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opportunity to use a kris upon him in the remote fastness of the interior to which

Muda Saffir would lead them.

What became of the white man who led the strange monsters?" asked von Horn.

He killed many of my men, and the last I saw of him he was pushing up the river

after the girl and the treasure," replied the Malay.

If another should ask you," continued von Horn with a meaningful glance toward

Professor Maxon, "it will be well to say that the girl was stolen by this white giant

and that you suffered defeat in an attempt to rescue her because of your

friendship for us. Do you understand?"

Muda Saffir nodded. Here was a man after his own heart, which loved intrigue

and duplicity. Evidently he would be a good ally in wreaking vengeance upon the

white giant who had caused all his discomfiture--afterward there was always the

kris if the other should become inconvenient.

At the long-house at which Barunda and Ninaka had halted, Muda Saffir learned

all that had transpired, his informants being the two Dyaks who had led Bulan

and his pack into the jungle. He imparted the information to von Horn and both

men were delighted that thus their most formidable enemy had been disposed of.

It would be but a question of time before the inexperienced creatures perished in

the dense forest--that they ever could retrace their steps to the river was most

unlikely, and the chances were that one by one they would be dispatched by head

hunters while they slept.

Again the party embarked, reinforced by the two Dyaks who were only too glad to

renew their allegiance to Muda Saffir while he was backed by the guns of the

white men. On and on they paddled up the river, gleaning from the dwellers in

the various long-houses information of the passing of the two prahus with

Barunda, Ninaka, and the white girl.

Professor Maxon was impatient to hear every detail that von Horn obtained from

Muda Saffir and the various Dyaks that were interviewed at the first long-house

and along the stretch of river they covered. The doctor told him that Number

Thirteen still had Virginia and was fleeing up the river in a swift prahu. He

enlarged upon the valor shown by Muda Saffir and his men in their noble attempt

to rescue his daughter, and through it all Sing Lee sat with half closed eyes,

apparently oblivious to all that passed before him. What were the workings of

that intricate celestial brain none can say.

Far in the interior of the jungle Bulan and his five monsters stumbled on in an

effort to find the river. Had they known it they were moving parallel with the

The Monster Men