d fortune which had befallen him
so quickly following the sore affliction of losing the treasure. His
evil mind worked quickly, so that he grasped the full possibilities
that were his before the girl had finished her questioning.

"The camp was attacked by Dyaks, Miss Maxon," he replied. "Many of our
men were killed, but your father escaped and has gone to the ship. I
have been searching for you and Doctor von Horn. Where is he?"

"He was with me but a moment ago. When we heard the cries at camp I
hastened on to discover what calamity had befallen us--we became
separated."

"He will be safe," said Bududreen, "for two of my men are waiting to
guide you and the doctor to the ship in case you returned to camp
before I found you. Come, we will hasten on to the harbor. Your
father will be worried if we are long delayed, and he is anxious to
make sail and escape before the Dyaks discover the location of the
Ithaca."

The man's story seemed plausible enough to Virginia, although she could
not repress a little pang of regret that her father had been willing to
go on to the harbor before he knew her fate. However, she explained
that by her belief that his mind was unbalanced through constant
application to his weird obsession.

Without demur, then, she turned and accompanied the rascally Malay
toward the harbor. At the bank of the little stream which led down to
the Ithaca's berth the man lifted her to his shoulder and thus bore her
the balance of the way to the beach. Here two of his men were awaiting
him in one of the ship's boats, and without words they embarked and
pulled for the vessel.

Once on board Virginia started immediately for her father's cabin. As
she crossed the deck she noticed that the ship was ready to sail, and
even as she descended the companionway she heard the rattle of the
anchor chain about the capstan. She wondered if von Horn could be on
board too. It seemed remarkable that all should have reached the
Ithaca so quickly, and equally strange that none of her own people were
on deck to welcome her, or to command the vessel.

To her chagrin she found her father's cabin empty, and a moment's
hurried investigation disclosed the fact that von Horn's was unoccupied
as well. Now her doubts turned quickly to fears, and with a little
gasp of dismay at the grim possibilities which surged through her
imagination she ran quickly to the companionway, but above her she saw
that the hatch was down