the monster men-第8节

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As　before；　when　Sing　had　threatened　to　filch　his　new　possession　from　him；　Number　One　held　the　girl　with　one　hand　while　he　met　the　attack　of　this　new　assailant　with　the　other；　but　here　was　very　different　metal　than　had　succumbed　to　him　before。

It　is　true　that　Number　Thirteen　knew　nothing　whatever　of　personal　combat；　but　Number　One　had　but　little　advantage　of　him　in　the　matter　of　experience；　while　the　former　was　equipped　with　great　natural　intelligence　as　well　as　steel　muscles　no　whit　less　powerful　than　his　deformed　predecessor。

So　it　was　that　the　awful　giant　found　his　single　hand　helpless　to　cope　with　the　strength　of　his　foeman；　and　in　a　brief　instant　felt　powerful　fingers　clutching　at　his　throat。　　Still　reluctant　to　surrender　his　hold　upon　his　prize；　he　beat　futilely　at　the　face　of　his　enemy；　but　at　last　the　agony　of　choking　compelled　him　to　drop　the　girl　and　grapple　madly　with　the　man　who　choked　him　with　one　hand　and　rained　mighty　and　merciless　blows　upon　his　face　and　head　with　the　other。

His　captive　sank　to　the　ground；　too　weak　from　the　effects　of　nervous　shock　to　escape；　and　with　horror…　filled　eyes　watched　the　two　who　battled　over　her。　　She　saw　that　her　would…be　rescuer　was　young　and　strong　featuredall　together　a　very　fine　specimen　of　manhood；　and　to　her　great　wonderment　it　was　soon　apparent　that　he　was　no　unequal　match　for　the　great　mountain　of　muscle　that　he　fought。

Both　tore　and　struck　and　clawed　and　bit　in　the　frenzy　of　mad；　untutored　strife；　rolling　about　on　the　soft　carpet　of　the　jungle　almost　noiselessly　except　for　their　heavy　breathing　and　an　occasional　beast…like　snarl　from　Number　One。　　For　several　minutes　they　fought　thus　until　the　younger　man　succeeded　in　getting　both　hands　upon　the　throat　of　his　adversary；　and　then；　choking　relentlessly；　he　raised　the　brute　with　him　from　the　ground　and　rushed　him　fiercely　backward　against　the　stem　of　a　tree。　　Again　and　again　he　hurled　the　monstrous　thing　upon　the　unyielding　wood；　until　at　last　it　hung　helpless　and　inert　in　his　clutches；　then　he　cast　it　from　him；　and　without　another　glance　at　it　turned　toward　the　girl。

Here　was　a　problem　indeed。　　Now　that　he　had　won　her；　what　was　he　to　do　with　her？　　He　was　but　an　adult　child；　with　the　brain　and　brawn　of　a　man；　and　the　ignorance　and　inexperience　of　the　new…born。　　And　so　he　acted　as　a　child　acts；　in　imitation　of　what　it　has　seen　others　do。　The　brute　had　been　carrying　the　lovely　creature；　therefore　that　must　be　the　thing　for　him　to　do；　and　so　he　stooped　and　gathered　Virginia　Maxon　in　his　great　arms。

She　tried　to　tell　him　that　she　could　walk　after　a　moment's　rest；　but　it　was　soon　evident　that　he　did　not　understand　her；　as　a　puzzled　expression　came　to　his　face　and　he　did　not　put　her　down　as　she　asked。　　Instead　he　stood　irresolute　for　a　time；　and　then　moved　slowly　through　the　jungle。　　By　chance　his　direction　was　toward　the　camp；　and　this　fact　so　relieved　the　girl's　mind　that　presently　she　was　far　from　loath　to　remain　quietly　in　his　arms。

