The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands

  CHAPTER II

  A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE

  The town of Unity was located about ten miles from the sea, on a littlestream, which had a waterfall, from which they derived the power forturning the machinery which had been put up. This consisted of a sawmill, a small foundry, a machine shop, as well as grist mill and othermechanism suitable for a town.

  All these enterprises were now being operated by the natives. Theleading commercial genius of the town was Blakely, who was one of theowners of the vessel on which John had sailed from San Francisco, andwhich was also wrecked by the same monsoon which sent the schoolship_Investigator_ to the bottom.

  It was Blakely's idea that the work of the natives could be profitablyturned to raising coffee, cocoa, and the different fibres whichnaturally grew all over the island, and in order to take advantage ofthe crops which could be grown there it would be necessary to opencommunication with the outside world.

  To do this meant that they must build a ship, and thus reachcivilization, and vessels could then bring such things to the islands asthe natives could use, and take away the produce that the natives couldturn out.

  Such a plan was one which was heartily seconded by all the boys, who,although they had been engaged in the most wonderful experiences, werehomesick, and longed to see their parents in the States, and thusrelieve them of their anxiety, after an absence of more than two years.

  It was with a will that all took a hand in the work, and the ship wasnearing completion. They had no facilities for making a large engine, sothe vessel was a sailer, with a small propeller, and the largest sizeengine they could turn out was to be used as an auxiliary.

  The next evening while the Professor, John and the boys were together,Harry brought up the subject of the talk of the previous evening.

  "George and I have been talking about making a voyage of discovery."

  The Professor looked at Harry with that genial smile which the boys hadlearned to love. Without answering for the moment, the old man turned toJohn, as the latter's face lit up.

  "I thought you boys were homesick?" he said.

  "Well, yes," answered George. "But only for a little while."

  "Only homesick for a little while?" and the Professor's hearty laughfollowed.

  "I mean we are homesick,--that is, we can be cured of it in a littlewhile."

  Without relaxing that broad smile, the Professor continued: "I supposeyou want to be cured before you go on the voyage of discovery? Is thatit?"

  "Yes."

  "But what do you expect to discover!" asked John, gravely.

  "Just what you suggested on one occasion," said Harry.

  "We want to know where the treasures are on the islands," remarkedGeorge.

  "Then, there is another thing," ventured Harry. "I don't think all theboats of our ship were lost, and it is likely that they found refuge onsome other island."

  "But how do you know there are other islands near here?" asked theProfessor.

  "Well, I don't know, only from what John has said."

  John looked at Harry for a moment quizzically, and then said: "When didI say so?" he asked with a smile.

  "When you told about the charts of the treasure caves."

  "But we have found them, haven't we?"

  "Yes; but not all of them."

  "That is true; and your argument is correct. Unquestionably, there areother islands, probably not in the immediate vicinity, but near enoughthat they could have caught some of the boats. I quite agree with youthat we ought to make the attempt. The Professor and I have just beentalking of taking up the matter in order to relieve any who might havebeen so unfortunate as to be east away."

  "I am surprised," said the Professor, "that you are not through withtreasure hunting, and want some more of it."

  "But you know, Professor, that some of the most interesting times we hadwere during the investigations we made at the big cave at the Cataracton Wonder Island!"

  "Quite true; but think of the immense riches you now have. In the vaultbeneath the floor of the main shop you have the combined treasure of thetwo caves," continued the Professor.

  "Yes; and that shall be taken back by you to your homes in the States,and you will want to enjoy it," and John said this with a most sincereair, as he looked at the boys.

  "That would be nice," said Harry reflectively. "But if we are there theonly thing we can do is to spend it, and there is no particular fun indoing that."

  "What? No fun in spending the money?" exclaimed the Professor.

  "Why, we haven't spent a cent since we have been here, and we haveenjoyed every hour of the time, except--except--" and George hung hishead for a moment.

  "I know," said the dear old Professor; "I know what you mean. Home stillhas a warm place in your heart. That is right. You must see your home,and then,--"

  "Then we want to come back," broke in Harry.

  "It makes me happy to see that the lessons of the past while we havebeen together has impressed on your minds one thing; that it is notriches which give happiness."

