the monster men-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃I　was　mad；〃　retorted　the　professor。　　〃Could　you　not　see　that　I　was　mad？　　Oh；　why　did　you　not　stop　me？　You　were　sane　enough。　　You　at　least　might　have　forced　me　to　abandon　the　insane　obsession　which　has　overpowered　my　reason　for　all　these　terrible　months。　　I　am　sane　now；　but　it　is　too　latetoo　late。〃

〃Both　you　and　your　daughter　could　only　have　interpreted　any　such　action　on　my　part　as　instigated　by　self…　interest；　for　you　both　knew　that　I　wanted　to　make　her　my　wife；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃My　hands　were　tied。　I　am　sorry　now　that　I　did　not　act；　but　you　can　readily　see　the　position　in　which　I　was　placed。〃

〃Can　nothing　be　done　to　get　her　back？〃　cried　the　father。　〃There　must　be　some　way　to　save　her。　　Do　it　von　Horn；　and　not　only　is　my　daughter　yours　but　my　wealth　as　well　every　thing　that　I　possess　shall　be　yours　if　you　will　but　save　her　from　those　frightful　creatures。〃

〃The　Ithaca　is　gone；　too；〃　replied　the　doctor。　　〃There　is　only　a　small　boat　that　I　hid　in　the　jungle　for　some　such　emergency。　　It　will　carry　us　to　Borneo；　but　what　can　we　four　do　against　five　hundred　pirates　and　the　dozen　monsters　you　have　brought　into　the　world？　No；　Professor　Maxon；　I　fear　there　is　little　hope；　though　I　am　willing　to　give　my　life　in　an　attempt　to　save　Virginia。　　You　will　not　forget　your　promise　should　we　succeed？〃

〃No；　doctor；〃　replied　the　old　man。　　〃I　swear　that　you　shall　have　Virginia　as　your　wife；　and　all　my　property　shall　be　made　over　to　you　if　she　is　rescued。〃

Sing　Lee　had　been　a　silent　listener　to　this　strange　conversation。　　An　odd　look　came　into　his　slant　eyes　as　he　heard　von　Horn　exact　a　confirmation　from　the　professor；　but　what　passed　in　his　shrewd　mind　only　he　could　say。

It　was　too　late　to　attempt　to　make　a　start　that　day　for　Borneo；　as　darkness　had　already　fallen。　　Professor　Maxon　and　von　Horn　walked　over　to　the　workshop　and　the　inner　campong　to　ascertain　what　damage　had　been　done　there。

On　their　return　Sing　was　setting　the　table　on　the　verandah　for　the　evening　meal。　　The　two　men　were　talking；　and　without　making　his　presence　noticeable　the　Chinaman　hovered　about　ever　within　ear　shot。

〃I　cannot　make　it　out；　von　Horn；〃　Professor　Maxon　was　saying。　　〃Not　a　board　broken；　and　the　doors　both　apparently　opened　intentionally　by　someone　familiar　with　locks　and　bolts。　　Who　could　have　done　it？〃

〃You　forget　Number　Thirteen；〃　suggested　the　doctor。

〃But　the　chest！〃　expostulated　the　other。　　〃What　in　the　world　would　he　want　of　that　enormous　and　heavy　chest？〃

〃He　might　have　thought　that　it　contained　treasure；〃　hazarded　von　Horn；　in　an　innocent　tone　of　voice。

〃Bosh；　my　dear　man；〃　replied　Professor　Maxon。　　〃He　knew　nothing　of　treasures；　or　money；　or　the　need　or　value　of　either。　I　tell　you　the　workshop　was　opened；　and　the　inner　campong　as　well　by　some　one　who　knew　the　value　of　money　and　wanted　that　chest；　but　why　they　should　have　released　the　creatures　from　the　inner　enclosure　is　beyond　me。〃

〃And　I　tell　you　Professor　Maxon　that　it　could　have　been　none　other　than　Number　Thirteen；〃　insisted　von　Horn。　〃Did　I　not　myself　see　him　leading　his　eleven　monsters　as　easily　as　a　captain　commands　his　company？　　The　fellow　is　brighter　than　we　have　imagined。　　He　has　learned　much　from　us　both；　he　has　reasoned；　and　he　has　shrewdly　guessed　many　things　that　he　could　not　have　known　through　experience。〃

〃But　his　object？〃　asked　the　professor。

〃That　is　simple；〃　returned　von　Horn。　　〃You　have　held　out　hopes　to　him　that　soon　he　should　come　to　live　under　your　roof　with　Virginia。　　The　creature　has　been　madly　infatuated　with　her　ever　since　the　day　he　took　her　from　Number　One；　and　you　have　encouraged　his　infatuation　until　yesterday。　　Then　you　regained　your　sanity　and　put　him　in　his　rightful　place。　　What　is　the　result？　Denied　the　easy　prey　he　expected　he　immediately　decided　to　take　it　by　force；　and　with　that　end　in　view；　and　taking　advantage　of　the　series　of　remarkable　circumstances　which　played　into　his　hands；　he　liberated　his　fellows；　and　with　them　hastened　to　the　beach　in　search　of　Virginia　and　in　hopes　of　being　able　to　fly　with　her　upon　the　Ithaca。　　There　he　met　the　Malay　pirates；　and　together　they　formed　an　alliance　under　terms　of　which　Number　Thirteen　is　to　have　the　girl；　and　the　pirates　the　chest　in　return　for　transporting　him　and　his　crew　to　Borneo。　Why　it　is　all　perfectly　simple　and　logical；　Professor　Maxon；　do　you　not　see　it　now？〃

