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第21章

the monster men(魔鬼一样的人)-第21章

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straight to the opposite door which let upon the court of mystery。 On a nail 

driven   into   the   door   frame   hung   a   heavy   bull   whip。   The   doctor   took   it 

down as he raised the strong bar which held the door。                     Then he stepped 

through into the moonlit inner campongthe bull whip in his right hand; a 

revolver in his left。 

     A   half   dozen     misshapen      monsters     roved    restlessly    about    the  hard 

packed      earth   of   the   pen。    The     noise   of   the   battle   in  the   adjoining 

enclosure   had   aroused   them   from   slumber   and   awakened   in   their   half 

formed      brains    vague    questionings      and    fears。   At    sight   of   von   Horn 

several of them rushed for him with menacing growls; but a swift crack of 

the bull whip brought them to a sudden realization of the identity of the 

intruder; so that they slunk away; muttering and whining in rage。 

     Von Horn passed quickly to the low shed in which the remainder of the 

eleven   were   sleeping。       With   vicious   cuts   from   the   stinging   lash   he   lay 

about him upon the sleeping things。                Roaring and shrieking in pain and 

anger   the   creatures   stumbled   to   their   feet   and   lumbered   awkwardly   into 

the   open。     Two   of   them   turned   upon   their   tormentor;   but   the   burning 

weapon on their ill protected flesh sent them staggering back out of reach; 

and in another moment all were huddled in the center of the campong。 



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     As   cattle   are   driven;   von   Horn   drove   the   miserable   creatures   toward 

the    door   of  the   workshop。       At    the  threshold     of  the   dark   interior   the 

frightened   things   halted   fearfully;   and   then   as   von   Horn   urged   them   on 

from behind with his cruel whip they milled as cattle at the entrance to a 

strange corral。 

     Again and again he urged them for the door; but each time they turned 

away; and to escape the whip beat and tore at the wall of the palisade in a 

vain effort to batter it from their pathway。              Their roars and shrieks were 

almost   deafening   as   von   Horn;   losing   what   little   remained   of   his   scant 

self…control;   dashed   among   them   laying   to   right   and   left   with   the   stern 

whip and the butt of his heavy revolver。 

     Most of the monsters scattered and turned back into the center of the 

enclosure;   but   three   of   them   were   forced   through   the   doorway   into   the 

workshop;  from  the   darkness   of   which   they  saw   the   patch   of   moonlight 

through the open door upon the opposite side。                  Toward this they scurried 

as von Horn turned back into the court of mystery for the others。 

     Three   more   herculean   efforts   he   made   before   he   beat   the   last   of   the 

creatures     through     the   outer   doorway      of   the  workshop       into  the   north 

campong。 

       Among      the   age   old   arts  of  the   celestials   none    is  more    strangely 

inspiring than that of medicine。            Odd herbs and unspeakable things when 

properly compounded under a favorable aspect of the heavenly bodies are 

potent to achieve miraculous cures; and few are the Chinamen who do not 

brew   some   special   concoction   of   their   own   devising   for   the   lesser   ills 

which beset mankind。 

     Sing   was   no   exception   in   this   respect。     In   various   queerly   shaped; 

bamboo covered jars he maintained a supply of tonics; balms and lotions。 

His first   thought   when he   had   made   Professor   Maxon   comfortable upon 

the couch was to fetch his pet nostrum; for there burned strong within his 

yellow   breast   the   same   powerful   yearning   to   experiment   that   marks   the 

greatest of the profession to whose mysteries he aspired。 

     Though the hideous noises from the inner campong rose threateningly; 

the   imperturbable   Sing   left   the   bungalow   and   passed   across   the   north 

campong   to   the   little   lean…to   that   he   had   built   for   himself   against   the 



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palisade that separated the north enclosure from the court of mystery。 

     Here he rummaged about in the dark until he had found the two phials 

he   sought。    The   noise   of   the   monsters   upon   the   opposite   side   of    the 

palisade had now assumed the dimensions of pandemonium; and through 

it all the Chinaman heard the constant crack that was the sharp voice of the 

bull whip。 

     He had completed his search and was about to return to the bungalow 

when the first of the monsters emerged into the north campong from the 

workshop。       At the door of his shack Sing Lee drew back to watch; for he 

knew   that   behind   them   some   one   was   driving   these   horribly   grotesque 

creatures from their prison。 

     One   by   one   they   came   lumbering   into   the   moonlight   until   Sing   had 

counted   eleven;   and   then;   after   them;   came   a   white   man;   bull   whip   and 

revolver   in   hand。    It   was   von   Horn。    The   equatorial   moon   shone   full 

upon himthere could be no mistake。              The Chinaman saw him turn and 

lock the workshop door; saw him cross the campong to the outer gate; saw 

him pass through toward the jungle; closing the gate。 

     Of   a   sudden   there   was   a   sad;   low   moaning   through   the   surrounding 

trees;   dense;    black   clouds    obscured    the   radiant   moon;    and   then   with 

hideous thunder and vivid flashes of lightning the tempest broke in all its 

fury of lashing wind and hurtling deluge。              It was the first great storm of 

the breaking up of the monsoon; and under the cover of its darkness Sing 

Lee scurried through the monster filled campong to the bungalow。 Within 

he    found   the   young    man    bathing    Professor    Maxon's     head    as  he  had 

directed him to do。 

     〃All gettee out;〃 he said; jerking his thumb in the direction of the court 

of mystery。      〃Eleven devils。 Plenty soon come bung'low。               What do?〃 

     Number Thirteen had seen von Horn's extra bull whip hanging upon a 

peg in the living room。         For answer he stepped into that room and took 

the weapon down。 Then he returned to the professor's side。 

     Outside the frightened monsters groped through the blinding rain and 

darkness in search of shelter。 Each vivid lightning flash; and bellowing of 

booming   thunder   brought   responsive   cries   of   rage   and   terror   from   their 

hideous     lips。   It   was   Number      Twelve    who    first  spied   the   dim   light 



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showing       through     the   bungalow's      living   room     window。       With     a  low 

guttural   to   his   companions   he   started   toward   the   building。       Up   the   low 

steps   to   the   verandah   they   crept。     Number   Twelve   peered   through   the 

window。 He saw no one within; but there was warmth and dryness。 

     His    little  knowledge       and    lesser   reasoning     faculties    suggested      no 

thought of a doorway。          With a blow he shattered the glass of the window。 

Then     he   forced    his  body    through     the   narrow    aperture。     At    the  same 

moment a gust of wind sucking through the broken panes drew open the 

door;   and   as   Number   Thirteen;   warned   by   the   sound   of   breaking   glass; 

sprang   into   the   living   room   he   was

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