ite man might be found.

Professor Maxon and Sing accompanied one of the officers and a dozen
sailors in the wake of the Dyak guide. Virginia and Bulan remained in
the cutter, as the latter was still too weak to attempt the hard march
through the jungle. For an hour the party traversed the trail in the
wake of von Horn and his savage companions. They had come almost to
the spot when their ears were assailed by the weird and blood curdling
yells of native warriors, and a moment later von Horn's escort dashed
into view in full retreat.

At sight of the white men they halted in relief, pointing back in the
direction they had come, and jabbering excitedly in their native
tongue. Warily the party advanced again behind these new guides; but
when they reached the spot they sought, the cause of the Dyaks' panic
had fled, warned, doubtless, by their trained ears of the approach of
an enemy.

The sight that met the eyes of the searchers told all of the story that
they needed to know. A hole had been excavated in the ground,
partially uncovering a heavy chest, and across this chest lay the
headless body of Doctor Carl von Horn.

Lieutenant May turned toward Professor Maxon with a questioning look.

"It is he," said the scientist.

"But the chest?" inquired the officer.

"Mlaxon's tleasure," spoke up Sing Lee. "Hornee him tly steal it for
long time."

"Treasure!" ejaculated the professor. "Bududreen gave up his life for
this. Rajah Muda Saffir fought and intrigued and murdered for
possession of it! Poor, misguided von Horn has died for it, and left
his head to wither beneath the rafters of a Dyak long-house! It is
incredible."

"But, Professor Maxon," said Lieutenant May, "men will suffer all these
things and more for gold."

"Gold!" cried the professor. "Why, man, that is a box of books on
biology and eugenics."

"My God!" exclaimed May, "and von Horn was accredited to be one of the
shrewdest swindlers and adventurers in America! But come, we may as
well return to the cutter--my men will carry the chest."

"No!" exclaimed Professor Maxon with a vehemence the other could not
understand. "Let them bury it again where it lies. It and what it
contains have been the cause of sufficient misery and suffering and
crime. Let it lie where it is in the heart of savage Borneo, and pray
to God that no man ever finds it, and that I shall forget forever that
which is in it."

On the morning of the third day follo