Virginia and Sing were compelled to narrate theadventure of the afternoon a dozen times. The Chinamanwas at a loss to understand what had deterred thepirates at the very threshold of victory. Von Hornthought that they had seen the reinforcements embarkingfrom the shore, but Sing explained that that wasimpossible since the Ithaca had been directly betweenthem and the point at which the returning crew hadentered the boats.

Virginia was positive that her fusillade had frightenedthem into a hasty retreat, but again Sing discouragedany such idea when he pointed to the fact that anotherinstant would have carried the prahu close to the Ithaca'sside and out of the machine gun's radius of action.

The old Chinaman was positive that the pirates had someulterior motive for simulating defeat, and his longyears of experience upon pirate infested waters gaveweight to his opinion. The weak spot in his argumentwas his inability to suggest a reasonable motive. Andso it was that for a long time they were left to futileconjecture as to the action that had saved them from abloody encounter with these bloodthirsty sea wolves.

For a week the men were busy constructing the new camp,but never again was Virginia left without a sufficientguard for her protection. Von Horn was always neededat the work, for to him had fallen the entire directionof matters of importance that were at all of apractical nature. Professor Maxon wished to watch thebuilding of the houses and the stockade, that he mightoffer such suggestions as he thought necessary, andagain the girl noticed her father's comparativeindifference to her welfare.

She had been shocked at his apathy at the time of thepirate attack, and chagrined that it should have beennecessary for von Horn to have insisted upon a properguard being left with her thereafter.

The nearer the approach of the time when he might enteragain upon those experiments which had now beenneglected for the better part of a year the more selfabsorbed and moody became the professor. At times hewas scarcely civil to those about him, and never nowdid he have a pleasant word or a caress for thedaughter who had been his whole life but a few shortmonths before.

It often seemed to Virginia when she caught herfather's eyes upon her that there was a gleam ofdislike in them, as though he would have been glad tohave been rid of her that she might not in any wayembarrass or interfere with his work.

The camp was at last completed, and on a Saturdayafternoon all the heavier articles from the ship hadbeen transported to it. On the following Monday thebalance of the goods was to be sent on shore and the partywere to transfer their residence to their new quarters.

Late Sunday afternoon a small native boat was seenrounding the point at the harbor's southern extremity,and after a few minutes it drew alongside the Ithaca.There were but three men in it--two Dyaks and a Malay.The latter was a tall, well built man of middle age,of a sullen and degraded countenance. His garmenturewas that of the ordinary Malay boatman, but there wasthat in his mien and his attitude toward his companionswhich belied his lowly habiliments.

In answer to von Horn's hail the man asked if he mightcome aboard and trade; but once on the deck it developedthat he had not brought nothing wherewith to trade.He seemed not the slightest disconcerted by this discovery,stating that he would bring such articles as they wishedwhen he had learned what their requirements were.

The ubiquitous Sing was on hand during the interview,but from his expressionless face none might guess whatwas passing through the tortuous channels of hisOriental mind. The Malay had been aboard nearly halfan hour talking with von Horn when the mate, Bududreen,came on deck, and it was Sing alone who noted thequickly concealed flash of recognition which passedbetween the two Malays.

The Chinaman also saw the gleam that shot into thevisitor's eye as Virginia emerged from the cabin,but by no word or voluntary outward sign did the manindicate that he had even noticed her. Shortly afterwardhe left, promising to return with provisions the following day.But it was to be months before they again saw him.

That evening as Sing was serving Virginia's supper he askedher if she had recognized their visitor of the afternoon.

"Why no, Sing," she replied, "I never saw him before."

"Sh!" admonished the celestial. "No talkee so strong,wallee have ear all same labbit."

"What do you mean, Sing?" asked the girl in a low voice."How perfectly weird and mysterious you are.Why you make the cold chills run up my spine,"she ended, laughing. But Sing did not returnher smile as was his custom.

