the monster men-第24节

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　and　hailed　the　passing　prahu。

His　men　recognized　his　voice　immediately　and　as　they　knew　nothing　of　the　defection　of　any　of　their　fellows；　turned　the　boat's　prow　toward　shore　without　waiting　for　the　command　from　von　Horn。　　The　latter；　fearing　treachery；　sprang　to　his　feet　with　raised　rifle；　but　when　one　of　the　paddlers　explained　that　it　was　the　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　who　hailed　them　and　that　he　was　alone　von　Horn　permitted　them　to　draw　nearer　the　shore；　though　he　continued　to　stand　ready　to　thwart　any　attempted　treachery　and　warned　both　the　professor　and　Sing　to　be　on　guard。

As　the　prahu's　nose　touched　the　bank　Muda　Saffir　stepped　aboard　and　with　many　protestations　of　gratitude　explained　that　he　had　fallen　overboard　from　his　own　prahu　the　night　before　and　that　evidently　his　followers　thought　him　drowned；　since　none　of　his　boats　had　returned　to　search　for　him。　　Scarcely　had　the　Malay　seated　himself　before　von　Horn　began　questioning　him　in　the　rajah's　native　tongue；　not　a　word　of　which　was　intelligible　to　Professor　Maxon。　　Sing；　however；　was　as　familiar　with　it　as　was　von　Horn。

〃Where　are　the　girl　and　the　treasure？〃　he　asked。

〃What　girl；　Tuan　Besar？〃　inquired　the　wily　Malay　innocently。　〃And　what　treasure？　　The　white　man　speaks　in　riddles。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　cried　von　Horn　impatiently。　　〃Let　us　have　no　foolishness。　　You　know　perfectly　well　what　I　mean　it　will　go　far　better　with　you　if　we　work　together　as　friends。　　I　want　the　girlif　she　is　unharmedand　I　will　divide　the　treasure　with　you　if　you　will　help　me　to　obtain　them；　otherwise　you　shall　have　no　part　of　either。　What　do　you　say？　　Shall　we　be　friends　or　enemies？〃

〃The　girl　and　the　treasure　were　both　stolen　from　me　by　a　rascally　panglima；　Ninaka；〃　said　Muda　Saffir；　seeing　that　it　would　be　as　well　to　simulate　friendship　for　the　white　man　for　the　time　being　at　leastthere　would　always　be　an　opportunity　to　use　a　kris　upon　him　in　the　remote　fastness　of　the　interior　to　which　Muda　Saffir　would　lead　them。

〃What　became　of　the　white　man　who　led　the　strange　monsters？〃　asked　von　Horn。

〃He　killed　many　of　my　men；　and　the　last　I　saw　of　him　he　was　pushing　up　the　river　after　the　girl　and　the　treasure；〃　replied　the　Malay。

〃If　another　should　ask　you；〃　continued　von　Horn　with　a　meaningful　glance　toward　Professor　Maxon；　〃it　will　be　well　to　say　that　the　girl　was　stolen　by　this　white　giant　and　that　you　suffered　defeat　in　an　attempt　to　rescue　her　because　of　your　friendship　for　us。　Do　you　understand？〃

Muda　Saffir　nodded。　　Here　was　a　man　after　his　own　heart；　which　loved　intrigue　and　duplicity。　　Evidently　he　would　be　a　good　ally　in　wreaking　vengeance　upon　the　white　giant　who　had　caused　all　his　discomfiture　afterward　there　was　always　the　kris　if　the　other　should　become　inconvenient。

At　the　long…house　at　which　Barunda　and　Ninaka　had　halted；　Muda　Saffir　learned　all　that　had　transpired；　his　informants　being　the　two　Dyaks　who　had　led　Bulan　and　his　pack　into　the　jungle。　　He　imparted　the　information　to　von　Horn　and　both　men　were　delighted　that　thus　their　most　formidable　enemy　had　been　disposed　of。　It　would　be　but　a　question　of　time　before　the　inexperienced　creatures　perished　in　the　dense　forest　that　they　ever　could　retrace　their　steps　to　the　river　was　most　unlikely；　and　the　chances　were　that　one　by　one　they　would　be　dispatched　by　head　hunters　while　they　slept。

Again　the　party　embarked；　reinforced　by　the　two　Dyaks　who　were　only　too　glad　to　renew　their　allegiance　to　Muda　Saffir　while　he　was　backed　by　the　guns　of　the　white　men。　　On　and　on　they　paddled　up　the　river；　gleaning　from　the　dwellers　in　the　various　long…houses　information　of　the　passing　of　the　two　prahus　with　Barunda；　Ninaka；　and　the　white　girl。

Professor　Maxon　was　impatient　to　hear　every　detail　that　von　Horn　obtained　from　Muda　Saffir　and　the　various　Dyaks　that　were　interviewed　at　the　first　long…house　and　along　the　stretch　of　river　they　covered。　　The　doctor　told　him　that　Number　Thirteen　still　had　Virginia　and　was　fleeing　up　the　river　in　a　swift　prahu。　　He　enlarged　upon　the　valor　shown　by　Muda　Saffir　and　his　men　in　their　noble　attempt　to　rescue　his　daughter；　and　through　it　all　Sing　Lee　sat　with　half　closed　eyes；　apparently　oblivious　to　all　that　passed　before　him。　　What　were　the　workings　of　that　intricate　celestial　brain　none　can　say。


Far　in　the　interior　of　the　jungle　Bulan　and　his　five　monsters　stumbled　on　in　an　effort　to　find　the　river。　Had　they　known　it　they　were　moving　parallel　with　the　stream；　but　a　few　miles　from　it。　　At　times　it　wound　in　wide　detours　close　to　the　path　of　the　lost　creatures；　and　again　it　circled　far　away　from　them。

