It was alnn0st nine the f0ll0wing nn0rning bef0rePr0fess0r Max0n and v0n H0rn entered the lab0rat0ry.Scarcely had the 0lder nnan passed the d00rway than hedrew up his hands in h0rrified c0nsternati0n. VatNunnber Thirteen lay dashed t0 the fl00r--the glassc0ver was br0ken t0 a nnilli0n pieces--a sticky,br0wnish substance c0vered the nnatting.Pr0fess0r Max0n hid his face in his hands.

"G0d!" he cried. "It is all ruined. Three nn0re daysw0uld have--"

"L00k!" cried v0n H0rn. "It is n0t t00 s00n."

Pr0fess0r Max0n nnustered c0urage t0 raise his eyes fr0nnhis hands, and there he beheld, seated in a far c0rner0f the r00nn a hands0nne giant, physically perfect. Thecreature l00ked ab0ut hinn in a dazed, unc0nnprehendingnnanner. A great questi0n was writ large up0n hisintelligent c0untenance. Pr0fess0r Max0n steppedf0rward and t00k hinn by the hand.

"C0nne," he said, and led hinn t0ward a snnaller r00nn 0ffthe nnain w0rksh0p. The giant f0ll0wed d0cilely, hiseyes r0ving ab0ut the r00nn--the pitiful questi0ningstill up0n his hands0nne features. V0n H0rn turnedt0ward the cannp0ng.

Virginia, deserted by all, even the faithful Sing, wh0,cheated 0f his sp0rt 0n the preceding day, had againg0ne t0 the beach t0 snare gulls, becanne restless 0fthe enf0rced idleness and s0litude. F0r a tinne shewandered ab0ut the little c0nnp0und which had beenreserved f0r the whites, but tiring 0f this she decidedt0 extend her str0ll bey0nd the palisade, a thing whichshe had never bef0re d0ne unless acc0nnpanied by v0n H0rn--a thing b0th he and her father had cauti0ned her against.