"You no lememba tallee Lajah stand up wavee liteclothee in plilate boat, ah?" he urged.

"Oh, Sing," she cried, "I do indeed! But unless you hadreminded me I should never have thought to connect himwith our visitor of today--they do look very much alike,don't they?"

"Lookeelike! Ugh, they all samee one man. Sing know.You lookee out, Linee," which was the closest that Singhad ever been able to come to pronouncing Virginia.

"Why should I look out? He doesn't want me,"said the girl, laughingly.

"Don't you bee too damee sure 'bout lat, Linee,"was Sing's inelegant but convincing reply,as he turned toward his galley.

The following morning the party, with the exception ofthree Malays who were left to guard the Ithaca, set outfor the new camp. The journey was up the bed of thesmall stream which emptied into the harbor, so thatalthough fifteen men had passed back and forth throughthe jungle from the beach to the camp every day for twoweeks, there was no sign that human foot had evercrossed the narrow strip of sand that lay between thedense foliage and the harbor.

The gravel bottom of the rivulet made fairly goodwalking, and as Virginia was borne in a litter betweentwo powerful lascars it was not even necessary that shewet her feet in the ascent of the stream to the camp.The distance was short, the center of the camp beingbut a mile from the harbor, and less than half a milefrom the opposite shore of the island which was but twomiles at its greatest breadth, and two and a quarter atits greatest length.

At the camp Virginia found that a neat clearing hadbeen made upon a little tableland, a palisade builtabout it, and divided into three parts; the mostnortherly of which contained a small house for herselfand her father, another for von Horn, and a commoncooking and eating house over which Sing was to preside.

The enclosure at the far end of the palisade was forthe Malay and lascar crew and there also were quartersfor Bududreen and the Malay second mate. The centerenclosure contained Professor Maxon's workshop. Thiscompartment of the enclosure Virginia was not invitedto inspect, but as members of the crew carried in thetwo great chests which the professor had left upon theIthaca until the last moment, Virginia caught a glimpseof the two buildings that had been erected within thiscentral space--a small, square house which was quiteevidently her father's laboratory, and a long, lowthatched shed divided into several compartments, eachcontaining a rude bunk. She wondered for whom theycould be intended. Quarters for all the party hadalready been arranged for elsewhere, nor, thought she,would her father wish to house any in such closeproximity to his workshop, where he would desireabsolute quiet and freedom from interruption. Thediscovery perplexed her not a little, but so changedwere her relations with her father that she would notquestion him upon this or any other subject.

As the two chests were being carried into the centralcampong, Sing, who was standing near Virginia, calledher attention to the fact that Bududreen was one of thosewho staggered beneath the weight of the heavier burden.

"Bludleen, him mate. Why workee alsame lascar boy? Eh?"But Virginia could give no reason.

"I am afraid you don't like Bududreen, Sing," she said."Has he ever harmed you in any way?"

"Him? No, him no hurt Sing. Sing poor," with whichmore or less enigmatical rejoinder the Chinamanreturned to his work. But he muttered much to himselfthe balance of the day, for Sing knew that a chest thatstrained four men in the carrying could contain but onething, and he knew that Bududreen was as wise in suchmatters as he.

For a couple of months the life of the little hiddencamp went on peacefully and without exciting incident.The Malay and lascar crew divided their time betweenwatch duty on board the Ithaca, policing the camp, andcultivating a little patch of clearing just south oftheir own campong.

There was a small bay on the island's east coast, onlya quarter of a mile from camp, in which oysters werefound, and one of the Ithaca's boats was brought aroundto this side of the island for fishing. Bududreenoften accompanied these expeditions, and on severaloccasions the lynx-eyed Sing had seen him returning tocamp long after the others had retired for the night.

Professor Maxon scarcely ever left the centralenclosure. For days and nights at a time Virginianever saw him, his meals being passed in to him by Singthrough a small trap door that had been cut in thepartition wall of the "court of mystery" as von Hornhad christened the section of the camp devoted to theprofessor's experimentations.

