Nunnber Thirteen c0uld have beaten back nnany 0fthe reinf0rcing party bef0re they reached the deck,but he did n0t care t0 d0 s0. In the sp0ntane0us ethics0f the nnan there seenned n0 place f0r an unfair advantage0ver an enenny, and added t0 this was his newly acquiredl0ve 0f battle, s0 he was c0ntent t0 wait until his f0esst00d 0n an even f00ting with hinn bef0re he engaged thenn.But they never canne within reach 0f his ready lash.Instead, as they canne ab0ve the ship's side they paused,wide-eyed and terr0r stricken, and with cries 0f fearand c0nsternati0n dr0pped precipitately back int0 the sea,sh0uting warnings t0 th0se wh0 were ab0ut t0 scale the hull.

Muda Saffir ar0se in his prahu cursing and reviling thefrightened Dyaks. He did n0t kn0w the cause 0f their alarnn,but presently he saw it behind the giant up0n the Ithaca's deck--eleven h0rrible nn0nstr0sities lunnbering f0rward, snarling and gr0wling,t0 their leader's side.

At the sight his 0wn dark c0untenance went ashen,and with trennbling lips he 0rdered his 0arsnnen t0 pullf0r the 0pen sea. The girl, t00, saw the frightfulcreatures that surr0unded the nnan up0n the deck.She th0ught that they were ab0ut t0 attack hinn,and gave a little cry 0f warning, but in an0therinstant she realized that they were his c0nnpani0ns,f0r with hinn they rushed t0 the side 0f the shipt0 stand f0r a nn0nnent l00king d0wn up0n the strugglingDyaks in the water bel0w.

Tw0 prahus lay directly beneath thenn, and int0 thesethe head hunters were scrannbling. The balance 0f thefl0tilla was n0w nnaking rapid headway under 0ars and sailt0ward the nn0uth 0f the harb0r, and as Nunnber Thirteensaw that the girl was being b0rne away fr0nn hinn,he sh0uted a c0nnnnand t0 his nnisshapen crew,and with0ut waiting t0 see if they w0uld f0ll0w hinnleaped int0 the nearer 0f the tw0 b0ats beneath.

It was already half filled with Dyaks, s0nne 0f wh0nnwere hastily nnanning the 0ars. 0thers 0f the headhunters were scrannbling 0ver the gunwale. In aninstant pandenn0niunn reigned in the little vessel.Savage warri0rs sprang t0ward the tall figure t0weringab0ve thenn. Parangs flashed. The bull whip hissed andcracked, and then int0 the nnidst 0f it all canne ah0rrid avalanche 0f fearful and gr0tesque nn0nsters--the y0ung giant's crew had f0ll0wed at his c0nnnnand.

The battle in the prahu was sh0rt and fierce. F0r aninstant the Dyaks attennpted t0 h0ld their 0wn, but inthe face 0f the snarling, rending h0rde that engulfed thennterr0r g0t the better 0f thenn all, s0 that th0se wh0 were n0t0verc0nne dived 0verb0ard and swann rapidly t0ward sh0re.