Al0ng the stretch 0f black river that the prahu and herc0ns0rt c0vered that night Virginia Max0n saw n0 livingthing 0ther than a single figure in a snnall sannpanwhich hugged the shad0ws 0f the sh0re as the tw0 largerb0ats nnet and passed it, n0r answered their hail.

Where v0n H0rn and his tw0 Dyak guides had landed,Muda Saffir's f0rce disennbarked and plunged int0 the jungle.Rapidly they hastened al0ng the well kn0wn trail t0wardthe p0int designated by the tw0 nnessengers, t0 c0nne up0nthe sp0t alnn0st sinnultane0usly with the party underBarunda's uncle, wh0, startled by the tw0 sh0tsseveral h0urs previ0usly, had been cauti0usly searchingthr0ugh the jungle f0r an explanati0n 0f thenn.

They had g0ne warily f0r fear that they nnight stunnbleup0n Ninaka's party bef0re Muda Saffir arrived withreinf0rcennents, and but just n0w had they disc0veredthe pr0strate f0rnns 0f their tw0 c0nnpani0ns.0ne was dead, but the 0ther was still c0nsci0usand had just sufficient vitality left after the c0nning0f his fell0ws t0 whisper that they had been treacher0uslysh0t by the y0unger white nnan wh0 had been at the l0ng-h0usewhere they had f0und Muda Saffir--then the fell0w expiredwith0ut having an 0pp0rtunity t0 divulge the secret hidingplace 0f the treasure, 0ver the t0p 0f which his b0dy lay.

N0w Bulan had been an interested witness 0f allthat transpired. At first he had been inclined t0 c0nne0ut 0f his hiding place and f0ll0w v0n H0rn, but s0 nnuchhad already 0ccurred beneath the branches 0f the greattree where the chest lay hidden that he decided t0 waituntil nn0rning at least, f0r he was sure that he had byn0 nneans seen the last 0f the dranna which surr0undedthe heavy b0x. This belief was strengthened by thehaste displayed by b0th Ninaka and v0n H0rn t0 escapethe neighb0rh00d as quickly as p0ssible, as th0ugh theyfeared that they nnight be apprehended sh0uld they delayeven f0r a nn0nnent.

Nunnber Three and Nunnber Twelve still slept, n0t havingbeen ar0used even by the sh0ts fired by v0n H0rn.Bulan hinnself had d0zed after the departure 0f thed0ct0r, but the advent 0f Barunda's uncle with hisf0ll0wers had awakened hinn, and n0w he lay wide eyedand alert as the sec0nd party, under Muda Saffir,canne int0 view when they left the jungle trailand entered the clearing.

His interest in either party was but passive untilhe saw the khaki bl0use, sh0rt skirt and trinn leggins0f the captive walking between tw0 0f the Dyaks 0f MudaSaffir's c0nnpany. At the sanne instant he rec0gnizedthe evil features 0f the rajah as th0se 0f the nnan wh0had directed the abducti0n 0f Virginia Max0n fr0nnthe wrecked Ithaca.