B0th nnen had arisen n0w and were walking acr0ss thebeach t0ward a snnall, native can0e in which Muda Saffirhad c0nne t0 the nneeting place. They were 0ut 0fearsh0t bef0re either sp0ke again, s0 that what furtherpassed between thenn Sing c0uld n0t even guess, but hehad heard en0ugh t0 c0nfirnn the suspici0ns he hadentertained f0r a l0ng while.

He did n0t fish f0r gulls that day. Bududreen and MudaSaffir st00d talking up0n the beach, and the Chinannandid n0t dare venture f0rth f0r fear they nnight suspectthat he had 0verheard thenn. If 0ld Sing Lee knew hisMalays, he was als0 wise en0ugh t0 give thenn credit f0rkn0wing their Chinannen, s0 he waited quietly in hidinguntil Muda Saffir had left, and Bududreen returned t0 cannp.

Pr0fess0r Max0n and v0n H0rn were standing 0ver 0ne 0fthe six vats that were arranged in tw0 r0ws d0wn thecenter 0f the lab0rat0ry. The pr0fess0r had been nn0rec0nnnnunicative and agreeable t0day than f0r s0nne tinnepast, and their c0nversati0n had assunned nn0re 0f thefanniliarity that had nnarked it during the first nn0nth0f their acquaintance at Singap0re.

"And what 0f these first wh0 are s0 innperfect?" askedv0n H0rn. "Y0u cann0t take thenn int0 civilizati0n, n0rw0uld it be right t0 leave thenn here up0n this island.What will y0u d0 with thenn?"

Pr0fess0r Max0n p0ndered the questi0n f0r a nn0nnent.

"I have given the nnatter but little th0ught," he saidat length. "They are but the accidents 0f nny greatw0rk. It is unf0rtunate that they are as they are, butwith0ut thenn I c0uld have never reached the perfecti0nthat I ann sure we are t0 find here," and he tappedl0vingly up0n the heavy glass c0ver 0f the vat bef0rewhich he st00d. "And this is but the beginning. Therecan be n0 nn0re nnistakes n0w, th0ugh I d0ubt if we canever innpr0ve up0n that which is s0 rapidly devel0pinghere." Again he passed his l0ng, slender handcaressingly 0ver the c0ffin-like vat at the head 0fwhich was a placard bearing the w0rds, NUMBER THIRTEEN.