It must have been close to noon when the young giant's ears caught the sound of the movement of some animal in the jungle a short distance to his right and away from the river.His experience with men had taught him to be wary, for it was evident that every man's hand was against him, so he determined to learn at once whether the noise he heard came from some human enemy lurking along his trail ready to spring upon him with naked parang at a moment that he was least prepared, or merely from some jungle brute.
Cautiously he threaded his way through the matted vegetation in the direction of the sound.Although a parang from the body of a vanquished Dyak hung at his side he grasped his bull whip ready in his right hand, preferring it to the less accustomed weapon of the head hunter.For a dozen yards he advanced without sighting the object of his search, but presently his efforts were rewarded by a glimpse of a reddish, hairy body, and a pair of close set, wicked eyes peering at him from behind a giant tree.
At the same instant a slight movement at one side attracted his attention to where another similar figure crouched in the underbrush, and then a third, fourth and fifth became evident about him.Bulan looked in wonderment upon the strange, man-like creatures who eyed him threateningly from every hand.They stood fully as high as the brown Dyak warriors, but their bodies were naked except for the growth of reddish hair which covered them, shading to black upon the face and hands.
The lips of the nearest were raised in an angry snarl that exposed wicked looking fighting fangs, but the beasts did not seem inclined to initiate hostilities, and as they were unarmed and evidently but engaged upon their own affairs Bulan decided to withdraw without arousing them further.As he turned to retrace his steps he found his three companions gazing in wide-eyed astonishment upon the strange new creatures which confronted them.
Number Ten was grinning broadly, while Number Three advanced cautiously toward one of the creatures, making a low guttural noise, that could only be interpreted as peaceful and conciliatory--more like a feline purr it was than anything else.
"What are you doing?" cried Bulan."Leave them alone.
They have not offered to harm us."
"They are like us," replied Number Three."They must be our own people.I am going with them.""And I," said Number Ten.
"And I," echoed Number Twelve."At last we have found our own, let us all go with them and live with them, far away from the men who would beat us with great whips, and cut us with their sharp swords.""They are not human beings," exclaimed Bulan."We cannot live with them.""Neither are we human beings," retorted Number Twelve.
"Has not von Horn told us so many times?""If I am not now a human being," replied Bulan, "I intend to be one, and so I shall act as a human being should act.
I shall not go to live with savage beasts, nor shall you.
Come with me as I tell you, or you shall again taste the bull whip.""We shall do as we please," growled Number Ten, baring his fangs."You are not our master.We have followed you as long as we intend to.We are tired of forever walking, walking, walking through the bushes that tear our flesh and hurt us.Go and be a human being if you think you can, but do not longer interfere with us or we shall kill you," and he looked first at Number Three and then at Number Twelve for approval of his ultimatum.
Number Three nodded his grotesque and hideous head--he was so covered with long black hair that he more nearly resembled an ourang outang than a human being.
Number Twelve looked doubtful.
"I think Number Ten is right," he said at last.
"We are not human.We have no souls.We are things.
And while you, Bulan, are beautiful, yet you are as much a soulless thing as we--that much von Horn taught us well.
So I believe that it would be better were we to keep forever from the sight of men.I do not much like the thought of living with these strange, hairy monsters, but we might find a place here in the jungle where we could live alone and in peace.""I do not want to live alone," cried Number Three.
"I want a mate, and I see a beautiful one yonder now.
I am going after her," and with that he again started toward a female ourang outang; but the lady bared her fangs and retreated before his advance.
"Even the beasts will have none of us," cried Number Ten angrily.
"Let us take them by force then," and he started after Number Three.
"Come back!" shouted Bulan, leaping after the two deserters.
As he raised his voice there came an answering cry from a little distance ahead--a cry for help, and it was in the agonized tones of a woman's voice.
"I am coming!" shouted Bulan, and without another glance at his mutinous crew he sprang through the line of menacing ourang outangs.