17

999 PRISCILLA

As the cutter touched the bank the entire party from the long-house,
whites and natives, were gathered on the shore to meet it. At first
the officers held off as though fearing a hostile demonstration, but
when they saw the whites among the throng, a command was given to pull
in, and a moment later one of the officers stepped ashore.

"I am Lieutenant May," he said, "of the U.S.S. New Mexico, flagship of
the Pacific Fleet. Have I the honor to address Professor Maxon?"

The scientist nodded. "I am delighted," he said.

"We have been to your island, Professor," continued the officer, "and
judging from the evidences of hasty departure, and the corpses of
several natives there, I feared that some harm had befallen you. We
therefore cruised along the Bornean coast making inquiries of the
natives until at last we found one who had heard a rumor of a party of
whites being far in the interior searching for a white girl who had
been stolen from them by pirates.

"The farther up this river we have come the greater our assurance that
we were on the right trail, for scarcely a native we interrogated but
had seen or heard of some of your party. Mixed with the truth they
told us were strange tales of terrible monsters led by a gigantic white
man."

"The imaginings of childish minds," said the professor. "However, why,
my dear lieutenant, did you honor me by visiting my island?"

The officer hesitated a moment before answering, his eyes running about
over the assembly as though in search of someone.

"Well, Professor Maxon, to be quite frank," he said at length, "we
learned at Singapore the personnel of your party, which included a
former naval officer whom we have been seeking for many years. We came
to your island to arrest this man--I refer to Doctor Carl von Horn."

When the lieutenant learned of the recent disappearance of the man he
sought, he expressed his determination to push on at once in pursuit;
and as Professor Maxon feared again to remain unprotected in the heart
of the Bornean wilderness his entire party was taken aboard the cutter.

A few miles up the river they came upon one of the Dyaks who had
accompanied von Horn, a few hours earlier. The warrior sat smoking
beside a beached prahu. When interrogated he explained that von Horn
and the balance of his crew had gone inland, leaving him to guard the
boat. He said that he thought he could guide them to the spot where
the wh