〃You　may　be　right；　doctor；〃　answered　the　old　man。　〃But　it　is　idle　to　conjecture。　　Tomorrow　we　can　be　up　and　doing；　so　let　us　get　what　sleep　we　can　tonight。　We　shall　need　all　our　energies　if　we　are　to　save　my　poor；　dear　girl；　from　the　clutches　of　that　horrid；　soulless　thing。〃


At　the　very　moment　that　he　spoke　the　object　of　his　contumely　was　entering　the　dark　mouth　of　a　broad　river　that　flowed　from　out　of　the　heart　of　savage　Borneo。　In　the　prahu　with　him　his　eleven　hideous　companions　now　bent　to　their　paddles　with　slightly　increased　efficiency。　Before　them　the　leader　saw　a　fire　blazing　upon　a　tiny　island　in　the　center　of　the　stream。　　Toward　this　they　turned　their　silent　way。　　Grimly　the　war　prahu　with　its　frightful　freight　nosed　closer　to　the　bank。

At　last　Number　Thirteen　made　out　the　figures　of　men　about　the　fire；　and　as　they　came　still　closer　he　was　sure　that　they　were　members　of　the　very　party　he　had　been　pursuing　across　the　broad　waters　for　hours。　The　prahus　were　drawn　up　upon　the　bank　and　the　warriors　were　preparing　to　eat。

Just　as　the　young　giants'　prahu　came　within　the　circle　of　firelight　a　swarthy　Malay　approached　the　fire；　dragging　a　white　girl　roughly　by　the　arm。　　No　more　was　needed　to　convince　Number　Thirteen　of　the　identity　of　the　party。　　With　a　low　command　to　his　fellows　he　urged　them　to　redoubled　speed。　　At　the　same　instant　a　Dyak　warrior　caught　sight　of　the　approaching　boat　as　it　sped　into　the　full　glare　of　the　light。

At　sight　of　the　occupants　the　head　hunters　scattered　for　their　own　prahus。　　The　frightful　aspect　of　the　enemy　turned　their　savage　hearts　to　water；　leaving　no　fight　in　their　ordinarily　warlike　souls。

So　quickly　they　moved　that　as　the　pursuing　prahu　touched　the　bank　all　the　nearer　boats　had　been　launched；　and　the　remaining　pirates　were　scurrying　across　the　little　island　for　those　which　lay　upon　the　opposite　side。　　Among　these　was　the　Malay　who　guarded　the　girl；　but　he　had　not　been　quick　enough　to　prevent　Virginia　Maxon　recognizing　the　stalwart　figure　standing　in　the　bow　of　the　oncoming　craft。

As　he　dragged　her　away　toward　the　prahu　of　Muda　Saffir　she　cried　out　to　the　strange　white　man　who　seemed　her　self…appointed　protector。

〃Help！　　Help！〃　she　called。　　〃This　way！　　Across　the　island！〃　And　then　the　brown　hand　of　her　jailer　closed　over　her　mouth。　Like　a　tigress　she　fought　to　free　herself；　or　to　detain　her　captor　until　the　rescue　party　should　catch　up　with　them；　but　the　scoundrel　was　muscled　like　a　bull；　and　when　the　girl　held　back　he　lifted　her　across　his　shoulder　and　broke　into　a　run。

Rajah　Muda　Saffir　had　no　stomach　for　a　fight　himself；　but　he　was　loathe　to　lose　the　prize　he　had　but　just　won；　and　seeing　that　his　men　were　panic…stricken　he　saw　no　alternative　but　to　rally　them　for　a　brief　stand　that　would　give　the　little　moment　required　to　slip　away　in　his　own　prahu　with　the　girl。

Calling　aloud　for　those　around　him　to　come　to　his　support　he　halted　fifty　yards　from　his　boat　just　as　Number　Thirteen　with　his　fierce；　brainless　horde　swept　up　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　island　in　the　wake　of　him　who　bore　Virginia　Maxon。　　The　old　rajah　succeeded　in　gathering　some　fifty　warriors　about　him　from　the　crews　of　the　two　boats　which　lay　near　his。　　His　own　men　he　hastened　to　their　posts　in　his　prahu　that　they　might　be　ready　to　pull　swiftly　away　the　moment　that　he　and　the　captive　were　aboard。

The　Dyak　warriors　presented　an　awe　inspiring　spectacle　in　the　fitful　light　of　the　nearby　camp　fire。　The　ferocity　of　their　fierce　faces　was　accentuated　by　the　upturned；　bristling　tiger　cat's　teeth　which　protruded　from　every　ear；　while　the　long　feathers　of　the　Argus　pheasant　waving　from　their　war…caps；　the　brilliant　colors　of　their　war…coats　trimmed　with　the　black　and　white　feathers　of　the　hornbill；　and　the　strange　devices　upon　their　gaudy　shields　but　added　to　the　savagery　of　their　appearance