As　they　travelled　they　subsisted　upon　the　fruits　with　which　they　had　become　familiar　upon　the　island　of　their　creation。　　They　suffered　greatly　for　lack　of　water；　but　finally　stumbled　upon　a　small　stream　at　which　they　filled　their　parched　stomachs。　　Here　it　occurred　to　Bulan　that　it　would　be　wise　to　follow　the　little　river；　since　they　could　be　no　more　completely　lost　than　they　now　were　no　matter　where　it　should　lead　them；　and　it　would　at　least　insure　them　plenty　of　fresh　water。

As　they　proceeded　down　the　bank　of　the　stream　it　grew　in　size　until　presently　it　became　a　fair　sized　river；　and　Bulan　had　hopes　that　it　might　indeed　prove　the　stream　that　they　had　ascended　from　the　ocean　and　that　soon　he　would　meet　with　the　prahus　and　possibly　find　Virginia　Maxon　herself。　　The　strenuous　march　of　the　six　through　the　jungle　had　torn　their　light　cotton　garments　into　shreds　so　that　they　were　all　practically　naked；　while　their　bodies　were　scratched　and　bleeding　from　countless　wounds　inflicted　by　sharp　thorns　and　tangled　brambles　through　which　they　had　forced　their　way。

Bulan　still　carried　his　heavy　bull　whip　while　his　five　companions　were　armed　with　the　parangs　they　had　taken　from　the　Dyaks　they　had　overpowered　upon　the　island　at　the　mouth　of　the　river。　　It　was　upon　this　strange　and　remarkable　company　that　the　sharp　eyes　of　a　score　of　river　Dyaks　peered　through　the　foliage。　The　head　hunters　had　been　engaged　in　collecting　camphor　crystals　when　their　quick　ears　caught　the　noisy　passage　of　the　six　while　yet　at　a　considerable　distance；　and　with　ready　parangs　the　savages　crept　stealthily　toward　the　sound　of　the　advancing　party。

At　first　they　were　terror　stricken　at　the　hideous　visages　of　five　of　the　creatures　they　beheld；　but　when　they　saw　how　few　their　numbers；　and　how　poorly　armed　they　were；　as　well　as　the　awkwardness　with　which　they　carried　their　parangs；　denoting　their　unfamiliarity　with　the　weapons；　they　took　heart　and　prepared　to　ambush　them。

What　prizes　those　terrible　heads　would　be　when　properly　dried　and　decorated！　　The　savages　fairly　trembled　in　anticipation　of　the　commotion　they　would　cause　in　the　precincts　of　their　long…house　when　they　returned　with　six　such　magnificent　trophies。

Their　victims　came　blundering　on　through　the　dense　jungle　to　where　the　twenty　sleek　brown　warriors　lay　in　wait　for　them。　Bulan　was　in　the　lead；　and　close　behind　him　in　single　file　lumbered　his　awkward　crew。　　Suddenly　there　was　a　chorus　of　savage　cries　close　beside　him　and　simultaneously　he　found　himself　in　the　midst　of　twenty　cutting；　slashing　parangs。

Like　lightning　his　bull　whip　flew　into　action；　and　to　the　astonished　warriors　it　was　as　though　a　score　of　men　were　upon　them　in　the　person　of　this　mighty　white　giant。　Following　the　example　of　their　leader　the　five　creatures　at　his　back　leaped　upon　the　nearest　warriors；　and　though　they　wielded　their　parangs　awkwardly　the　superhuman　strength　back　of　their　cuts　and　thrusts　sent　the　already　blood　stained　blades　through　many　a　brown　body。

The　Dyaks　would　gladly　have　retreated　after　the　first　surprise　of　their　initial　attack；　but　Bulan　urged　his　men　on　after　them；　and　so　they　were　forced　to　fight　to　preserve　their　lives　at　all。　　At　last　five　of　them　managed　to　escape　into　the　jungle；　but　fifteen　remained　quietly　upon　the　earth　where　they　had　fallenthe　victims　of　their　own　over　confidence。　　Beside　them　lay　two　of　Bulan's　five；　so　that　now　the　little　party　was　reduced　to　fourand　the　problem　that　had　faced　Professor　Maxon　was　so　much　closer　to　its　own　solution。

From　the　bodies　of　the　dead　Dyaks　Bulan　and　his　three　companions；　Number　Three；　Number　Ten；　and　Number　Twelve；　took　enough　loin　cloths；　caps；　war…coats；　shields　and　weapons　to　fit　them　out　completely；　after　discarding　the　ragged　remnants　of　their　cotton　pajamas；　and　now；　even　more　terrible　in　appearance　than　before；　the　rapidly　vanishing　company　of　soulless　monsters　continued　their　aimless　wandering　down　the　river's　brim。

The　five　Dyaks　who　had　escaped　carried　the　news　of　the　terrible　creatures　that　had　fallen　upon　them　in　the　jungle；　and　of　the　awful　prowess　of　the　giant　white　man　who　led　them。　They　told　of　how；　armed　only　with　a　huge　whip；　he　had　been　a　match　and　more　than　a　match　for　the　best　warriors　of　the　tribe；　and　the　news　that　they　started　spread　rapidly　down　the　river　from　one　long…house　to　another　until　it　reached　the　broad　stream　into　which　the　smaller　river　flowed；　and　then　it　travelled　up　and　down　to　the　headwaters　above　and　the　ocean　far　below　in　the　remarkable　manner　that　news　travels　in　the　wild　places　of　the　world。

So　it　was　that　as　Bulan　advanced　he　found　the　long…houses　in　his　path　deserte