events had taken. He
shrugged his shoulders and turned on his heel toward the outer campong.

"If he had wronged me as he has you, and those others," with a gesture
toward the court of mystery, "I should not be long in reaching a
decision." And with that he passed out, leaving the door unlatched.

Von Horn went straight to the south campong and sought out Bududreen.
Motioning the Malay to follow him they walked across the clearing and
entered the jungle out of sight and hearing of the camp. Sing, hanging
clothes in the north end of the clearing saw them depart, and wondered
a little.

"Bududreen," said von Horn, when the two had reached a safe distance
from the enclosures, "there is no need of mincing matters--something
must be done at once. I do not know how much you know of the work that
Professor Maxon has been engaged in since we reached this island; but
it has been hellish enough and it must go no further. You have seen
the creatures in the campong next to yours?"

"I have seen," replied Bududreen, with a shudder.

"Professor Maxon intends to wed one of these to his daughter," von Horn
continued. "She loves me and we wish to escape--can I rely on you and
your men to aid us? There is a chest in the workshop which we must
take along too, and I can assure you that you all will be well rewarded
for your work. We intend merely to leave Professor Maxon here with the
creatures he has created."

Bududreen could scarce repress a smile--it was indeed too splendid to
be true.

"It will be perilous work, Captain," he answered. "We should all be
hanged were we caught."

"There will be no danger of that, Bududreen, for there will be no one
to divulge our secret."

"There will be the Professor Maxon," urged the Malay. "Some day he
will escape from the island, and then we shall all hang."

"He will never escape," replied von Horn, "his own creatures will see
to that. They are already commencing to realize the horrible crime he
has committed against them, and when once they are fully aroused there
will be no safety for any of us. If you wish to leave the island at
all it will be best for you to accept my proposal and leave while your
head yet remains upon your shoulders. Were we to suggest to the
professor that he leave now he would not only refuse but he would take
steps to make it impossible for any of us to leave, even to sinking the
Ithaca. The man is mad--quite mad--Bududreen, and we cannot longer
je