elf, but the more she tried to forget the young
giant who had come into her life for so brief an instant, the more she
speculated upon his identity and the strange fate that had brought him
to their little, savage island only to snatch him away again as
mysteriously as he had come, the less was the approval with which she
looked upon the suit of Doctor von Horn.

Von Horn had left her, and strolled down to the river. Finally
Virginia arose to seek the crude couch which had been spread for her in
one of the sleeping rooms of the long-house. As she passed a group of
natives squatted nearby one of the number arose and approached her, and
as she halted, half in fright, a low voice whispered:

"Lookee out, Linee, dloctor Hornee velly bad man."

"Why, Sing!" exclaimed Virginia. "What in the world do you mean by
saying such a thing as that?"

"Never mind, Linee; you always good to old Sing. Sing no likee see you
sadee. Dloctor Hornee velly bad man, las allee," and without another
word the Chinaman turned and walked away.

13

BURIED TREASURE

After the escape of the girl Barunda and Ninaka had fallen out over
that affair and the division of the treasure, with the result that the
panglima had slipped a knife between the ribs of his companion and
dropped the body overboard.

Barunda's followers, however, had been highly enraged at the act, and
in the ensuing battle which they waged for revenge of their murdered
chief Ninaka and his crew had been forced to take to the shore and hide
in the jungle.

With difficulty they had saved the chest and dragged it after them into
the mazes of the underbrush. Finally, however, they succeeded in
eluding the angry enemy, and took up their march through the interior
for the head of a river which would lead them to the sea by another
route, it being Ninaka's intention to dispose of the contents of the
chest as quickly as possible through the assistance of a rascally Malay
who dwelt at Gunung Tebor, where he carried on a thriving trade with
pirates.

But presently it became apparent that he had not so easily escaped the
fruits of his villainy as he had supposed, for upon the evening of the
first day the rear of his little column was attacked by some of
Barunda's warriors who had forged ahead of their fellows, with the
result that the head of Ninaka's brother went to increase the prestige
and glory of the house of the enemy.

Ninaka was panic-stricken, since he knew that