After　a　moment　she　gained　courage　to　look　up　into　his　face。　　She　thought　that　she　never　had　seen　so　marvellously　clean　cut　features；　or　a　more　high　and　noble　countenance；　and　she　wondered　how　it　was　that　this　white　man　was　upon　the　island　and　she　not　have　known　it。　　Possibly　he　was　a　new　arrivalhis　presence　unguessed　even　by　her　father。　　That　he　was　neither　English　nor　American　was　evident　from　the　fact　that　he　could　not　understand　her　native　tongue。　　Who　could　he　be！　What　was　he　doing　upon　their　island！

As　she　watched　his　face　he　suddenly　turned　his　eyes　down　upon　her；　and　as　she　looked　hurriedly　away　she　was　furious　with　herself　as　she　felt　a　crimson　flush　mantle　her　cheek。　　The　man　only　half　sensed；　in　a　vague　sort　of　way；　the　meaning　of　the　tell　tale　color　and　the　quickly　averted　eyes；　but　he　became　suddenly　aware　of　the　pressure　of　her　delicate　body　against　his；　as　he　had　not　been　before。　　Now　he　kept　his　eyes　upon　her　face　as　he　walked；　and　a　new　emotion　filled　his　breast。　He　did　not　understand　it；　but　it　was　very　pleasant；　and　he　knew　that　it　was　because　of　the　radiant　thing　that　he　carried　in　his　arms。

The　scream　that　had　startled　von　Horn　and　Professor　Maxon　led　them　along　the　trail　toward　the　east　coast　of　the　island；　and　about　halfway　of　the　distance　they　stumbled　upon　the　dazed　and　bloody　Sing　just　as　he　was　on　the　point　of　regaining　consciousness。

〃For　God's　sake；　Sing；　what　is　the　matter？〃　cried　von　Horn。　〃Where　is　Miss　Maxon？〃

〃Big　blute；　he　catchem　Linee。　　Tly　kill　Sing。　　Head　hit　tlee。　No　see　any　more。　　Wakee　upall　glone；〃　moaned　the　Chinaman　as　he　tried　to　gain　his　feet。

〃Which　way　did　he　take　her？〃　urged　von　Horn。

Sing's　quick　eyes　scanned　the　surrounding　jungle；　and　in　a　moment；　staggering　to　his　feet；　he　cried；　〃Look　see；　klick！　　Foot　plint！〃　and　ran；　weak　and　reeling　drunkenly；　along　the　broad　trail　made　by　the　giant　creature　and　its　prey。

Von　Horn　and　Professor　Maxon　followed　closely　in　Sing's　wake；　the　younger　man　horrified　by　the　terrible　possibilities　that　obtruded　themselves　into　his　imagination　despite　his　every　effort　to　assure　himself　that　no　harm　could　come　to　Virginia　Maxon　before　they　reached　her。　　The　girl's　father　had　not　spoken　since　they　discovered　that　she　was　missing　from　the　campong；　but　his　face　was　white　and　drawn；　his　eyes　wide　and　glassy　as　those　of　one　whose　mind　is　on　the　verge　of　madness　from　a　great　nervous　shock。

The　trail　of　the　creature　was　bewilderingly　erratic。　A　dozen　paces　straight　through　the　underbrush；　then　a　sharp　turn　at　right　angles　for　no　apparent　reason；　only　to　veer　again　suddenly　in　a　new　direction！　　Thus；　turning　and　twisting；　the　tortuous　way　led　them　toward　the　south　end　of　the　island；　until　Sing；　who　was　in　advance；　gave　a　sharp　cry　of　surprise。

〃Klick！　　Look　see！〃　he　cried　excitedly。　　〃Blig　blute　dead　vely　muchee　dead。〃

Von　Horn　rushed　forward　to　where　the　Chinaman　was　leaning　over　the　body　of　Number　One。　　Sure　enough；　the　great　brute　lay　motionless；　its　horrid　face　even　more　hideous　in　death　than　in　life；　if　it　were　possible。　The　face　was　black；　the　tongue　protruded；　the　skin　was　bruised　from　the　heavy　fists　of　his　assailant　and　the　thick　skull　crushed　and　splintered　from　terrific　impact　with　the　tree。

