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suddenly it receded； leaving him as ashen as death。 His great hand gripped
the stock of the bull whip。 A single blow was all that would have been
needed to silence Professor Maxon forever。 There was murder in the
wounded heart。 The man took a step forward into the room； and then
something drew his eyes to a spot upon the wall just above Professor
Maxon's shoulder it was a photograph of Virginia Maxon。
Without a word Number Thirteen turned upon his heel and passed out
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into the storm。
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THE MONSTER MEN
8 THE SOUL OF NUMBER 13
Scarcely had the Ithaca cleared the reef which lies almost across the
mouth of the little harbor where she had been moored for so many months
than the tempest broke upon her in all its terrific fury。 Bududreen was no
mean sailor； but he was short handed； nor is it reasonable to suppose that
even with a full crew he could have weathered the terrific gale which beat
down upon the hapless vessel。 Buffeted by great waves； and stripped of
every shred of canvas by the force of the mighty wind that howled about
her； the Ithaca drifted a hopeless wreck soon after the storm struck her。
Below deck the terrified girl clung desperately to a stanchion as the
stricken ship lunged sickeningly before the hurricane。 For half an hour
the awful suspense endured； and then with a terrific crash the vessel struck；
shivering and trembling from stem to stern。
Virginia Maxon sank to her knees in prayer； for this she thought must
surely be the end。 On deck Bududreen and his crew had lashed
themselves to the masts； and as the Ithaca struck the reef before the harbor；
back upon which she had been driven； the tall poles with their living
freight snapped at the deck and went overboard carrying every thing with
them amid shrieks and cries of terror that were drowned and choked by the
wild tumult of the night。
Twice the girl felt the ship strike upon the reef； then a great wave
caught and carried her high into the air； dropping her with a nauseating
lunge which seemed to the imprisoned girl to be carrying the ship to the
very bottom of the ocean。 With closed eyes she clung in silent prayer
beside her berth waiting for the moment that would bring the engulfing
waters and oblivion praying that the end might come speedily and
release her from the torture of nervous apprehension that had terrorized
her for what seemed an eternity。
After the last； long dive the Ithaca righted herself laboriously；
wallowing drunkenly； but apparently upon an even keel in less turbulent
waters。 One long minute dragged after another； yet no suffocating deluge
poured in upon the girl； and presently she realized that the ship had； at
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THE MONSTER MEN
least temporarily； weathered the awful buffeting of the savage elements。
Now she felt but a gentle roll； though the wild turmoil of the storm still
came to her ears through the heavy planking of the Ithaca's hull。
For a long hour she lay wondering what fate had overtaken the vessel
and whither she had been driven； and then； with a gentle grinding sound；
the ship stopped； swung around； and finally came to rest with a slight list
to starboard。 The wind howled about her； the torrential rain beat loudly
upon her； but except for a slight rocking the ship lay quiet。
Hours passed with no other sounds than those of the rapidly waning
tempest。 The girl heard no signs of life upon the ship。 Her curiosity
became more and more keenly aroused。 She had that indefinable；
intuitive feeling that she was utterly alone upon the vessel； and at length；
unable to endure the inaction and uncertainty longer； made her way to the
companion ladder where for half an hour she futilely attempted to remove
the hatch。
As she worked she failed to hear the scraping of naked bodies
clambering over the ship's side； or the padding of unshod feet upon the
deck above her。 She was about to give up her work at the hatch when the
heavy wooden cover suddenly commenced to move above her as though
actuated by some supernatural power。 Fascinated； the girl stood gazing
in wide…eyed astonishment as one end of the hatch rose higher and higher
until a little patch of blue sky revealed the fact that morning had come。
Then the cover slid suddenly back and Virginia Maxon found herself
looking into a savage and terrible face。
The dark skin was creased in fierce wrinkles about the eyes and mouth。
Gleaming tiger cat's teeth curved upward from holes pierced to receive
them in the upper half of each ear。 The slit ear lobes supported heavy
rings whose weight had stretched the skin until the long loop rested upon
the brown shoulders。 The filed and blackened teeth behind the loose lips
added the last touch of hideousness to this terrible countenance。
Nor was this all。 A score of equally ferocious faces peered down
from behind the foremost。 With a little scream Virginia Maxon sprang
back to the lower deck and ran toward her stateroom。 Behind her she
heard the commotion of many men descending the companionway。
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As Number Thirteen came into the campong after quitting the
bungalow his heart was a chaos of conflicting emotions。 His little world
had been wiped out。 His creatorthe man whom he thought his only friend
and benefactorhad suddenly turned against him。 The beautiful creature
he worshipped was either lost or dead； Sing had said so。 He was nothing
but a miserable THING。 There was no place in the world for him； and
even should he again find Virginia Maxon； he had von Horn's word for it
that she would shrink from him and loathe him even more than another。
With n