the monster men-第32部分

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e　new　guides；　but　when　they　reached　the　spot　they　sought；　the　cause　of　the　Dyaks'　panic　had　fled；　warned；　doubtless；　by　their　trained　ears　of　the　approach　of　an　enemy。

The　sight　that　met　the　eyes　of　the　searchers　told　all　of　the　story　that　they　needed　to　know。　　A　hole　had　been　excavated　in　the　ground；　partially　uncovering　a　heavy　chest；　and　across　this　chest　lay　the　headless　body　of　Doctor　Carl　von　Horn。

Lieutenant　May　turned　toward　Professor　Maxon　with　a　questioning　look。

〃It　is　he；〃　said　the　scientist。

〃But　the　chest？〃　inquired　the　officer。

〃Mlaxon's　tleasure；〃　spoke　up　Sing　Lee。　　〃Hornee　him　tly　steal　it　for　long　time。〃

〃Treasure！〃　ejaculated　the　professor。　　〃Bududreen　gave　up　his　life　for　this。　　Rajah　Muda　Saffir　fought　and　intrigued　and　murdered　for　possession　of　it！　　Poor；　misguided　von　Horn　has　died　for　it；　and　left　his　head　to　wither　beneath　the　rafters　of　a　Dyak　long…house！　It　is　incredible。〃

〃But；　Professor　Maxon；〃　said　Lieutenant　May；　〃men　will　suffer　all　these　things　and　more　for　gold。〃

〃Gold！〃　cried　the　professor。　　〃Why；　man；　that　is　a　box　of　books　on　biology　and　eugenics。〃

〃My　God！〃　exclaimed　May；　〃and　von　Horn　was　accredited　to　be　one　of　the　shrewdest　swindlers　and　adventurers　in　America！　　But　come；　we　may　as　well　return　to　the　cuttermy　men　will　carry　the　chest。〃

〃No！〃　exclaimed　Professor　Maxon　with　a　vehemence　the　other　could　not　understand。　　〃Let　them　bury　it　again　where　it　lies。　　It　and　what　it　contains　have　been　the　cause　of　sufficient　misery　and　suffering　and　crime。　Let　it　lie　where　it　is　in　the　heart　of　savage　Borneo；　and　pray　to　God　that　no　man　ever　finds　it；　and　that　I　shall　forget　forever　that　which　is　in　it。〃

On　the　morning　of　the　third　day　following　the　death　of　von　Horn　the　New　Mexico　steamed　away　from　the　coast　of　Borneo。　　Upon　her　deck；　looking　back　toward　the　verdure　clad　hills；　stood　Virginia　and　Bulan。

〃Thank　heaven；〃　exclaimed　the　girl　fervently；　〃that　we　are　leaving　it　behind　us　forever。〃

〃Amen；〃　replied　Bulan；　〃but　yet；　had　it　not　been　for　Borneo　I　might　never　have　found　you。〃

〃We　should　have　met　elsewhere　then；　Bulan；〃　said　the　girl　in　a　low　voice；　〃for　we　were　made　for　one　another。　No　power　on　earth　could　have　kept　us　apart。　　In　your　true　guise　you　would　have　found　meI　am　sure　of　it。〃

〃It　is　maddening；　Virginia；〃　said　the　man；　〃to　be　constantly　straining　every　resource　of　my　memory　in　futile　endeavor　to　catch　and　hold　one　fleeting　clue　to　my　past。　　Why；　dear；　do　you　realize　that　I　may　have　been　a　fugitive　from　justice；　as　was　von　Horn；　a　vile　criminal　perhaps。　　It　is　awful；　Virginia；　to　contemplate　the　horrible　possibilities　of　my　lost　past。〃

〃No；　Bulan；　you　could　never　have　been　a　criminal；〃　replied　the　loyal　girl；　〃but　there　is　one　possibility　that　has　been　haunting　me　constantly。　　It　frightens　me　just　to　think　of　itit　is；〃　and　the　girl　lowered　her　voice　as　though　she　feared　to　say　the　thing　she　dreaded　most；　〃it　is　that　you　may　have　loved　anotherthat　that　you　may　even　be　married。〃

Bulan　was　about　to　laugh　away　any　such　fears　when　the　gravity　and　importance　of　the　possibility　impressed　him　quite　as　fully　as　it　had　Virginia。　　He　saw　that　it　was　not　at　all　unlikely　that　he　was　already　a　married　man；　and　he　saw　too　what　the　girl　now　acknowledged；　that　they　might　never　wed　until　the　mystery　of　his　past　had　been　cleared　away。

〃There　is　something　that　gives　weight　to　my　fear；〃　continued　Virginia；　〃something　that　I　had　almost　forgotten　in　the　rush　and　excitement　of　events　during　the　past　few　days。　　During　your　delirium　your　ravings　were；　for　the　most　part；　quite　incoherent；　but　there　was　one　name　that　you　repeated　many　timesa　woman's　name；　preceded　by　a　number。　It　was　‘Nine　ninety　nine　Priscilla。'　　Maybe　she〃

But　Virginia　got　no　further。　　With　a　low　exclamation　of　delight　Bulan　caught　her　in　his　arms。

〃It　is　all　right；　dear；〃　he　cried。　　〃It　is　all　right。　Everything　has　come　back　to　me　now。　　You　have　given　me　the　clue。　　Nine　ninety　nine　Priscilla　is　my　father's　addressNine　ninety　nine　Priscilla　Avenue。

〃I　am　Townsend　J。　Harper；　Jr。　　You　have　heard　of　my　father。　Every　one　has　since　he　commenced　consolidating　interurban　traction　companies。　　And　I'm　not　married；　Virginia；　and　never　have　been；　but　I　shall　be　if　this　miserable　old　mud　scow　ever　reaches　Singapore。〃

〃Oh；　Bulan；〃　cried　the　girl；　〃how　in　the　world　did　you　ever　happen　to　come　to　that　terrible　island　of　ours？〃

〃I　came　for　you；　dear；〃　he　replied。　　〃It　is　a　long　story。　After　dinner　I　will　tell　you　all　of　it　that　I　can　recall。　For　the　present　it　must　suffice　you　to　know　that　I　followed　you　from　the　railway　station　at　Ithaca　half　around　the　world　for　a　love　that　had　been　born　from　a　single　glance　at　your　sweet　face　as　you　passed　me　to　enter　your　Pullman。

〃On　my　father's　yacht　I　reached　your　island　after　trailing　you　to　Singapore。　　It　was　a　long　and　tedious　hunt　and　we　followed　many　blind　leads；　but　at　last　we　came　off　an　island　upon　which　natives　had　told　us　such　a　party　as　yours　was　living。　Five　of　us　put　off　in　a　boat　to　explorethat　is　the　last　that　I　can　recall。　　Sing　says　he　found　me　alone　in　a　row　boat；　a　‘dummy。'〃

Virginia　sighed；　and　crept　closer　to　him。

〃You　may　be　the　son　of　the　great　Townsend　J。　Harper；　you　have　been　the　soulless　Number　Thirteen；　but　to　me　you　will　always　be　Bulan；　for　it　was　Bulan　whom　I　learned　to　love。〃




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