Professor　Maxon　leaned　over　von　Horn's　shoulder。　〃Ah；　poor　Number　One；〃　he　sighed；　〃that　you　should　have　come　to　such　an　untimely　endmy　child；　my　child。〃

Von　Horn　looked　at　him；　a　tinge　of　compassion　in　his　rather　hard　face。　　It　touched　the　man　that　his　employer　was　at　last　shocked　from　the　obsession　of　his　work　to　a　realization　of　the　love　and　duty　he　owed　his　daughter；　he　thought　that　the　professor's　last　words　referred　to　Virginia。

〃Though　there　are　twelve　more；〃　continued　Professor　Maxon；　〃you　were　my　first　born　son　and　I　loved　you　most；　dear　child。〃

The　younger　man　was　horrified。

〃My　God；　Professor！〃　he　cried。　　〃Are　you　mad？　　Can　you　call　this　thing　‘child'　and　mourn　over　it　when　you　do　not　yet　know　the　fate　of　your　own　daughter？〃

Professor　Maxon　looked　up　sadly。　　〃You　do　not　understand；　Dr。　von　Horn；〃　he　replied　coldly；　〃and　you　will　oblige　me；　in　the　future；　by　not　again　referring　to　the　offspring　of　my　labors　as　‘things。'〃

With　an　ugly　look　upon　his　face　von　Horn　turned　his　back　upon　the　older　manwhat　little　feeling　of　loyalty　and　affection　he　had　ever　felt　for　him　gone　forever。　Sing　was　looking　about　for　evidences　of　the　cause　of　Number　One's　death　and　the　probable　direction　in　which　Virginia　Maxon　had　disappeared。

〃What　on　earth　could　have　killed　this　enormous　brute；　Sing？　Have　you　any　idea？〃　asked　von　Horn。

The　Chinaman　shook　his　head。

〃No　savvy；〃　he　replied。　　〃Blig　flight。　　Look　see；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　torn　and　trampled　turf；　the　broken　bushes；　and　to　one　or　two　small　trees　that　had　been　snapped　off　by　the　impact　of　the　two　mighty　bodies　that　had　struggled　back　and　forth　about　the　little　clearing。

〃This　way；〃　cried　Sing　presently；　and　started　off　once　more　into　the　brush；　but　this　time　in　a　northwesterly　direction；　toward　camp。

In　silence　the　three　men　followed　the　new　trail；　all　puzzled　beyond　measure　to　account　for　the　death　of　Number　One　at　the　hands　of　what　must　have　been　a　creature　of　superhuman　strength。　　What　could　it　have　been！　　It　was　impossible　that　any　of　the　Malays　or　lascars　could　have　done　the　thing；　and　there　were　no　other　creatures；　brute　or　human；　upon　the　island　large　enough　to　have　coped　even　for　an　instant　with　the　ferocious　brutality　of　the　dead　monster；　except　von　Horn's　brain　came　to　a　sudden　halt　at　the　thought。　Could　it　be？　　There　seemed　no　other　explanation。　Virginia　Maxon　had　been　rescued　from　one　soulless　monstrosity　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　another　equally　irresponsible　and　terrifying。

Others　then　must　have　escaped　from　the　campong。　Von　Horn　loosened　his　guns　in　their　holsters；　and　took　a　fresh　grip　upon　his　bull　whip　as　he　urged　Sing　forward　upon　the　trail。　　He　wondered　which　one　it　was；　but　not　once　did　it　occur　to　him　that　the　latest　result　of　Professor　Maxon's　experiments　could　be　the　rescuer　of　Virginia　Maxon。　　In　his　mind　he　could　see　only　the　repulsive　features　of　one　of　the　others。

Quite　unexpectedly　they　came　upon　the　two；　and　with　a　shout　von　Horn　leaped　forward；　his　bull　whip　upraised。　Number　Thi