the monster men-第35节

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No　sooner　had　the　party　entered　the　verandah　of　the　long…house　than　Professor　Maxon　made　inquiries　for　von　Horn；　only　to　learn　that　he　had　departed　up　stream　in　a　prahu　with　several　warriors　whom　he　had　engaged　to　accompany　him　on　a　〃hunting　expedition；〃　having　explained　that　the　white　girl　had　been　found　and　was　being　brought　to　the　long…house。

The　chief　further　explained　that　he　had　done　his　best　to　dissuade　the　white　man　from　so　rash　an　act；　as　he　was　going　directly　into　the　country　of　the　tribe　of　the　two　men　he　had　killed；　and　there　was　little　chance　that　he　ever　would　come　out　alive。

While　they　were　still　discussing　von　Horn's　act；　and　wondering　at　his　intentions；　a　native　on　the　verandah　cried　out　in　astonishment；　pointing　down　the　river。　As　they　looked　in　the　direction　he　indicated　all　saw　a　graceful；　white　cutter　gliding　around　a　nearby　turn。　At　the　oars　were　white　clad　American　sailors；　and　in　the　stern　two　officers　in　the　uniform　of　the　United　States　navy。



17

999　PRISCILLA


As　the　cutter　touched　the　bank　the　entire　party　from　the　long…house；　whites　and　natives；　were　gathered　on　the　shore　to　meet　it。　　At　first　the　officers　held　off　as　though　fearing　a　hostile　demonstration；　but　when　they　saw　the　whites　among　the　throng；　a　command　was　given　to　pull　in；　and　a　moment　later　one　of　the　officers　stepped　ashore。

〃I　am　Lieutenant　May；〃　he　said；　〃of　the　U。S。S。　New　Mexico；　flagship　of　the　Pacific　Fleet。　　Have　I　the　honor　to　address　Professor　Maxon？〃

The　scientist　nodded。　　〃I　am　delighted；〃　he　said。

〃We　have　been　to　your　island；　Professor；〃　continued　the　officer；　〃and　judging　from　the　evidences　of　hasty　departure；　and　the　corpses　of　several　natives　there；　I　feared　that　some　harm　had　befallen　you。　　We　therefore　cruised　along　the　Bornean　coast　making　inquiries　of　the　natives　until　at　last　we　found　one　who　had　heard　a　rumor　of　a　party　of　whites　being　far　in　the　interior　searching　for　a　white　girl　who　had　been　stolen　from　them　by　pirates。

〃The　farther　up　this　river　we　have　come　the　greater　our　assurance　that　we　were　on　the　right　trail；　for　scarcely　a　native　we　interrogated　but　had　seen　or　heard　of　some　of　your　party。　　Mixed　with　the　truth　they　told　us　were　strange　tales　of　terrible　monsters　led　by　a　gigantic　white　man。〃

〃The　imaginings　of　childish　minds；〃　said　the　professor。　〃However；　why；　my　dear　lieutenant；　did　you　honor　me　by　visiting　my　island？〃

The　officer　hesitated　a　moment　before　answering；　his　eyes　running　about　over　the　assembly　as　though　in　search　of　someone。

〃Well；　Professor　Maxon；　to　be　quite　frank；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃we　learned　at　Singapore　the　personnel　of　your　party；　which　included　a　former　naval　officer　whom　we　have　been　seeking　for　many　years。　　We　came　to　your　island　to　arrest　this　man　I　refer　to　Doctor　Carl　von　Horn。〃

When　the　lieutenant　learned　of　the　recent　disappearance　of　the　man　he　sought；　he　expressed　his　determination　to　push　on　at　once　in　pursuit；　and　as　Professor　Maxon　feared　again　to　remain　unprotected　in　the　heart　of　the　Bornean　wilderness　his　entire　party　was　taken　aboard　the　cutter。

