The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands

  CHAPTER XI

  SUTOTO AND THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER

  It was plain that Sutoto was not the same being. During the three daysthey remained at the port, and formed the exploring expeditions into theinterior, with the co-operation of the Chief, Sutoto did not take apart.

  He begged to be allowed to remain near the ship. That was a slysuggestion which John understood. Even though he might have been blindhe would have known the true reason, for the boys were continuouslyjoking Sutoto all of which he took good-naturedly, and John often burstout in fits of laughter, as he witnessed Sutoto's discomfiture.

  The Chief's name was Beralsee, and the big-eyed maiden was known asCinda, the meaning of which was, as explained by Beralsee, the BeautifulStar. The Chief had four other children, one a man of twenty-one, andthe others younger than Cinda.

  The eldest, Calmo, was tall and lithe, like Sutoto. Like his father hewas original in his ways, and to him the Chief entrusted the care of theexpeditions which were made at the suggestion of John. The latterexplained that they had seen the wonderful products growing on theisland, coffee, cocoa, spices, and particularly the various fibres.

  The recital of the tales, of how the white man used these things tomake the various needed articles, and how the great ships were employedto carry the goods to and fro, and how the different things wereexchanged, interested him.

  Many of the subjects were not within his comprehension. Why were allthese things done? What was the object of having so many products?

  John told him that when men had everything they really needed to keepthem alive and in comfort, they still wanted something more, and thosethings were called luxuries; then, after they and their children usedthese luxuries for a while, they found them to be absolutely essentialand they then became necessaries. In that way men learned the use of somany, many things, that the whole world was being searched to findproducts which would serve to make the needed things.

  "Do you mean," said the Chief, "that your people are trying to findthings they do not need, so they can buy them, and try to make some useof them?"

  John could not help but smile at the acuteness of the question. "That,in effect, is just what they do. It is not so considered, however, byour people. It is difficult to say just where necessity ends and luxurybegins. But each year, yes every month, new things are brought out, andpeople begin to buy them, because the traders and the people who sellare shrewd and know how to cultivate taste and the desire for new andstartling things."

  "But how do the people get the articles to exchange for these things?"

  "The people do not accumulate articles to buy other articles with.Instead, they work to get money, and with this money they buy thethings."

  "I do not know what you mean by that. What is 'money'?"

  "It is an article which tells what everything else is worth."

  "Then it must be wonderful. I would like to see that remarkable thingwhich can tell what everything else is worth."

  John took some of the coins from his pocket. "Here is some of it, whichwe use on Wonder Island."

  The Chief smiled. He held them in his hand. He knew the meaning of thehole in the center. They were intended, as he thought, to be threaded ona string, and used as an ornament.

  They fascinated him. He had never seen anything so attractive. He lookedat John, while he thought, but did not speak. Then John said: "This isworth one cent, and this larger one five cents."

  He compared the two. Finally, he said: "What makes this worth so muchmore than the other, and why are they worth anything?"

  "Because there is so much metal,--so much copper, in each."

  "But copper is of no use. I cannot eat it, and it will not clothe me."

  "No, but if you have this money then you can get the clothes, and thesize of them will tell just how much clothing you can get."

  "I do not understand it. Where can I go and get clothing with theseround pieces!"

  "You must go where the clothing is, or the goods must be brought toyou."

  "Well, if we are here, at a place where there should be no clothing, orno food, this _money_, as you call it, would not enable me to clothe orfeed myself?"

  "Assuredly not."

  "Then it has no value?"

  "No; it merely measures the value of something which I can eat or wear,or use."

  "Then why not use a taro root, or a fowl, or wisps of fibre?"

  "That would be all right, if we could have a common understandingbetween us of how much a taro bulb was worth by the side of a bundle offibre, and how large the bundle should be to exchange fairly with anarmful of Amarylla tubers."

  On the third day the boys, together with John, a party of the boys, andthree natives under the lead of Calmo, started for the northern end ofthe island. John had now learned that the island was entirely unlike theWonder Island formation.

  The latter was fairly circular in form, whereas the one they were nowabout to explore was narrow and long. That part of the southern portionwhich they had carefully examined, in order to learn its agriculturalpossibilities, was rolling, and in many places had level plateaus, notanywhere at a greater altitude than three or four hundred feet above sealevel.

