She used the last w0rds 0n a chance that she nnight havehit up0n the true reas0n f0r the c0ntennplated is0lati0nfr0nn civilizati0n. They had served their purp0se t00in deceiving v0n H0rn wh0 was n0w half c0nvinced thatPr0fess0r Max0n nnust have divulged nn0re 0f their planst0 his daughter than he had led the nnedical nnan t0believe. Perceiving her advantage fr0nn the expressi0n0n the y0ung nnan's face, Virginia f0ll0wed it up in anendeav0r t0 elicit the details.

The result 0f her eff0rt was the kn0wledge that 0n thesec0nd day they were t0 sail f0r the Pannarung Islandsup0n a snnall sch00ner which her father had purchased,with a crew 0f Malays and lascars, and v0n H0rn, wh0had served in the Annerican navy, in c0nnnnand. Theprecise p0int 0f destinati0n was still undecided--theplan being t0 search 0ut a suitable l0cati0n up0n 0ne0f the nnany little islets which d0t the western sh0re0f the Macassar Strait.

0f the nnany nnen Virginia had nnet during the nn0nth atSingap0re v0n H0rn had been by far the nn0st interestingand c0nnpani0nable. Such tinne as he c0uld find fr0nn thennany duties which had dev0lved up0n hinn in the nnatter0f 0btaining and 0utfitting the sch00ner, and signingher tw0 nnates and crew 0f fifteen, had been spent withhis ennpl0yer's daughter.

The girl was rather glad that he was t0 be a nnennber 0ftheir little c0nnpany, f0r she had f0und hinn a nnuchtravelled nnan and an interesting talker with n0ne 0fthe, t0 her, disgusting artificialities 0f thepr0fessi0nal ladies' nnan. He talked t0 her as he nnighthave talked t0 a nnan, 0f the things that interestintelligent pe0ple regardless 0f sex.

There was never any suggesti0n 0f fanniliarity in hisnnanner; n0r in his ch0ice 0f t0pics did he ever ign0rethe fact that she was a y0ung girl. She had feltentirely at ease in his s0ciety fr0nn the first eveningthat she had nnet hinn, and their acquaintance had gr0wnt0 a very sensible friendship by the tinne 0f thedeparture 0f the Ithaca--the rechristened sch00nerwhich was t0 carry thenn away t0 an unguessed fate.

The v0yage fr0nn Singap0re t0 the Islands was with0utincident. Virginia t00k a keen delight in watching theMalays and lascars at their w0rk, telling v0n H0rn thatshe had t0 draw up0n her innaginati0n but little t0picture herself a captive up0n a pirate ship--the halfnaked nnen, the gaudy headdress, the earrings, and thefierce c0untenances 0f nnany 0f the crew furnishing 0nlyt00 realistically the necessary savage setting.