the monster men-第34章

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just　passed。　Though　unknown　dangers　lurked　in　the　black　and　uncanny　depths　of　the　dismal　forest；　would　not　death　in　any　form　be　far　preferable　to　the　hideous　fate　which　awaited　her　in　the　person　of　the　bestial　Malay　pirate？

She　had　turned　to　take　the　first　step　toward　freedom　when　three　figures　emerged　from　the　wall　of　darkness　behind　her。　　She　saw　the　war…caps；　shields；　and　war…　coats；　and　her　heart　sank。　　Here　were　others　of　the　rajah's　partystragglers　who　had　come　just　in　time　to　thwart　her　plans。　　How　large　these　men　wereshe　never　had　seen　a　native　of　such　giant　proportions；　and　now　they　had　come　quite　close　to　her；　and　as　the　foremost　stooped　to　speak　to　her　she　shrank　back　in　fear。　　Then；　to　her　surprise；　she　heard　in　whispered　English；　〃Come　quietly；　while　they　are　not　looking。〃

She　thought　the　voice　familiar；　but　could　not　place　it；　though　her　heart　whispered　that　it　might　belong　to　the　young　stranger　of　her　dreams。　　He　reached　out　and　took　her　hand　and　together　they　turned　and　walked　quickly　toward　the　jungle；　followed　by　the　two　who　had　accompanied　him。

Scarcely　had　they　covered　half　the　distance　before　one　of　the　Dyaks　whose　duty　it　had　been　to　guard　the　girl　discovered　that　she　was　gone。　　With　a　cry　he　alarmed　his　fellows；　and　in　another　instant　a　sharp　pair　of　eyes　caught　the　movement　of　the　four　who　had　now　broken　into　a　run。

With　savage　shouts　the　entire　force　of　head　hunters　sprang　in　pursuit。　　Bulan　lifted　Virginia　in　his　arms　and　dashed　on　ahead　of　Number　Twelve　and　Number　Three。　A　shower　of　poisoned　darts　blown　from　half　a　hundred　sumpitans　fell　about　them；　and　then　Muda　Saffir　called　to　his　warriors　to　cease　using　their　deadly　blow…pipes　lest　they　kill　the　girl。

Into　the　jungle　dashed　the　four　while　close　behind　them　came　the　howling　pack　of　enraged　savages。　　Now　one　closed　upon　Number　Three　only　to　fall　back　dead　with　a　broken　neck　as　the　giant　fingers　released　their　hold　upon　him。　　A　parang　swung　close　to　Number　Twelve；　but　his　own；　which　he　had　now　learned　to　wield　with　fearful　effect；　clove　through　the　pursuing　warrior's　skull　splitting　him　wide　to　the　breast　bone。

Thus　they　fought　the　while　they　forced　their　way　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　dark　mazes　of　the　entangled　vegetation。　The　brunt　of　the　running　battle　was　borne　by　the　two　monsters；　for　Bulan　was　carrying　Virginia；　and　keeping　a　little　ahead　of　his　companions　to　insure　the　girl's　greater　safety。

Now　and　then　patches　of　moonlight　filtering　through　occasional　openings　in　the　leafy　roofing　revealed　to　Virginia　the　battle　that　was　being　waged　for　possession　of　her；　and　once；　when　Number　Three　turned　toward　her　after　disposing　of　a　new　assailant；　she　was　horrified　to　see　the　grotesque　and　terrible　face　of　the　creature。　A　moment　later　she　caught　sight　of　Number　Twelve's　hideous　face。　　She　was　appalled。

Could　it　be　that　she　had　been　rescued　from　the　Malay　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　creatures　equally　heartless　and　entirely　without　souls？　　She　glanced　up　at　the　face　of　him　who　carried　her。　　In　the　darkness　of　the　night　she　had　not　yet　had　an　opportunity　to　see　the　features　of　the　man；　but　after　a　glimpse　at　those　of　his　two　companions　she　trembled　to　think　of　the　hideous　thing　that　might　be　revealed　to　her。

Could　it　be　that　she　had　at　last　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　dreaded　and　terrible　Number　Thirteen！　Instinctively　she　shrank　from　contact　with　the　man　in　whose　arms　she　had　been　carried　without　a　trace　of　repugnance　until　the　thought　obtruded　itself　that　he　might　be　the　creature　of　her　father's　mad　experimentation；　to　whose　arms　she　had　been　doomed　by　the　insane　obsession　of　her　parent。

The　man　shifted　her　now　to　give　himself　freer　use　of　his　right　arm；　for　the　savages　were　pressing　more　closely　upon　Twelve　and　Three；　and　the　change　made　it　impossible　for　the　girl　to　see　his　face　even　in　the　more　frequent　moonlit　places。

But　she　could　see　the　two　who　ran　and　fought　just　behind　them；　and　she　shuddered　at　her　inevitable　fate。　For　should　the　three　be　successful　in　bearing　her　away　from　the　Dyaks　she　must　face　an　unknown　doom；　while　should　the　natives　recapture　her　there　was　the　terrible　Malay　into　whose　clutches　she　had　already　twice　fallen。