  There was higher ground to the north, where the climate was uninviting,so Beralsee said, and it was for that reason they made it a convictcolony.

  John was anxious to see the people who were exiled from their homes onaccount of their crimes. Furthermore, he was impressed with the ideathat the upper end showed volcanic upheavals, which would be likely toexpose mineral formations.

  Gruesome tales were current of the ferocity of the convicts. It was nowonder that the poor victims, whom George had prevented from beingexpelled several days before, regarded their deliverance as such a greatblessing.

  No one, once condemned, was ever permitted to come back. Thecondemnation was for all time. Furthermore, it was part of the Chief'sunwritten code, that no one who transgressed the law could ever makeatonement, or recover his rights.

  To be able to meet people so condemned, and to talk with them and gettheir views, was worth an exertion, surely, and Harry and George werejust as enthusiastic at the prospects of the journey.

  "That may be some recompense for not finding any caves," said George.

  Harry laughed, as he looked at George. "To hear you talk people mightthink you had caves on the brain."

  "Well the caves are the only thing that we have had in the way of sport.And then the treasures!"

  "I know that; but I shall not be disappointed if there isn't a cavewithin five hundred miles."

  "Nor I; but John is very anxious, for some reason, to find someparticular cave. I'll bet anything that skull we found on the southeastpeak of Wonder Island has something to do with it, judging by the way heis caring for the skull, and spending hours in examining it."

  "I had forgotten about that," responded Harry. "That brings back myinterest, now. But John does not think there are any caves on thisisland, but he believes that there is another island farther south."

  "Is that so!"

  "I am sure of it."

  "How sure?"

  "Well, the chart which John made has this island on it, and a mark whichshows something like it directly to the south. I saw that several daysago."

  "When did he make the drawing?"

  "Since he has been on this island."

  Harry emitted a low whistle. "I thought John had something in his mindall along. What do you suppose he expects to find in that particularcave?"

  "Well, not money; that's sure. It might be a good idea to do somethinking and searching on our own account."

  "I have often wondered, since we have been on Wonder Island, and moreparticularly, since we landed here, whether it would not be possible totrace some of the unsolved mysteries of Wonder Island to this, or someother island."

  "Yes, I have often thought of that. We have gone over every part of thatisland, and found no trace of the other boat load, that is of the boyswho came ashore on the _
Investigator's_ No. 3. None of the tribes everknew or heard of that boat, nor was there ever a trace of the members ofthat crew.

  "That is the mystery. Some one brought the boat to the island. Some onetook it inland. Some one, a man by the name of Walter, wrote a noteaddressed to Wright, who was one of the companions of John when he wasshipwrecked, but Wright knew nothing of Walter. If the solution of thismatter does not lie in some other island, we might as well give it up."

  Before describing the events of the journey it is necessary to make adigression, so that we may be able to recount some things which had abearing on the adventures and experiences of the two boys after theyreturned.

  The natives on Wonder Island, as well as on the island where they nowwere, wore the most primitive kinds of clothing. The men had thesimplest clothing, merely a breech clout, worn about the loins, and theChiefs usually wore some distinguishing clothing about their shoulders,and usually on their arms.

  The women, however, had short skirts, and like their white sisters,abounded in ornaments. Some of them had jackets, to which the trinketswere attached. All delighted in bracelets. These were usually formedlike bands around their arms and limbs, and the wealth and importance ofthe dame was judged from the number so employed.

  As a result, when they became great and wealthy, more and more clothinghad to be used, to enable them to attach the ornaments. It might besaid, that clothing was worn, not for the purpose of covering the body,or for comfort, but in order to serve as a vehicle to attach the muchdesired trinkets, and the dangling character of these articles seemed tobe the great attraction.

  For this reason bright and sparkling bits of jewelry were the mostsought. It mattered not what they were made of, but the glisteningsurface had its value to them. Singularly enough, the women on the newisland strove to decorate themselves in like manner, and presumably, forthe same purpose.

