the other through lack of full
understanding of the grave danger which menaced him. In the eyes of
the latter shone a strange gleam--it was the wild light of insanity
that the sudden nervous shock of the attack had brought to a premature
culmination.

Now the four remaining Dyaks were advancing upon the two men. Sing
levelled his revolver and fired at the foremost, and at the same
instant Professor Maxon, with a shrill, maniacal scream, launched
himself full upon a second. Number Thirteen saw the blood spurt from a
superficial wound in the shoulder of the fellow who received Sing's
bullet, but except for eliciting a howl of rage the missile had no
immediate effect. Then Sing pulled the trigger again and again, but
the cylinder would not revolve and the hammer fell futilely upon the
empty cartridge. As two of the head hunters closed upon him the brave
Chinaman clubbed his weapon and went down beneath them beating madly at
the brown skulls.

The man with whom Professor Maxon had grappled had no opportunity to
use his weapons for the crazed man held him close with one encircling
arm while he tore and struck at him with his free hand. The fourth
Dyak danced around the two with raised parang watching for an opening
that he might deliver a silencing blow upon the white man's skull.

The great odds against the two men--their bravery in the face of death,
their grave danger--and last and greatest, the fact that one was the
father of the beautiful creature he worshipped, wrought a sudden change
in Number Thirteen. In an instant he forgot that he had come here to
kill the white-haired man, and with a bound stood in the center of the
room--an unarmed giant towering above the battling four.

The parang of the Dyak who sought Professor Maxon's life was already
falling as a mighty hand grasped the wrist of the head hunter; but even
then it was too late to more than lessen the weight of the blow, and
the sharp edge of the blade bit deep into the forehead of the white
man. As he sank to his knees his other antagonist freed an arm from
the embrace which had pinioned it to his side, but before he could deal
the professor a blow with the short knife that up to now he had been
unable to use, Number Thirteen had hurled his man across the room and
was upon him who menaced the scientist.

Tearing him loose from his prey, he raised him far above his head and
threw him heavily against the opposite wall, then he turned his
attentio