A　few　miles　up　the　river　they　came　upon　one　of　the　Dyaks　who　had　accompanied　von　Horn；　a　few　hours　earlier。　The　warrior　sat　smoking　beside　a　beached　prahu。　When　interrogated　he　explained　that　von　Horn　and　the　balance　of　his　crew　had　gone　inland；　leaving　him　to　guard　the　boat。　　He　said　that　he　thought　he　could　guide　them　to　the　spot　where　the　white　man　might　be　found。

Professor　Maxon　and　Sing　accompanied　one　of　the　officers　and　a　dozen　sailors　in　the　wake　of　the　Dyak　guide。　Virginia　and　Bulan　remained　in　the　cutter；　as　the　latter　was　still　too　weak　to　attempt　the　hard　march　through　the　jungle。　For　an　hour　the　party　traversed　the　trail　in　the　wake　of　von　Horn　and　his　savage　companions。　　They　had　come　almost　to　the　spot　when　their　ears　were　assailed　by　the　weird　and　blood　curdling　yells　of　native　warriors；　and　a　moment　later　von　Horn's　escort　dashed　into　view　in　full　retreat。

At　sight　of　the　white　men　they　halted　in　relief；　pointing　back　in　the　direction　they　had　come；　and　jabbering　excitedly　in　their　native　tongue。　Warily　the　party　advanced　again　behind　these　new　guides；　but　when　they　reached　the　spot　they　sought；　the　cause　of　the　Dyaks'　panic　had　fled；　warned；　doubtless；　by　their　trained　ears　of　the　approach　of　an　enemy。

The　sight　that　met　the　eyes　of　the　searchers　told　all　of　the　story　that　they　needed　to　know。　　A　hole　had　been　excavated　in　the　ground；　partially　uncovering　a　heavy　chest；　and　across　this　chest　lay　the　headless　body　of　Doctor　Carl　von　Horn。

Lieutenant　May　turned　toward　Professor　Maxon　with　a　questioning　look。

〃It　is　he；〃　said　the　scientist。

〃But　the　chest？〃　inquired　the　officer。

〃Mlaxon's　tleasure；〃　spoke　up　Sing　Lee。　　〃Hornee　him　tly　steal　it　for　long　time。〃

〃Treasure！〃　ejaculated　the　professor。　　〃Bududreen　gave　up　his　life　for　this。　　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　fought　and　intrigued　and　murdered　for　possession　of　it！　　Poor；　misguided　von　Horn　has　died　for　it；　and　left　his　head　to　wither　beneath　the　rafters　of　a　Dyak　long…house！　It　is　incredible。〃

〃But；　Professor　Maxon；〃　said　Lieutenant　May；　〃men　will　suffer　all　these　things　and　more　for　gold。〃

〃Gold！〃　cried　the　professor。　　〃Why；　man；　that　is　a　box　of　books　on　biology　and　eugenics。〃

〃My　God！〃　exclaimed　May；　〃and　von　Horn　was　accredited　to　be　one　of　the　shrewdest　swindlers　and　adventurers　in　America！　　But　come；　we　may　as　well　return　to　the　cuttermy　men　will　carry　the　chest。〃

〃No！〃　exclaimed　Professor　Maxon　with　a　vehemence　the　other　could　not　understand。　　〃Let　them　bury　it　again　where　it　lies。　　It　and　what　it　contains　have　been　the　cause　of　sufficient　misery　and　suffering　and　crime。　Let　it　lie　where　it　is　in　the　heart　of　savage　Borneo；　and　pray　to　God　that　no　man　ever　finds　it；　and　that　I　shall　forget　forever　that　which　is　in　it。〃

On　the　morning　of　the　third　day　following　the　death　of　von　Horn　the　New　Mexico　steamed　away　from　the　coast　of　Borneo。　　Upon　her　deck；　looking　back　toward　the　verdure　clad　hills；　stood　Virginia　and　Bulan。

〃Thank　heaven；〃　exclaimed　the　girl　fervently；　〃that　we　are　leaving　it　behind　us　forever。〃

〃Amen；〃　replied　Bulan；　〃but　yet；　had　it　not　been　for　Borneo　I　might　never　have　found　you。〃

