The Monster Men


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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.  
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Page
68 69 70 71 72

Quick Jump
1 35 70 104 139