　face　emerging　from　out　of　the　darkness　of　the　river　into　the　firelight　of　their　blazing　camp　fire　had　carried　to　their　impressionable　minds　a　suggestion　of　the　tropic　moon　which　they　admired　and　reverenced。　　Both　the　name　and　the　idea　appealed　to　Number　Thirteen　and　from　that　time　he　adopted　Bulan　as　his　rightful　cognomen。

The　loss　of　time　resulting　from　the　fight　in　the　prahu　and　the　ensuing　peace　parley　permitted　Muda　Saffir　to　put　considerable　distance　between　himself　and　his　pursuers。　　The　Malay's　boat　was　now　alone；　for　of　the　eight　prahus　that　remained　of　the　original　fleet　it　was　the　only　one　which　had　taken　this　branch　of　the　river；　the　others　having　scurried　into　a　smaller　southerly　arm　after　the　fight　upon　the　island；　that　they　might　the　more　easily　escape　their　hideous　foemen。

Only　Barunda；　the　headman；　knew　which　channel　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　intended　following；　and　Muda　wondered　why　it　was　that　the　two　boats　that　were　to　have　borne　Barunda's　men　did　not　catch　up　with　his。　　While　he　had　left　Barunda　and　his　warriors　engaged　in　battle　with　the　strangers　he　did　not　for　an　instant　imagine　that　they　would　suffer　any　severe　loss；　and　that　one　of　their　boats　should　be　captured　was　beyond　belief。　But　this　was　precisely　what　had　happened；　and　the　second　boat；　seeing　the　direction　taken　by　the　enemy；　had　turned　down　stream　the　more　surely　to　escape　them。

So　it　was　that　while　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　moved　leisurely　up　the　river　toward　his　distant　stronghold　waiting　for　the　other　boats　of　his　fleet　to　overtake　him；　Barunda；　the　headman；　guided　the　white　enemy　swiftly　after　him。　Barunda　had　discovered　that　it　was　the　girl　alone　this　white　man　wanted。　　Evidently　he　either　knew　nothing　of　the　treasure　chest　lying　in　the　bottom　of　Muda　Saffir's　boat；　or；　knowing；　was　indifferent。　　In　either　event　Barunda　thought　that　he　saw　a　chance　to　possess　himself　of　the　rich　contents　of　the　heavy　box；　and　so　served　his　new　master　with　much　greater　enthusiasm　than　he　had　the　old。

Beneath　the　paddles　of　the　natives　and　the　five　remaining　members　of　his　pack　Bulan　sped　up　the　dark　river　after　the　single　prahu　with　its　priceless　freight。　　Already　six　of　the　creatures　of　Professor　Maxon's　experiments　had　given　up　their　lives　in　the　service　of　his　daughter；　and　the　remaining　six　were　pushing　forward　through　the　inky　blackness　of　the　jungle　night　into　the　untracked　heart　of　savage　Borneo　to　rescue　her　from　her　abductors　though　they　sacrificed　their　own　lives　in　the　endeavor。

Far　ahead　of　them　in　the　bottom　of　the　great　prahu　crouched　the　girl　they　sought。　　Her　thoughts　were　of　the　man　she　felt　intuitively　to　possess　the　strength；　endurance　and　ability　to　overcome　every　obstacle　and　reach　her　at　last。　　Would　he　come　in　time？　　Ah；　that　was　the　question。　　The　mystery　of　the　stranger　appealed　to　her。　　A　thousand　times　she　had　attempted　to　solve　the　question　of　his　first　appearance　on　the　island　at　the　very　moment　that　his　mighty　muscles　were　needed　to　rescue　her　from　the　horrible　creature　of　her　father's　creation。　Then　there　was　his　unaccountable　disappearance　for　weeks；　there　was　von　Horn's　strange　reticence　and　seeming　ignorance　as　to　the　circumstances　which　brought　the　young　man　to　the　island；　or　his　equally　unaccountable　disappearance　after　having　rescued　her　from　Number　One。　And　now；　when　she　suddenly　found　herself　in　need　of　protection；　here　was　the　same　young　man　turning　up　in　a　most　miraculous　fashion；　and　at　the　head　of　the　terrible　creatures　of　the　inner　campong。　

The　riddle　was　too　deep　for　hershe　could　not　solve　it；　and　then　her　thoughts　were　interrupted　by　the　thin；　brown　hand　of　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　as　it　encircled　her　waist　and　drew　her　toward　him。　　Upon　the　evil　lips　were　hot　words　of　passion。　　The　girl　wrenched　herself　from　the　man's　embrace；　and；　with　a　little　scream　of　terror；　sprang　to　her　feet；　and　as　Muda　Saffir　arose　to　grasp　her　again　she　struck　him　full　in　the　face　with　one　small；　clenched　fist。

Directly　behind　the　Malay　lay　the　heavy　chest　of　Professor　Maxon。　　As　the　man　stepped　backward　to　recover　his　equilibrium　both　feet　struck　the　obstacle。　For　an　instant　he　tottered　with　wildly　waving　arms　in　an　endeavor　to　regain　his　lost　balance；　then；　with　a　curse　upon　his　lips；　he　lunged　across　the　box　and　over　the　side　of　the　prahu　into　the　dark　waters　of　the　river。



