登陆注册
37288100000041

第41章

"I AM COMING!"

The morning following the capture of Virginia Maxon by Muda Saffir, Professor Maxon, von Horn, Sing Lee and the sole surviving lascar from the crew of the Ithaca set out across the strait toward the mainland of Borneo in the small boat which the doctor had secreted in the jungle near the harbor.The party was well equipped with firearms and ammunition, and the bottom of the boat was packed full with provisions and cooking utensils.Von Horn had been careful to see that the boat was furnished with a mast and sail, and now, under a good breeze the party was ****** excellent time toward the mysterious land of their destination.

They had scarcely cleared the harbor when they sighted a ship far out across the strait.Its erratic movements riveted their attention upon it, and later, as they drew nearer, they perceived that the strange craft was a good sized schooner with but a single short mast and tiny sail.For a minute or two her sail would belly with the wind and the vessel make headway, then she would come suddenly about, only to repeat the same tactics a moment later.She sailed first this way and then that, losing one minute what she had gained the minute before.

Von Horn was the first to recognize her.

"It is the Ithaca," he said, "and her Dyak crew are having a devil of a time managing her--she acts as though she were rudderless."Von Horn ran the small boat within hailing distance of the dismasted hulk whose side was now lined with waving, gesticulating natives.They were peaceful fishermen, they explained, whose prahus had been wrecked in the recent typhoon.They had barely escaped with their lives by clambering aboard this wreck which Allah had been so merciful as to place directly in their road.

Would the Tuan Besar be so good as to tell them how to make the big prahu steer?

Von Horn promised to help them on condition that they would guide him and his party to the stronghold of Rajah Muda Saffir in the heart of Borneo.The Dyaks willingly agreed, and von Horn worked his small boat in close under the Ithaca's stern.Here he found that the rudder had been all but unshipped, probably as the vessel was lifted over the reef during the storm, but a single pintle remaining in its gudgeon.A half hour's work was sufficient to repair the damage, and then the two boats continued their journey toward the mouth of the river up which those they sought had passed the night before.

Inside the river's mouth an anchorage was found for the Ithaca near the very island upon which the fierce battle between Number Thirteen and Muda Saffir's forces had occurred.

From the deck of the larger vessel the deserted prahu which had borne Bulan across the strait was visible, as were the bodies of the slain Dyaks and the misshapen creatures of the white giant's forces.

In excited tones the head hunters called von Horn's attention to these evidences of conflict, and the doctor drew his boat up to the island and leaped ashore, followed by Professor Maxon and Sing.Here they found the dead bodies of the four monsters who had fallen in an attempt to rescue their creator's daughter, though little did any there imagine the real truth.

About the corpses of the four were the bodies of a dozen Dyak warriors attesting to the ferocity of the encounter and the savage prowess of the unarmed creatures who had sold their poor lives so dearly.

"Evidently they fell out about the possession of the captive," suggested von Horn."Let us hope that she did not fall into the clutches of Number Thirteen--any fate would be better than that."

"God give that that has not befallen her," moaned Professor Maxon."The pirates might but hold her for ransom, but should that soulless fiend possess her my prayer is that she found the strength and the means to take her own life before he had an opportunity to have his way with her.""Amen," agreed von Horn.

Sing Lee said nothing, but in his heart he hoped that Virginia Maxon was not in the power of Rajah Muda Saffir.

The brief experience he had had with Number Thirteen during the fight in the bungalow had rather warmed his wrinkled old heart toward the friendless young giant, and he was a sufficiently good judge of human nature to be confident that the girl would be comparatively safe in his keeping.

It was quickly decided to abandon the small boat and embark the entire party in the deserted war prahu.

A half hour later saw the strangely mixed expedition forging up the river, but not until von Horn had boarded the Ithaca and discovered to his dismay that the chest was not on board her.

Far above them on the right bank Muda Saffir still squatted in his hiding place, for no friendly prahu or sampan had passed his way since dawn.His keen eyes roving constantly up and down the long stretch of river that was visible from his position finally sighted a war prahu coming toward him from down stream.As it drew closer he recognized it as one which had belonged to his own fleet before his unhappy encounter with the wild white man and his abhorrent pack, and a moment later his heart leaped as he saw the familiar faces of several of his men; but who were the strangers in the stern, and what was a Chinaman doing perched there upon the bow?

The prahu was nearly opposite him before he recognized Professor Maxon and von Horn as the white men of the little island.He wondered how much they knew of his part in the raid upon their encampment.Bududreen had told him much concerning the doctor, and as Muda Saffir recalled the fact that von Horn was anxious to possess himself of both the treasure and the girl he guessed that he would be safe in the man's hands so long as he could hold out promises of turning one or the other over to him; and so, as he was tired of squatting upon the uncomfortable bank and was very hungry, he arose and hailed the passing prahu.

同类推荐
  • 慈尊升度宝忏

    慈尊升度宝忏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说月光菩萨经

    佛说月光菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华氏中藏经

    华氏中藏经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 普贤菩萨行愿赞

    普贤菩萨行愿赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛本行经

    佛本行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 重生之救世者传说

    重生之救世者传说

    如单救一人,能赚多少钱财?若稳固一方,又能进账多少?看迷之少年以一己之力,带领都市群豪,逆天而行,直指头顶上方!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 金光武者

    金光武者

    天道高手收养的孤儿,无意间得到绝世金光诀。习武和做人一样,需要悟……回答了:我是谁?我从哪里来?又到哪里去?人生才不会迷茫,痛苦的心才有了安放……
  • 剑帝修天

    剑帝修天

    一个少年,因为捡到一件灵器,开启一段非凡人生。————单女主、天才流。
  • 战争艺术品

    战争艺术品

    星海总署的科学家们发现距离1.68光年外潜伏一支空间级文明的舰队,统帅制定“猎人计划”请战,激烈的交战中,整个战场被人用二向箔定格为画作
  • 裁·缝

    裁·缝

    《裁·缝》主要以以抗日战争和解放战争为历史背景,塑造了主人公虞懿琳这一集写作和裁衣的技艺于一身的民媛形象,表现了她的爱国精神与民族大义。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 坏坏校草狠爱小丫头

    坏坏校草狠爱小丫头

    他说:“丫头,我输了。在你面前,输得一榻糊涂。我收回那年对你说过的话,求你,别再逃了。”他救她,换来却是别人蓄意谋杀,死里逃生却得了脑震荡以及失忆。她为报答他,入豪宅全心全意侍候他。他伤好却忘记了她,她无所谓。重归学校,发挥其恶魔本色,百般凌辱欺负她。当看到她身边如此完美的少年时,他嫉妒得差点疯了。只是,世事沧桑,千帆过尽,只影向谁去?
  • 快穿之我是导师

    快穿之我是导师

    据说整个宇宙中有着千千万个小世界,而每个世界总有一些人本该拥有着锦绣人生,却因为各种原因而中途夭折。于是白茵出现了,她的任务就是帮助那些半途夭折的人重新登上顶峰,于是便开始了她的帮助生涯。
  • 杨之天散文集

    杨之天散文集

    回忆起了的某件事,和对社会生活的评价等等!