Von Horn himself was often with his employer as heenjoyed the latter's complete confidence, and owing tohis early medical training was well fitted to act as acompetent assistant; but he was often barred from theworkshop, and at such times was much with Virginia.

The two took long walks through the untouched jungle,exploring their little island, and never failing tofind some new and wonderful proof of Nature's creativepower among its flora and fauna.

"What a marvellous thing is creation," exclaimedVirginia as she and von Horn paused one day to admire atropical bird of unusually brilliant plumage."How insignificant is man's greatest achievementbeside the least of Nature's works."

"And yet," replied von Horn, "man shall find Nature'ssecret some day. What a glorious accomplishment forhim who first succeeds. Can you imagine a moreglorious consummation of a man's life work--yourfather's, for example?"

The girl looked at von Horn closely.

"Dr. von Horn," she said, "pride has restrained me fromasking what was evidently intended that I should notknow. For years my father has been interested in anendeavor to solve the mystery of life--that he wouldever attempt to utilize the secret should he have beenso fortunate as to discover it had never occurred tome. I mean that he should try to usurp the functionsof the Creator I could never have believed, but myknowledge of him, coupled with what you have said,and the extreme lengths to which he has gone to maintainabsolute secrecy for his present experiments can onlylead to one inference; and that, that his present work,if successful, would have results that would not becountenanced by civilized society or government.Am I right?"

Von Horn had attempted to sound the girl that he might,if possible, discover her attitude toward the work inwhich her father and he were engaged. He had succeededbeyond his hopes, for he had not intended that sheshould guess so much of the truth as she had. Shouldher interest in the work have proved favorable it hadbeen his intention to acquaint her fully with themarvellous success which already had attended theirexperiments, and to explain their hopes and plans forthe future, for he had seen how her father's attitudehad hurt her and hoped to profit himself by reposing inher the trust and confidence that her father denied her.

And so it was that her direct question left himfloundering in a sea of embarrassment, for to tell herthe truth now would gain him no favor in her eyes,while it certainly would lay him open to the suspicionand distrust of her father should he learn of it.

"I cannot answer your question, Miss Maxon," he said,finally, "for your father's strictest injunction hasbeen that I divulge to no one the slightest happeningwithin the court of mystery. Remember that I am inyour father's employ, and that no matter what mypersonal convictions may be regarding the work he hasbeen doing I may only act with loyalty to his lightestcommand while I remain upon his payroll. That you arehere," he added, "is my excuse for continuing myconnection with certain things of which my consciencedoes not approve."

The girl glanced at him quickly. She did not fullyunderstand the motive for his final avowal, and asudden intuition kept her from questioning him. Shehad learned to look upon von Horn as a very pleasantcompanion and a good friend--she was not quite certainthat she would care for any change in their relations,but his remark had sowed the seed of a new thought inher mind as he had intended that it should.

When von Horn returned to the court of mystery, henarrated to Professor Maxon the gist of hisconversation with Virginia, wishing to forestallanything which the girl might say to her father thatwould give him an impression that von Horn had beentalking more than he should. Professor Maxon listenedto the narration in silence. When von Horn had finished,he cautioned him against divulging to Virginia anythingthat took place within the inner campong.

"She is only a child," he said, "and would notunderstand the importance of the work we are doing.All that she would be able to see is the immediatemoral effect of these experiments upon the subjectsthemselves--she would not look into the future andappreciate the immense advantage to mankind that mustaccrue from a successful termination of our research.The future of the world will be assured when once wehave demonstrated the possibility of the chemicalproduction of a perfect race."

"Number One, for example," suggested von Horn.

Professor Maxon glanced at him sharply.

