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there broke suddenly upon the still night the hideous war cries of the Dyaks, and

the screams and shrieks of their frightened victims in the campong without.

Almost simultaneously Professor Maxon and Sing rushed into the living room to

ascertain the cause of the wild alarm, while at the same instant Bududreen's

assassins sprang through the door with upraised krisses, to be almost

immediately followed by Muda Saffir's six Dyaks brandishing their long spears

and wicked parangs.

In an instant the little room was filled with howling, fighting men. The Dyaks,

whose orders as well as inclinations incited them to a general massacre, fell first

upon Bududreen's lascars who, cornered in the small room, fought like demons

for their lives, so that when the Dyaks had overcome them two of their own

number lay dead beside the dead bodies of Bududreen's henchmen.

Sing and Professor Maxon stood in the doorway to the professor's room gazing

upon the scene of carnage in surprise and consternation. The scientist was

unarmed, but Sing held a long, wicked looking Colt in readiness for any

contingency. It was evident the celestial was no stranger to the use of his deadly

weapon, nor to the moments of extreme and sudden peril which demanded its

use, for he seemed no more perturbed than had he been but hanging out his

weekly wash.

As Number Thirteen watched the two men from the dark shadows of the room in

which he stood, he saw that both were calm--the Chinaman with the calmness of

perfect courage, the other through lack of full understanding of the grave danger

which menaced him. In the eyes of the latter shone a strange gleam--it was the

wild light of insanity that the sudden nervous shock of the attack had brought to

a premature culmination.

Now the four remaining Dyaks were advancing upon the two men. Sing levelled

his revolver and fired at the foremost, and at the same instant Professor Maxon,

with a shrill, maniacal scream, launched himself full upon a second. Number

Thirteen saw the blood spurt from a superficial wound in the shoulder of the

fellow who received Sing's bullet, but except for eliciting a howl of rage the missile

had no immediate effect. Then Sing pulled the trigger again and again, but the

cylinder would not revolve and the hammer fell futilely upon the empty cartridge.

As two of the head hunters closed upon him the brave Chinaman clubbed his

weapon and went down beneath them beating madly at the brown skulls.

The man with whom Professor Maxon had grappled had no opportunity to use his

weapons for the crazed man held him close with one encircling arm while he tore

and struck at him with his free hand. The fourth Dyak danced around the two

The Monster Men