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"Sing lies?" he hissed. "Mabbeso Sing lies when he ask what for you glet Bludleen

steal tleasure. But Lajah Saffir he come and spoil it all while you tly glet Linee to

the ship--Sing knows.

Then you tellee Mlaxon Thlirteen steal Linee. You lie then and you knew you lie.

You lie again when Thlirteen savee Linee flom Oulang Outang--you say you savee

Linee.

"Then you make bad talkee with Lajah Saffir at long-house. Sing hear you all

timee. You tly getee tleasure away from Dlyaks for your self. Then--"

"Stop!" roared von Horn. "Stop! You lying yellow sneak, before I put a bullet in

you."

"Both of you may stop now," said Professor Maxon authoritatively. "There have

been charges made here that cannot go unnoticed. Can you prove these things

Sing?" he asked turning to the Chinaman.

"I plove much by Bludleen's lascar. Bludleen tell him all 'bout Hornee. I plove

some more by Dyak chief at long-house. He knows lots. Lajah Saffir tell him. It

all tlue, Mlaxon."

"And it is true about this man--the thing that you have told us is true? He is not

one of those created in the laboratory?"

"No, Mlaxon. You no makee fine young man like Blulan--you know lat, Mlaxon.

You makee One, Two, Thlee--all up to Twelve. All fleaks. You ought to know,

Mlaxon, lat you no can makee a Blulan."

During these revelations Bulan had sat with his eyes fixed upon the Chinaman.

There was a puzzled expression upon his wan, blood-streaked face. It was as

though he were trying to wrest from the inner temple of his consciousness a

vague and tantalizing memory that eluded him each time that he felt he had it

within his grasp--the key to the strange riddle that hid his origin.

The girl kneeled close beside him, one small hand in his. Hope and happiness

had supplanted the sorrow in her face. She tore the hem from her skirt, to

bandage the bloody furrow that creased the man's temple. Professor Maxon stood

silently by, watching the loving tenderness that marked each deft, little movement

of her strong, brown hands.

The revelations of the past few minutes had shocked the old man into stupefied

silence. It was difficult, almost impossible, for him to believe that Sing had

spoken the truth and that this man was not one of the creatures of his own

creation; yet from the bottom of his heart he prayed that it might prove the truth,

132

The Monster Men