"Levity, Doctor, is entirely out of place in thecontemplation of the magnificent work I have alreadyaccomplished," said the professor tartly. "I admitthat Number One leaves much to be desired--much to bedesired; but Number Two shows a marked advance alongcertain lines, and I am sure that tomorrow will divulgein experiment Number Three such strides as will foreversilence any propensity toward scoffing which you maynow entertain."

"Forgive me, Professor," von Horn hastened to urge."I did not intend to deride the wonderful discoverieswhich you have made, but it is only natural that weshould both realize that Number One is not beautiful.To one another we may say what we would not think ofsuggesting to outsiders."

Professor Maxon was mollified by this apology,and turned to resume his watch beside a large,coffin-shaped vat. For a while von Horn was silent.There was that upon his mind which he had wished to discusswith his employer since months ago, but the moment hadnever arrived which seemed at all propitious, nor didit appear likely ever to arrive. So the doctor decidedto broach the subject now, as being psychologically asfavorable a time as any.

"Your daughter is far from happy, Professor," he said,"nor do I feel that, surrounded as we are by semi-savagemen, she is entirely safe."

Professor Maxon looked up from his vigil by the vat,eyeing von Horn closely.

"Well?" he asked.

"It seemed to me that had I a closer relationship Imight better assist in adding to her happiness andsafety--in short, Professor, I should like yourpermission to ask Virginia to marry me."

There had been no indication in von Horn's attitudetoward the girl that he loved her. That she wasbeautiful and intelligent could not be denied, and soit was small wonder that she might appeal strongly toany man, but von Horn was quite evidently not of themarrying type. For years he had roved the world insearch of adventure and excitement. Just why he hadleft America and his high place in the navy he neverhad divulged; nor why it was that for seven years hehad not set his foot upon ground which lay beneath theauthority of Uncle Sam.

Sing Lee who stood just without the trap door throughwhich he was about to pass Professor Maxon's eveningmeal to him could not be blamed for overhearing theconversation, though it may have been culpable in himin making no effort to divulge his presence, andpossibly equally unpraiseworthy, as well as lacking inromance, to attribute the doctor's avowal to hisknowledge of the heavy chest.

As Professor Maxon eyed the man before replying to hisabrupt request, von Horn noted a strange and suddenlight in the older man's eyes--a something which henever before had seen there and which caused anuncomfortable sensation to creep over him--a manner ofbristling that was akin either to fear or horror, vonHorn could not tell which.

Then the professor arose from his seat and came veryclose to the younger man, until his face was only a fewinches from von Horn's.

"Doctor," he whispered in a strange, tense voice,"you are mad. You do not know what you ask. Virginia isnot for such as you. Tell me that she does not know ofyour feelings toward her. Tell me that she does notreciprocate your love. Tell me the truth, man."Professor Maxon seized von Horn roughly by both shoulders,his glittering eyes glaring terribly into the other's.

"I have never spoken to her of love, Professor,"replied von Horn quietly, "nor do I know what hersentiments toward me may be. Nor do I understand, sir,what objections you may have to me--I am of a very oldand noble family." His tone was haughty but respectful.

Professor Maxon released his hold upon his assistant,breathing a sigh of relief.

"I am glad," he said, "that it has gone no further, for itmust not be. I have other, nobler aspirations for my daughter.She must wed a perfect man--none such now exists.It remains for me to bring forth the ideal mate for her--nor is the time far distant. A few more weeks and weshall see such a being as I have long dreamed."Again the queer light flickered for a momentin the once kindly and jovial eyes of the scientist.

Von Horn was horrified. He was a man oflittle sentiment. He could in cold bloodhave married this girl for the wealth he knewthat she would inherit; but the thought thatshe was to be united with such a THING--"Lord! It is horrible," and his mind picturedthe fearful atrocity which was known as Number One.

Without a word he turned and left the campong. A momentlater Sing's knock aroused Professor Maxon from the reverieinto which he had fallen, and he stepped to the trap doorto receive his evening meal.