the monster men-第27节

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ppiest　man　in　the　world？　I　do　not　ask　for　all　your　love　at　firstthat　will　come　later。　Just　give　me　the　right　to　cherish　and　protect　you。　Say　that　you　will　be　my　wife；　Virginia；　and　we　need　have　no　more　fears　that　the　strange　vagaries　of　your　father's　mind　can　ever　again　jeopardize　your　life　or　your　happiness　as　they　have　in　the　past。〃

〃I　feel　that　I　owe　you　my　life；〃　replied　the　girl　in　a　quiet　voice；　〃and　while　I　am　now　positive　that　my　father　has　entirely　regained　his　sanity；　and　looks　with　as　great　abhorrence　upon　the　terrible　fate　he　planned　for　me　as　I　myself；　I　cannot　forget　the　debt　of　gratitude　which　belongs　to　you。

〃At　the　same　time　I　do　not　wish　to　be　the　means　of　making　you　unhappy；　as　surely　would　be　the　result　were　I　to　marry　you　without　love。　　Let　us　wait　until　I　know　myself　better。　Though　you　have　spoken　to　me　of　the　matter　before；　I　realize　now　that　I　never　have　made　any　effort　to　determine　whether　or　not　I　really　can　love　you。　There　is　time　enough　before　we　reach　civilization；　if　ever　we　are　fortunate　enough　to　do　so　at　all。　Will　you　not　be　as　generous　as　you　are　brave；　and　give　me　a　few　days　before　I　must　make　you　a　final　answer？〃

With　Professor　Maxon's　solemn　promise　to　insure　his　ultimate　success　von　Horn　was　very　gentle　and　gracious　in　deferring　to　the　girl's　wishes。　　The　girl　for　her　part　could　not　put　from　her　mind　the　disappointment　she　had　felt　when　she　discovered　that　her　rescuer　was　von　Horn；　and　not　the　handsome　young　giant　whom　she　had　been　positive　was　in　close　pursuit　of　her　abductors。

When　Number　Thirteen　had　been　mentioned　she　had　always　pictured　him　as　a　hideous　monster；　similar　to　the　creature　that　had　seized　her　in　the　jungle　beside　the　encampment　that　first　day　she　had　seen　the　mysterious　stranger；　of　whom　she　could　obtain　no　information　either　from　her　father　or　von　Horn。　　When　she　had　recently　insisted　that　the　same　man　had　been　at　the　head　of　her　father's　creatures　in　an　attempt　to　rescue　her；　both　von　Horn　and　Professor　Maxon　scoffed　at　the　idea；　until　at　last　she　was　convinced　that　the　fright　and　the　firelight　had　conspired　to　conjure　in　her　brain　the　likeness　of　one　who　was　linked　by　memory　to　another　time　of　danger　and　despair。

Virginia　could　not　understand　why　it　was　that　the　face　of　the　stranger　persisted　in　obtruding　itself　in　her　memory。　That　the　man　was　unusually　good　looking　was　undeniable；　but　she　had　known　many　good　looking　men；　nor　was　she　especially　impressionable　to　mere　superficial　beauty。　No　words　had　passed　between　them　on　the　occasion　of　their　first　meeting；　so　it　could　have　been　nothing　that　he　said　which　caused　the　memory　of　him　to　cling　so　tenaciously　in　her　mind。

What　was　it　then？　　Was　it　the　memory　of　the　moments　that　she　had　lain　in　his　strong　armswas　it　the　shadow　of　the　sweet；　warm　glow　that　had　suffused　her　as　his　eyes　had　caught　hers　upon　his　face？

The　thing　was　tantalizingit　was　annoying。　　The　girl　blushed　in　mortification　at　the　very　thought　that　she　could　cling　so　resolutely　to　the　memory　of　a　total　stranger；　andstill　greater　humiliationlong　in　the　secret　depths　of　her　soul　to　see　him　again。

She　was　angry　with　herself；　but　the　more　she　tried　to　forget　the　young　giant　who　had　come　into　her　life　for　so　brief　an　instant；　the　more　she　speculated　upon　his　identity　and　the　strange　fate　that　had　brought　him　to　their　little；　savage　island　only　to　snatch　him　away　again　as　mysteriously　as　he　had　come；　the　less　was　the　approval　with　which　she　looked　upon　the　suit　of　Doctor　von　Horn。

Von　Horn　had　left　her；　and　strolled　down　to　the　river。　Finally　Virginia　arose　to　seek　the　crude　couch　which　had　been　spread　for　her　in　one　of　the　sleeping　rooms　of　the　long…house。　　As　she　passed　a　group　of　natives　squatted　nearby　one　of　the　number　arose　and　approached　her；　and　as　she　halted；　half　in　fright；　a　low　voice　whispered：

〃Lookee　out；　Linee；　dloctor　Hornee　velly　bad　man。〃

〃Why；　Sing！〃　exclaimed　Virginia。　　〃What　in　the　world　do　you　mean　by　saying　such　a　thing　as　that？〃

〃Never　mind；　Linee；　you　always　good　to　old　Sing。　Sing　no　likee　see　you　sadee。　　Dloctor　Hornee　velly　bad　man；　las　allee；〃　and　without　another　word　the　Chinaman　turned　and　walked　away。



13

BURIED　TREASURE


After　the　escape　of　the　girl　Barunda　and　Ninaka　had　fallen　out　over　that　affair　and　the　division　of　the　treasure；　with　the　result　that　the　panglima　had　slipped　a　knife　between　the　ribs　of　his　companion　and　dropped　the　body　overboard。

Barunda's　followers；　however；　had　been　highly　enraged　at　the　act；　and　in　the　ensuing　battle　which　they　waged　for　revenge　of　their　murdered　chief　Ninaka　and　his　crew　had　been　forced　to　take　to　the　shore　and　hide　in　the　jungle。