〃We　should　have　met　elsewhere　then；　Bulan；〃　said　the　girl　in　a　low　voice；　〃for　we　were　made　for　one　another。　No　power　on　earth　could　have　kept　us　apart。　　In　your　true　guise　you　would　have　found　meI　am　sure　of　it。〃

〃It　is　maddening；　Virginia；〃　said　the　man；　〃to　be　constantly　straining　every　resource　of　my　memory　in　futile　endeavor　to　catch　and　hold　one　fleeting　clue　to　my　past。　　Why；　dear；　do　you　realize　that　I　may　have　been　a　fugitive　from　justice；　as　was　von　Horn；　a　vile　criminal　perhaps。　　It　is　awful；　Virginia；　to　contemplate　the　horrible　possibilities　of　my　lost　past。〃

〃No；　Bulan；　you　could　never　have　been　a　criminal；〃　replied　the　loyal　girl；　〃but　there　is　one　possibility　that　has　been　haunting　me　constantly。　　It　frightens　me　just　to　think　of　itit　is；〃　and　the　girl　lowered　her　voice　as　though　she　feared　to　say　the　thing　she　dreaded　most；　〃it　is　that　you　may　have　loved　anotherthat　that　you　may　even　be　married。〃

Bulan　was　about　to　laugh　away　any　such　fears　when　the　gravity　and　importance　of　the　possibility　impressed　him　quite　as　fully　as　it　had　Virginia。　　He　saw　that　it　was　not　at　all　unlikely　that　he　was　already　a　married　man；　and　he　saw　too　what　the　girl　now　acknowledged；　that　they　might　never　wed　until　the　mystery　of　his　past　had　been　cleared　away。

〃There　is　something　that　gives　weight　to　my　fear；〃　continued　Virginia；　〃something　that　I　had　almost　forgotten　in　the　rush　and　excitement　of　events　during　the　past　few　days。　　During　your　delirium　your　ravings　were；　for　the　most　part；　quite　incoherent；　but　there　was　one　name　that　you　repeated　many　timesa　woman's　name；　preceded　by　a　number。　It　was　‘Nine　ninety　nine　Priscilla。'　　Maybe　she〃

But　Virginia　got　no　further。　　With　a　low　exclamation　of　delight　Bulan　caught　her　in　his　arms。

〃It　is　all　right；　dear；〃　he　cried。　　〃It　is　all　right。　Everything　has　come　back　to　me　now。　　You　have　given　me　the　clue。　　Nine　ninety　nine　Priscilla　is　my　father's　addressNine　ninety　nine　Priscilla　Avenue。

〃I　am　Townsend　J。　Harper；　Jr。　　You　have　heard　of　my　father。　Every　one　has　since　he　commenced　consolidating　interurban　traction　companies。　　And　I'm　not　married；　Virginia；　and　never　have　been；　but　I　shall　be　if　this　miserable　old　mud　scow　ever　reaches　Singapore。〃

〃Oh；　Bulan；〃　cried　the　girl；　〃how　in　the　world　did　you　ever　happen　to　come　to　that　terrible　island　of　ours？〃

〃I　came　for　you；　dear；〃　he　replied。　　〃It　is　a　long　story。　After　dinner　I　will　tell　you　all　of　it　that　I　can　recall。　For　the　present　it　must　suffice　you　to　know　that　I　followed　you　from　the　railway　station　at　Ithaca　half　around　the　world　for　a　love　that　had　been　born　from　a　single　glance　at　your　sweet　face　as　you　passed　me　to　enter　your　Pullman。

〃On　my　father's　yacht　I　reached　your　island　after　trailing　you　to　Singapore。　　It　was　a　long　and　tedious　hunt　and　we　followed　many　blind　leads；　but　at　last　we　came　off　an　island　upon　which　natives　had　told　us　such　a　party　as　yours　was　living。　Five　of　us　put　off　in　a　boat　to　explorethat　is　the　last　that　I　can　recall。　　Sing　say