  "I know that," said Harry. "When I go out and see these poor peoplehere, and I meet smiles on every face, and a welcome everywhere, thethought that we have tried to make them feel and know that wars werewrong, and that true happiness consists in trying to make others happy,it gives me more pleasure than all the gold which we took from the cavesof the Buccaneers."

  "Yes, and there is another thing, that I have been thinking about," saidGeorge. "I really don't think the people here are so bad, and never havethought so."

  "Well, they have been doing some pretty bad things," remarked John. "Iwould like to know what makes you think as you do."

  "I mean, that if it wasn't for certain classes, like the Krishnos, say,the people would not be trying to sacrifice each other. Those fellowsare the ones who lie to the people, just as the fellows at the last cavetold the people and the Chiefs that if they went into the cave the GreatSpirit would destroy them."

  John and the Professor both laughed, while the boys looked on. There didnot seem to be anything amusing about that, and they wondered why theyshould laugh at George's remark.

  "Did it ever occur to you how like that is to the white man's way ofdoing things?" asked John.

  "I never thought of that!" said Harry.

  "Do the white people act that way, too?" inquired George. "I never knewthat we had people who tried to deceive others so they could give themup as a sacrifice?"

  "What do you think the Krishnos deceive the people for?" asked theProfessor.

  "So as to give them the power," answered George.

  "Quite true. But what is the object of that power?"

  "So they can rule?"

  "Yes; but what gives them the power to rule?"

  "Oh, I see now! They get paid for it! And that is why the Krishnos haveall the best things, and are better cared for than even the chiefs are?"

  "You have given the right answer. The Krishnos don't want to sacrificehuman life because they love to do it, but because in the doing of itthey inspire fear, and through fear they can get what they want."

  "But, Professor, you haven't yet told us how that is like the whitepeople do it."

  "In exactly the same way. The Krishnos own the big gun factories, andthey tell the chiefs that the people across the river, or on the otherside of the mountain are going to rise up against them, and they mustarm the people and attack them. You see the white man's Krishnos have agreat cave, called a gun factory, and while he does not want to offer upany sacrifices for the love of it, he does so because it is his businessto make guns, and ammunition, and shells which explode with terrificforce, and destroy hundreds at every shot."

  "Well, after all, we are not much better than the savages here, arewe?" said Harry, as he looked around, with a sad expression.

  "We have advanced a little beyond them," interpolated John. "We havetried to systematize the killing. The savage goes at it without regard.But the white man has set rules to conduct the slaughter.
Of course, therules do not say that they shall not kill but it does point out theimpolite ways of killing."

  The Professor smiled at this homely way of putting it, but the boyslooked doubtfully at John's exposition, and then George ventured toremark: "I can see the force of it, and it is my opinion that the savageway is, after all, the most reasonable."

  "If it is not the most reasonable," answered the Professor, "it iscertainly the most logical. But we are getting away from our subject. Iunderstand from what John says that within the next week we shall beable to launch the vessel!"

  "Yes," answered Harry. "Everything is now so far ahead that in two weeksmore we can be ready to sail."

  "That is well. I hear there is considerable rivalry among the men to gowith you?"

  "But aren't you going with us?" asked George in a voice of alarm.

  "No; my place is here. I have no desire to go back. I have induced John,much against his will, I know, to go with you, but I cannot leave mypeople here. I will welcome you only the more gladly when you return."

  Harry was almost in tears, as he said: "But we wanted you to go backwith us so we could take you to our homes and let our people see you.They would be so happy to see you and to hear you talk."

  "Thank you so much for the kind invitation. Sometime in the future, wheneverything is properly settled here, and I can see my way clear, I willconsider it an honor to visit your homes, and enjoy the friendship ofyour dear ones; but not now."

  The door opened quietly, and Angel stepped in, Angel being theOrang-outang to which we have alluded. He was now nearly as tall asGeorge. He gravely shambled over to the Professor, and placed anenvelope in his hand.

  Angel was the most wonderful character in that community. He was the petand the playmate of all the children. No one dared to harm him or offeran insult. Such a thing would have caused an insurrection in that town.

  While he could not speak, he could understand practically everythingthat was told him. Daily he performed many extraordinary tasks, thanksto the training and care that George had bestowed upon him from the dayhe had become a captive.

