or my daughter. She must wed a
perfect man--none such now exists. It remains for me to bring forth
the ideal mate for her--nor is the time far distant. A few more weeks
and we shall see such a being as I have long dreamed." Again the queer
light flickered for a moment in the once kindly and jovial eyes of the
scientist.

Von Horn was horrified. He was a man of little sentiment. He could in
cold blood have married this girl for the wealth he knew that she would
inherit; but the thought that she was to be united with such a
THING--"Lord! It is horrible," and his mind pictured the fearful
atrocity which was known as Number One.

Without a word he turned and left the campong. A moment later Sing's
knock aroused Professor Maxon from the reverie into which he had
fallen, and he stepped to the trap door to receive his evening meal.

3

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

One day, about two weeks later, von Horn and the professor were
occupied closely with their work in the court of mystery. Developments
were coming in riotous confusion. A recent startling discovery bade
fare to simplify and expedite the work far beyond the fondest dreams of
the scientist.

Von Horn's interest in the marvellous results that had been obtained
was little short of the professor's--but he foresaw a very different
outcome of it all, and by day never moved without a gun at either hip,
and by night both of them were beside him.

Sing Lee, the noonday meal having been disposed of, set forth with rod,
string and bait to snare gulls upon the beach. He moved quietly
through the jungle, his sharp eyes and ears always alert for anything
that might savor of the unusual, and so it was that he saw the two men
upon the beach, while they did not see him at all.

They were Bududreen and the same tall Malay whom Sing had seen twice
before--once in splendid raiment and commanding the pirate prahu, and
again as a simple boatman come to the Ithaca to trade, but without the
goods to carry out his professed intentions.

The two squatted on the beach at the edge of the jungle a short
distance above the point at which Sing had been about to emerge when he
discovered them, so that it was but the work of a moment or two for the
Chinaman to creep stealthily through the dense underbrush to a point
directly above them and not three yards from where they conversed in
low tones--yet sufficiently loud that Sing missed not a word.

"I tell you, Bududreen, that it wi