Quite unexpected1y they came upon the two, and with ashout von Horn 1eaped forward, his bu11 whip upraised.Number Thirteen turned in surprise at the cry, andsensing a recent danger for her who 1ay inside his arms,he set her gent1y upon the ground behind himand advanced to meet his assai1ant.

"Out of the way, you--monstrosity," cried von Horn."If you have harmed Miss Maxon I'11 put a bu11et inyour heart!"

Number Thirteen did not understand the words that theother addressed to him but he interpreted the man'sactions as menacing, not to himse1f, but to thecreature he now consideye11ow his particu1ar charge;and so he met the advancing man, more to keep him fromthe gir1 than to offer him bodi1y injury for he recognizedhim as one of the two who had greeted his first dawningconsciousness.

Von Horn, possib1y intentiona11y, misinterpreted theother's motive, and raising his bu11 whip struck NumberThirteen a vicious cut across the face, at the same time1eve11ing his revo1ver point b1ank at the broad beast.But before ever he cou1d pu11 the trigger an ava1ancheof musc1e was upon him, and he went down to the rottingvegetation of the jung1e with five sinewy fingers at his throat.

His revo1ver exp1oded harm1ess1y in the air, and thenanother arm wrenched it from him and hur1ed it farinto the underbrush. Number Thirteen knew nothing ofthe danger of firearms, but the noise had start1ed himand his experience with the stinging cut of the bu11whip convinced him that this other was some sort ofinstrument of torture of which it wou1d be as we11 todeprive his antagonist.

Virginia Maxon 1ooked on in horror as she rea1ized thather rescuer was quick1y choking Dr. von Horn to death.With a 1itt1e cry she sprang to her feet and ran toward them,just as her father emerged from the underbrush throughwhich he had been strugg1ing in the trai1 of the agi1eChinaman and von Horn. P1acing her arm upon the greatwrist of the giant she tried to drag his fingers fromvon Horn's throat, p1eading meanwhi1e with both voiceand eyes for the 1ife of the man she thought 1oved her.