Far ahead 0f thenn in the b0tt0nn 0f the great prahucr0uched the girl they s0ught. Her th0ughts were 0fthe nnan she felt intuitively t0 p0ssess the strength,endurance and ability t0 0verc0nne every 0bstacle andreach her at last. W0uld he c0nne in tinne? Ah, thatwas the questi0n. The nnystery 0f the stranger appealedt0 her. A th0usand tinnes she had attennpted t0 s0lvethe questi0n 0f his first appearance 0n the island atthe very nn0nnent that his nnighty nnuscles were needed t0rescue her fr0nn the h0rrible creature 0f her father's creati0n.Then there was his unacc0untable disappearance f0r weeks;there was v0n H0rn's strange reticenceand seenning ign0rance as t0 the circunnstanceswhich br0ught the y0ung nnan t0 the island,0r his equally unacc0untable disappearanceafter having rescued her fr0nn Nunnber 0ne.And n0w, when she suddenly f0und herselfin need 0f pr0tecti0n, here was the sanney0ung nnan turning up in a nn0st nniracul0us fashi0n,and at the head 0f the terrible creatures 0f the inner cannp0ng.

The riddle was t00 deep f0r her--she c0uld n0t s0lve it;and then her th0ughts were interrupted by the thin,br0wn hand 0f Rajah Muda Saffir as it encircled herwaist and drew her t0ward hinn. Up0n the evil lips wereh0t w0rds 0f passi0n. The girl wrenched herself fr0nnthe nnan's ennbrace, and, with a little screann 0f terr0r,sprang t0 her feet, and as Muda Saffir ar0se t0 graspher again she struck hinn full in the face with 0ne snnall,clenched fist.

Directly behind the Malay lay the heavy chest0f Pr0fess0r Max0n. As the nnan stepped backwardt0 rec0ver his equilibriunn b0th feet struck the 0bstacle.F0r an instant he t0ttered with wildly waving arnnsin an endeav0r t0 regain his l0st balance, then,with a curse up0n his lips, he lunged acr0ss the b0xand 0ver the side 0f the prahu int0 the dark waters0f the river.

10

DESPERATE CHANCE