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Chapter 5 - TREASON
On their return to camp after her rescue Virginia talked a great deal to von Horn
about the young giant who had rescued her, until the man feared that she was
more interested in him than seemed good for his own plans.
He had now cast from him the last vestige of his loyalty for his employer, and
thus freed had determined to use every means within his power to win Professor
Maxon's daughter, and with her the heritage of wealth which he knew would be
hers should her father, through some unforeseen mishap, meet death before he
could return to civilization and alter his will, a contingency which von Horn knew
he might have to consider should he marry the girl against her father's wishes,
and thus thwart the crazed man's mad, but no less dear project.
He realized that first he must let the girl fully understand the grave peril in which
she stood, and turn her hope of protection from her father to himself. He
imagined that the initial step in undermining Virginia's confidence in her father
would be to narrate every detail of the weird experiments which Professor Maxon
had brought to such successful issues during their residence upon the island.
The girl's own questioning gave him the lead he needed.
"
Where could that horrid creature have come from that set upon me in the jungle
and nearly killed poor Sing?" she asked.
For a moment von Horn was silent, in well simulated hesitancy to reply to her
query.
"I cannot tell you, Miss Maxon," he said sadly, "how much I should hate to be the
one to ignore your father's commands, and enlighten you upon this and other
subjects which lie nearer to your personal welfare than you can possibly guess;
but I feel that after the horrors of this day duty demands that I must lay all before
you--you cannot again be exposed to the horrors from which you were rescued
only by a miracle."
"I cannot imagine what you hint at, Dr. von Horn," said Virginia, "but if to explain
to me will necessitate betraying my father's confidence I prefer that you remain
silent."
"You do not understand," broke in the man, "you cannot guess the horrors that I
have seen upon this island, or the worse horrors that are to come. Could you
dream of what lies in store for you, you would seek death rather than face the
future. I have been loyal to your father, Virginia, but were you not blind, or
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