  The Professor opened the envelope, and adjusted his glasses. As he readhis eyes opened wider and wider, while John and the boys drew closer.While reading one of the sheets the Professor was slowly unfolding ascrap of dark colored material, smaller than the sheet he was reading.

  "What is it?" asked Harry.

  "The letter is from Blakely," he said as he passed the papers to John."And what do you think it is about?"

  All eagerly peered at the letter and then at the brown missive, whateverit was.

  "Read it aloud," said the Professor.

  John handed it to George, and this is Blakely's letter:

  "SOUTH MOUNTAIN, Below Illya.

  "My Dear Professor:

  "I felt sure that my view as to the character of the mountain range below the town was correct. Copper outcroppings were found as far south as the range can be seen, and there is also silver in abundance. This will surely be a profitable field for the natives. Yesterday, while prospecting on the southeastern side of the main ridge, I was surprised to find a part of a metal pot, evidently of cast iron. Quite a number of articles, of no particular value were lying near, but within the fragment of the pot, and protected by a shale of rock, was the enclosed scrap, which I thought might interest you, as you have a leaning in the direction of finding out hidden and abstruse things. Probably, you can decipher what it says. All the men are well, and are feeling jolly. We may be ready to return in a week. I hope the old ship is coming along all right.

  "Hurriedly, as ever,

  "BLAKELY."

  "That is satisfactory. Blakely is the right man for his job," remarkedJohn.

  "Now, let us see what the scrap has to say," said the Professor.

  John held the scrap up to the light, and all peered at it. "I thinkthere are cross lines on it, although I am not quite sure," he said, ashe again held it up so the light could flash through it.

  "What difference would that make whether it had or it hadn't crosslines?" asked Harry.

  "Simply this: I wanted to satisfy myself whether or not it was takenfrom a ship's pad, which is generally ruled both ways."

  "What is the object of having paper ruled both ways?"

  "It is a convenient way of making calculations where measurements arenecessary, as is the case in figuring out and placing the differentcelestial marks which guide the sailors. I think this is a marine pad.Now, let us see what it contains, before we go further."

  "See the name signed at the bottom," cried out George. "W-a-l-t. Thatmust be a 't'. But the rest is blurred."

  "I wonder if that isn't Walter?" said Harry.

  "Who is Walter?" asked John.

  "Walter? Why he is the man who signed the note we found on the_Investigator's_ life boat No. 3 and from whom we have never heard."

  "I remember now," said John, reflectively. "He mentioned Wright who wasone of my companions. But I did not know Walter,--but what is this?" Allcraned forward now. "Here is a line; it looks like a large V, pointingto the south;--that is if the upper part of the paper is the north."

  "There is some sort of tracing on it," said George.

  "Your eyesight is good, George, see if you can see any figures on thesheet that will explain the V, and the reason for the name below."

  "There is the slightest sign of a figure, or a word just below the pointof the V. It looks like '30'. This seems to be an arrow, which points tothe right diagonally."

  "Now you boys have something to occupy your minds. Yon have beeninterested in the Walter note for a year; now is the time to do someinvestigating."

  "I have an idea," said Harry, jumping up. "Where can we find theoriginal Walter's note? We can compare the signature, and that will tellwhether it is Walter or not."

  The Professor smiled as he noticed the eagerness of the boys. Theyrushed out of the room and went over to the shop to reclaim the notethat had given them so much concern fourteen months before.

  When they had gone John said: "I presume you have already guessed whatthe note contains?"

  "Unquestionably it has reference to the location of the main ledge ofcopper or other ore which is measured from some point in that vicinity,and which may be determined later on by noting the place where themissive was found, or from some natural landmark."

  "That is my view, but I felt it would be better for the boys to dig itout for themselves," replied John.

  The wonderful nature of the instruction which the boys had obtainedduring their stay on the island, was characterized by this littleincident. Everything learned by one's own exertions is not only morevaluable because of that fact, but the facts thus gleaned will leave astronger impress upon the mind.

  The boys thus learned by doing things themselves, that they becamestrong and self reliant, and it made them happy to think that they wereable to pick up the threads, however tangled, and weave them into aharmonious whole. It is the secret of doing things well.