“I think Number Ten is right,” he said at last. “We are not human. We have no souls. We are things. And while you, Bulan, are beautiful, yet you are as much a soulless thing as we—that much von Horn taught us well. So I believe that it would be better were we to keep forever from the sight of men. I do not much like the thought of living with these strange, hairy monsters, but we might find a place here in the jungle where we could live alone and in peace.”
“I do not want to live alone,” cried Number Three. “I want a mate, and I see a beautiful one yonder now. I am going after her,” and with that he again started toward a female ourang outang; but the lady bared her fangs and retreated before his advance.
“Even the beasts will have none of us,” cried Number Ten angrily. “Let us take them by force then,” and he started after Number Three.
“Come back!” shouted Bulan, leaping after the two deserters.
As he raised his voice there came an answering cry from a little distance ahead—a cry for help, and it was in the agonized tones of a woman’s voice.
“I am coming!” shouted Bulan, and without another glance at his mutinous crew he sprang through the line of menacing ourang outangs.
12
PERFIDY
On the morning that Bulan set out with his three monsters from the deserted long-house in which they had spent the night, Professor Maxon’s party was speeding up the river, constantly buoyed with hope by the repeated reports of natives that the white girl had been seen passing in a war prahu.
In translating this information to Professor Maxon, von Horn habitually made it appear that the girl was in the hands of Number Thirteen, or Bulan, as they had now come to call him owing to the natives’ constant use of that name in speaking of the strange, and formidable white giant who had invaded their land.
At the last long-house below the gorge, the head of which had witnessed Virginia Maxon’s escape from the clutches of Ninaka and Barunda, the searching party was forced to stop owing to a sudden attack of fever which had prostrated the professor. Here they found a woman who had a strange tale to relate of a remarkable sight she had witnessed that very morning.