  When the savages in Wonder Island were brought out of their crude state,the Professor and George knew that they could not change thatfundamental law of nature, nor did they attempt to work a revolution inthe minds and characters of the people in this respect.

  Within certain limitations such a desire to ornament and renderthemselves attractive is most laudable. They knew that among the fewpeoples in the world, where that quality is entirely lacking, they areof the lowest type, and possessed of the least intellect, and that allsuch are the hardest to cultivate.

  Here, as on Wonder Island, the natives understood weaving, the fabricsbeing of the coarsest character, both in the matter of quality andappearance. The work was necessarily slow and tedious, and the principalwork of the women was to weave these articles of wear with the simpletools they had.

  When the boys built the looms, and the natives saw the wonderful goodsproduced, and the dyes prepared to give the fabrics the different hues,the women became most expert weavers, and the natural result was thatthey vied with each other to make the best articles, and to form theminto the most fashionable garments.

  When the _Pioneer_, and later their new steamer, _Wonder_, which was nowregularly running to one of the great seaports, began to bring in suchproducts as they could not make in the islands, a new impetus was givento the dress designed for women.

  Before the boys left for Wonder Island, that place attracted immigrantsfrom the north; they brought their families, and began to engage in thebusiness of exporting the fruits and the fibres, as well as the ores andthe dyes from the island. From the white women the native women learnedthe new art of dressing, and of adornment.

  Their coming was not needed to give them the desire, but they were notslow to recognize that their fair-skinned sisters could teach them therefining process.

  Muro's wife was the sister of Uraso, the latter a man of naturallystrong intellect, and his sister was not behind him in her particulardomain. She was at all times the leading spirit in the development ofher people, and to her the Professor imparted many of the great secrets,that might be of service.

  Stut, the brother of Muro, was second in command of the vessel, andbefore they left on the mission into the interior, John called in Stut,and in presence of the boys imparted a scheme that met with heartyapproval.

  It was now an open secret that Sutoto and Cinda were in love. If theChief knew of it he did not exhibit any alarm, or offer any objections.John knew that courtships on the islands were not usually of longduration. He thought it would be a fine thing to make the wedding a"state affair."

  "Now, Stut, I want to entrust you with a mission to the Professor andMuro's wife, to whom you can explain the situation. She must prepare asuitable outfit for the bride, and tell her I think she and the otherwomen that she might choose should also come over. They must not forgetto bring the proper costumes for Cinda's mother and for all theattendants.

  "The Professor will know what is suitable to send over for the Chief.All this will take some time to arrange, and it must be done withoutletting Sutoto know. I will arrange the matter with him so that he willnot suspect your real mission.

  "Our work at the northern part of the island will take about ten days,and probably less. If you have no trouble, and this time of the year isnot a stormy one, you can easily make the trip there in a day and ahalf, and return in the same time, thus giving you a full week toprepare the articles."

  Stut was in raptures at the announcement. John knew that he was capable,and trusted him. Shortly afterwards Sutoto was sent for, and John said:"It is necessary for the _Pioneer_ to return to Wonder Island to getsome things of importance for us. It would please me better to have youremain, and Stut can take your place for the trip; but if you prefer togo, it will be satisfactory."

  Sutoto hesitated for a moment. He eyed John for a moment, and the boysbegged him to remain. They knew, as did John, that their entreaties werenot necessary. Finally, with a most suspicious glance, he consented tostay. Stut was notified, and he came in.

  "Stut, I have some very valuable papers which must be delivered to theProfessor, who will send some things back, and I have arranged withSutoto that he shall remain and help us in our investigations here,while you sail the _Pioneer_ to Unity."

  Stut looked at Sutoto for a moment, as though taken by surprise, andannounced his willingness to go. "Then start at once," remarked John,"and return as soon as possible."

  Sutoto called Stut aside, after they left John. "Will you get somethings for me?" he asked.

  "Certainly, what can I do for you?"

  Then Sutoto imparted the secret of his coming marriage to Stut, and thelatter with well concealed surprise, promised secrecy, and assured himthat he would get the clothing necessary and the particular presentsthat seemed to be of more importance to him than his garments.

  Within two hours the ship was ready, and as they were leaving the vesselStut told the boys of the commission which he had undertaken at Sutoto'srequest.