Now　the　head　hunters　were　pressing　closer；　and　suddenly；　even　as　the　girl　looked　directly　at　him；　a　spear　passed　through　the　heart　of　Number　Three。　Clutching　madly　at　the　shaft　protruding　from　his　misshapen　body　the　grotesque　thing　stumbled　on　for　a　dozen　paces；　and　then　sank　to　the　ground　as　two　of　the　brown　warriors　sprang　upon　him　with　naked　parangs。　An　instant　later　Virginia　Maxon　saw　the　hideous　and　grisly　head　swinging　high　in　the　hand　of　a　dancing；　whooping　savage。

The　man　who　carried　her　was　now　forced　to　turn　and　fight　off　the　enemy　that　pressed　forward　past　Number　Twelve。　The　mighty　bull　whip　whirled　and　cracked　across　the　heads　and　faces　of　the　Dyaks。　　It　was　a　formidable　weapon　when　backed　by　the　Herculean　muscles　that　rolled　and　shifted　beneath　Bulan's　sun…tanned　skin；　and　many　were　the　brown　warriors　that　went　down　beneath　its　cruel　lash。

Virginia　could　see　that　the　creature　who　bore　her　was　not　deformed　of　body；　but　she　shrank　from　the　thought　of　what　a　sight　of　his　face　might　reveal。　　How　much　longer　the　two　could　fight　off　the　horde　at　their　heels　the　girl　could　not　guess；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact　she　was　indifferent　to　the　outcome　of　the　strange；　running　battle　that　was　being　waged　with　herself　as　the　victor's　spoil。

The　country　now　was　becoming　rougher　and　more　open。　The　flight　seemed　to　be　leading　into　a　range　of　low　hills；　where　the　jungle　grew　less　dense；　and　the　way　rocky　and　rugged。　They　had　entered　a　narrow　canyon　when　Number　Twelve　went　down　beneath　a　half　dozen　parangs。　　Again　the　girl　saw　a　bloody　head　swung　on　high　and　heard　the　fierce；　wild　chorus　of　exulting　victory。　She　wondered　how　long　it　would　be　ere　the　creature　beneath　her　would　add　his　share　to　the　grim　trophies　of　the　hunt。

In　the　interval　that　the　head　hunters　had　paused　to　sever　Number　Twelve's　head；　Bulan　had　gained　fifty　yards　upon　them；　and　then；　of　a　sudden；　he　came　to　a　sheer　wall　rising　straight　across　the　narrow　trail　he　had　been　following。　　Ahead　there　was　no　waya　cat　could　scarce　have　scaled　that　formidable　barrierbut　to　the　right　he　discerned　what　appeared　to　be　a　steep　and　winding　pathway　up　the　canyon's　side；　and　with　a　bound　he　clambered　along　it　to　where　it　surmounted　the　rocky　wall。

There　he　turned；　winded；　to　await　the　oncoming　foe。　Here　was　a　spot　where　a　single　man　might　defy　an　army；　and　Bulan　had　been　quick　to　see　the　natural　advantages　of　it。　　He　placed　the　girl　upon　her　feet　behind　a　protruding　shoulder　of　the　canyon's　wall　which　rose　to　a　considerable　distance　still　above　them。　　Then　he　turned　to　face　the　mob　that　was　surging　up　the　narrow　pathway　toward　him。

At　his　feet　lay　an　accumulation　of　broken　rock　from　the　hillside　above；　and　as　a　spear　sped；　singing；　close　above　his　shoulder；　the　occurrence　suggested　a　use　for　the　rough　and　jagged　missiles　which　lay　about　him　in　such　profusion。　　Many　of　the　pieces　were　large；　weighing　twenty　and　thirty　pounds；　and　some　even　as　much　as　fifty。　　Picking　up　one　of　the　larger　Bulan　raised　it　high　above　his　head；　and　then　hurled　it　down　amongst　the　upclimbing　warriors。　　In　an　instant　pandemonium　reigned；　for　the　heavy　boulder　had　mowed　down　a　score　of　the　pursuers；　breaking　arms　and　legs　in　its　meteoric　descent。

Missile　after　missile　Bulan　rained　down　upon　the　struggling；　howling　Dyaks；　until；　seized　by　panic；　they　turned　and　fled　incontinently　down　into　the　depths　of　the　canyon　and　back　along　the　narrow　trail　they　had　come；　and　then　superstitious　fear　completed　the　rout　that　the　flying　rocks　had　started；　for　one　whispered　to　another　that　this　was　the　terrible　Bulan　and　that　he　had　but　lured　them　on　into　the　hills　that　he　might　call　forth　all　his　demons　and　destroy　them。

For　a　moment　Bulan　stood　watching　the　retreating　savages；　a　smile　upon　his　lips；　and　then　as　the　sudden　equatorial　dawn　burst　forth　he　turned　to　face　the　girl。

As　Virginia　Maxon　saw　the　fine　features　of　the　giant　where　she　had　expected　to　find　the　grotesque　and　hideous　lineaments　of　a　monster；　she　gave　a　quick　little　cry　of　pleasure　and　relief。

〃