With　difficulty　they　had　saved　the　chest　and　dragged　it　after　them　into　the　mazes　of　the　underbrush。　　Finally；　however；　they　succeeded　in　eluding　the　angry　enemy；　and　took　up　their　march　through　the　interior　for　the　head　of　a　river　which　would　lead　them　to　the　sea　by　another　route；　it　being　Ninaka's　intention　to　dispose　of　the　contents　of　the　chest　as　quickly　as　possible　through　the　assistance　of　a　rascally　Malay　who　dwelt　at　Gunung　Tebor；　where　he　carried　on　a　thriving　trade　with　pirates。

But　presently　it　became　apparent　that　he　had　not　so　easily　escaped　the　fruits　of　his　villainy　as　he　had　supposed；　for　upon　the　evening　of　the　first　day　the　rear　of　his　little　column　was　attacked　by　some　of　Barunda's　warriors　who　had　forged　ahead　of　their　fellows；　with　the　result　that　the　head　of　Ninaka's　brother　went　to　increase　the　prestige　and　glory　of　the　house　of　the　enemy。

Ninaka　was　panic…stricken；　since　he　knew　that　hampered　as　he　was　by　the　heavy　chest　he　could　neither　fight　nor　run　to　advantage。　　And　so；　upon　a　dark　night　near　the　head　waters　of　the　river　he　sought；　he　buried　the　treasure　at　the　foot　of　a　mighty　buttress　tree；　and　with　his　parang　made　certain　cabalistic　signs　upon　the　bole　whereby　he　might　identify　the　spot　when　it　was　safe　to　return　and　disinter　his　booty。　　Then；　with　his　men；　he　hastened　down　the　stream　until　they　reached　the　head　of　prahu　navigation　where　they　stole　a　craft　and　paddled　swiftly　on　toward　the　sea。

When　the　three　bull　ourang　outangs　closed　upon　Bulan　he　felt　no　fear　as　to　the　outcome　of　the　battle；　for　never　in　his　experience　had　he　coped　with　any　muscles　that　his　own　mighty　thews　could　not　overcome。　　But　as　the　battle　continued　he　realized　that　there　might　be　a　limit　to　the　number　of　antagonists　which　he　could　successfully　withstand；　since　he　could　scarcely　hope　with　but　two　hands　to　reach　the　throats　of　three　enemies；　or　ward　off　the　blows　and　clutches　of　six　powerful　hands；　or　the　gnashing　of　three　sets　of　savage　fangs。

When　the　truth　dawned　upon　him　that　he　was　being　killed　the　instinct　of　self…preservation　was　born　in　him。　The　ferocity　with　which　he　had　fought　before　paled　into　insignificance　beside　the　mad　fury　with　which　he　now　attacked　the　three　terrible　creatures　upon　him。　Shaking　himself　like　a　great　lion　he　freed　his　arms　for　a　moment　from　the　clinging　embrace　of　his　foemen；　and　seizing　the　neck　of　the　nearest　in　his　mighty　clutch　wrenched　the　head　completely　around。

There　was　one　awful　shriek　from　the　tortured　brute　the　vertebrae　parted　with　a　snap；　and　Bulan's　antagonists　were　reduced　to　two。　　Lunging　and　struggling　the　three　combatants　stumbled　farther　and　farther　into　the　jungle　beyond　the　clearing。　　With　mighty　blows　the　man　buffeted　the　beasts　to　right　and　left；　but　ever　they　returned　in　bestial　rage　to　renew　the　encounter。　　Bulan　was　weakening　rapidly　under　the　terrific　strain　to　which　he　had　been　subjected；　and　from　loss　of　the　blood　which　flowed　from　his　wounds；　yet　he　was　slowly　mastering　the　foaming　brutes；　who　themselves　were　torn　and　bleeding　and　exhausted。　　Weaker　and　weaker　became　the　struggles　of　them　all；　when　a　sudden　misstep　sent　Bulan　stumbling　headforemost　against　the　stem　of　a　tree；　where；　stunned；　he　sank　unconscious；　at　the　mercy　of　the　relentless　bulls。

They　had　already　sprung　upon　the　prostrate　form　of　their　victim　to　finish　what　the　accident　had　commenced；　when　the　loud　report　of　Sing's　revolver　smote　upon　their　startled　ears　as　the　Chinaman's　bullet　buried　itself　in　the　heart　of　Number　Ten。　　Never　had　the　ourang　outangs　heard　the　sound　of　a　firearm；　and　the　noise；　seemingly　in　such　close　proximity；　filled　them　with　such　terror　that　on　the　instant　they　forgot　all　else　than　this　new　and　startling　fear；　and　with　headlong　haste　leaped　away　into　the　jungle；　leaving　Bulan　lying　where　he　had　fallen。

So　it　was　that　though　Sing　passed　within　a　few　paces　of　the　unconscious　man　he　neither　saw　nor　heard　aught　of　him　or　his　antagonists。

When　Bulan　returned　to　consciousness　the　day　was　drawing　to　a　close。　　He　was　stiff　and　sore　and　weak。　His　head　ached　horribly。　　He　thought　that　he　must　indeed　be　dying；　for　how　could　one　who　suffered　so　revive？　But　at　last　he　managed　to　stagger　to　his　feet；　and　finally　to　reach　the　stream　along　which　he　had　been　travelling　earlier　in　the　day。　Here　he　quenched　his　thirst　and　bathed　his　wounds；　and　as　darkness　came　he　lay　down　to　sleep　upon　a　bed　of　matted　grasses。

The　next　morning　found　him　refreshed　and　in　considerably　less　pain；　for　the　powers　of　recuperation　which　belonged　to　his　perfect　health　and　mighty　phys