t to his opinion. The weak spot in his
argument was his inability to suggest a reasonable motive. And so it
was that for a long time they were left to futile conjecture as to the
action that had saved them from a bloody encounter with these
bloodthirsty sea wolves.

For a week the men were busy constructing the new camp, but never again
was Virginia left without a sufficient guard for her protection. Von
Horn was always needed at the work, for to him had fallen the entire
direction of matters of importance that were at all of a practical
nature. Professor Maxon wished to watch the building of the houses and
the stockade, that he might offer such suggestions as he thought
necessary, and again the girl noticed her father's comparative
indifference to her welfare.

She had been shocked at his apathy at the time of the pirate attack,
and chagrined that it should have been necessary for von Horn to have
insisted upon a proper guard being left with her thereafter.

The nearer the approach of the time when he might enter again upon
those experiments which had now been neglected for the better part of a
year the more self absorbed and moody became the professor. At times
he was scarcely civil to those about him, and never now did he have a
pleasant word or a caress for the daughter who had been his whole life
but a few short months before.

It often seemed to Virginia when she caught her father's eyes upon her
that there was a gleam of dislike in them, as though he would have been
glad to have been rid of her that she might not in any way embarrass or
interfere with his work.

The camp was at last completed, and on a Saturday afternoon all the
heavier articles from the ship had been transported to it. On the
following Monday the balance of the goods was to be sent on shore and
the party were to transfer their residence to their new quarters.

Late Sunday afternoon a small native boat was seen rounding the point
at the harbor's southern extremity, and after a few minutes it drew
alongside the Ithaca. There were but three men in it--two Dyaks and a
Malay. The latter was a tall, well built man of middle age, of a
sullen and degraded countenance. His garmenture was that of the
ordinary Malay boatman, but there was that in his mien and his attitude
toward his companions which belied his lowly habiliments.

In answer to von Horn's hail the man asked if he might come aboard and
trade; but once on the deck it developed