10

DESPERATE　CHANCE


The　great　chest　in　the　bottom　of　Rajah　Muda　Saffir's　prahu　had　awakened　in　other　hearts　as　well　as　his；　blind　greed　and　avarice；　so　that　as　it　had　been　the　indirect　cause　of　his　disaster　it　now　proved　the　incentive　to　another　to　turn　the　mishap　to　his　own　profit；　and　to　the　final　undoing　of　the　Malay。

The　panglima　Ninaka　of　the　Signana　Dyaks　who　manned　Muda　Saffir's　war　prahu　saw　his　chief　disappear　beneath　the　swift　waters　of　the　river；　but　the　word　of　command　that　would　have　sent　the　boat　hurriedly　back　to　pick　up　the　swimmer　was　not　given。　　Instead　a　lusty　cry　for　greater　speed　ahead　urged　the　sinuous　muscles　gliding　beneath　the　sleek　brown　hides；　and　when　Muda　Saffir　rose　to　the　surface　with　a　cry　for　help　upon　his　lips　Ninaka　shouted　back　to　him　in　derision；　consigning　his　carcass　to　the　belly　of　the　nearest　crocodile。

In　futile　rage　Muda　Saffir　called　down　the　most　terrible　curses　of　Allah　and　his　Prophet　upon　the　head　of　Ninaka　and　his　progeny　to　the　fifth　generation；　and　upon　the　shades　of　his　forefathers；　and　upon　the　grim　skulls　which　hung　from　the　rafters　of　his　long…house。　Then　he　turned　and　swam　rapidly　toward　the　shore。

Ninaka；　now　in　possession　of　both　the　chest　and　the　girl；　was　rich　indeed；　but　with　Muda　Saffir　dead　he　scarce　knew　to　whom　he　could　dispose　of　the　white　girl　for　a　price　that　would　make　it　worth　while　to　be　burdened　with　the　danger　and　responsibility　of　retaining　her。　He　had　had　some　experience　of　white　men　in　the　past　and　knew　that　dire　were　the　punishments　meted　to　those　who　wronged　the　white　man's　women。　　All　through　the　remainder　of　the　long　night　Ninaka　pondered　the　question　deeply。　　At　last　he　turned　to　Virginia。

〃Why　does　the　big　white　man　who　leads　the　ourang　outangs　follow　us？〃　he　asked。　　〃Is　it　the　chest　he　desires；　or　you？〃

〃It　is　certainly　not　the　chest；〃　replied　the　girl。　〃He　wishes　to　take　me　back　to　my　father；　that　is　all。　If　you　will　return　me　to　him　you　may　keep　the　chest；　if　that　is　what　you　wish。〃

Ninaka　looked　at　her　quizzically　for　a　moment。　Evidently　then　she　was　of　some　value。　　Possibly　should　he　retain　her　he　could　wring　a　handsome　ransom　from　the　white　man。　　He　would　wait　and　see；　it　were　always　an　easy　matter　to　rid　himself　of　her　should　circumstances　require。　　The　river　was　there；　deep；　dark　and　silent；　and　he　could　place　the　responsibility　for　her　loss　upon　Muda　Saffir。

Shortly　after　day　break　Ninaka　beached　his　prahu　before　the　long…house　of　a　peaceful　river　tribe。　　The　chest　he　hid　in　the　underbrush　close　by　his　boat；　and　with　the　girl　ascended　the　notched　log　that　led　to　the　verandah　of　the　structure；　which；　stretching　away　for　three　hundred　yards　upon　its　tall　piles；　resembled　a　huge　centipede。

The　dwellers　in　the　long…house　extended　every　courtesy　to　Ninaka　and　his　crew。　　At　the　former's　request　Virginia　was　hidden　away　in　a　dark　sleeping　closet　in　one　of　the　windowless　living　rooms　which　opened　along　the　verandah　for　the　full　length　of　the　house。　Here　a　native　girl　brought　her　food　and　water；　sitting；　while　she　ate；　in　rapt　contemplation　of　the　white　skin　and　golden　hair　of　the　strange　female。

At　about　the　time　that　Ninaka　pulled　his　prahu　upon　the　beach　before　the　long…house；　Muda　Saffir　from　the　safety　of　the　concealing　underbrush　upon　the　shore　saw　a　familiar　war　prahu　forging　rapidly　up　the　stream。　　As　it　approached　him　he　was　about　to　call　aloud　to　those　who　manned　it；　for　in　the　bow　he　saw　a　number　of　his　own　men；　but　a　second　glance　as　the　boat　came　opposite　him　caused　him　to　alter　his　intention　and　drop　further　into　the　engulfing　verdure；　for　behind　his　men　squatted　five　of　the　terrible　monsters　that　had　wrought　such　havoc　with　his　expedition；　and　in　the　stern　he　saw　his　own　Barunda　in　friendly　converse　with　the　mad　white　man　who　had　led　them。

As　the　boat　disappeared　about　a　bend　in　the　river　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　arose；　shaking　his　fist　in　the　direction　it　had　vanished　and；　cursing　anew　and　volubly；　damned　each　separate　hair　in　the　heads　of　the　faithless　Barunda　and　the　traitorous　Ninaka。　　Then　he　resumed　his　watch　for　the　friendly　prahu；　or　smaller　sampan　which　he　knew　time　would　eventually　bring　from　up　or　down　the　river　to　his　rescue；　for　who　of　the　surrounding　natives　would　dare