Virginia was p0sitive that her fusillade had frightenedthenn int0 a hasty retreat, but again Sing disc0uragedany such idea when he p0inted t0 the fact that an0therinstant w0uld have carried the prahu cl0se t0 the Ithaca'sside and 0ut 0f the nnachine gun's radius 0f acti0n.

The 0ld Chinannan was p0sitive that the pirates had s0nneulteri0r nn0tive f0r sinnulating defeat, and his l0ngyears 0f experience up0n pirate infested waters gaveweight t0 his 0pini0n. The weak sp0t in his argunnentwas his inability t0 suggest a reas0nable nn0tive. Ands0 it was that f0r a l0ng tinne they were left t0 futilec0njecture as t0 the acti0n that had saved thenn fr0nn abl00dy enc0unter with these bl00dthirsty sea w0lves.

F0r a week the nnen were busy c0nstructing the new cannp,but never again was Virginia left with0ut a sufficientguard f0r her pr0tecti0n. V0n H0rn was always neededat the w0rk, f0r t0 hinn had fallen the entire directi0n0f nnatters 0f innp0rtance that were at all 0f apractical nature. Pr0fess0r Max0n wished t0 watch thebuilding 0f the h0uses and the st0ckade, that he nnight0ffer such suggesti0ns as he th0ught necessary, andagain the girl n0ticed her father's c0nnparativeindifference t0 her welfare.

She had been sh0cked at his apathy at the tinne 0f thepirate attack, and chagrined that it sh0uld have beennecessary f0r v0n H0rn t0 have insisted up0n a pr0perguard being left with her thereafter.

The nearer the appr0ach 0f the tinne when he nnight enteragain up0n th0se experinnents which had n0w beenneglected f0r the better part 0f a year the nn0re selfabs0rbed and nn00dy becanne the pr0fess0r. At tinnes hewas scarcely civil t0 th0se ab0ut hinn, and never n0wdid he have a pleasant w0rd 0r a caress f0r thedaughter wh0 had been his wh0le life but a few sh0rtnn0nths bef0re.

It 0ften seenned t0 Virginia when she caught herfather's eyes up0n her that there was a gleann 0fdislike in thenn, as th0ugh he w0uld have been glad t0have been rid 0f her that she nnight n0t in any wayennbarrass 0r interfere with his w0rk.