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leather fell, while in the boats below Muda Saffir and his men shouted loud cries

of encouragement to their companions on the ship, and a wide-eyed girl in the

stern of Muda Saffir's own prahu looked on in terror, hope and admiration at the

man of her own race whom she felt was battling against all these odds for her

alone.

Virginia Maxon recognized her champion instantly as he who had fought for her

and saved her once before, from the hideous creature of her father's experiments.

With hands tight pressed against her bosom the girl leaned forward, tense with

excitement, watching every move of the lithe, giant figure, as, silhouetted against

the brazen tropic sky, it towered above the dancing, shrieking head hunters who

writhed beneath the awful lash.

Muda Saffir saw that the battle was going against his men, and it filled him with

anger. Turning to one of his headmen he ordered two more boatloads of warriors

to the Ithaca's deck. As they were rushing to obey their leader's command there

was a respite in the fighting on the ship, for the three who had not fallen beneath

the bull whip had leaped overboard to escape the fate which had overtaken their

comrades.

As the reinforcements started to scale the vessel's side Number Thirteen's

searching eyes found the girl in Muda Saffir's prahu, where it lay a little off from

the Ithaca, and as the first of the enemy clambered over the rail she saw a smile

of encouragement light the clear cut features of the man above her. Virginia

Maxon sent back an answering smile--a smile that filled the young giant's heart

with pride and happiness--such a smile as brave men have been content to fight

and die for since woman first learned the art of smiling.

Number Thirteen could have beaten back many of the reinforcing party before

they reached the deck, but he did not care to do so. In the spontaneous ethics of

the man there seemed no place for an unfair advantage over an enemy, and

added to this was his newly acquired love of battle, so he was content to wait

until his foes stood on an even footing with him before he engaged them. But

they never came within reach of his ready lash. Instead, as they came above the

ship's side they paused, wide-eyed and terror stricken, and with cries of fear and

consternation dropped precipitately back into the sea, shouting warnings to those

who were about to scale the hull.

Muda Saffir arose in his prahu cursing and reviling the frightened Dyaks. He did

not know the cause of their alarm, but presently he saw it behind the giant upon

the Ithaca's deck--eleven horrible monstrosities lumbering forward, snarling and

growling, to their leader's side.

The Monster Men