The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands

  CHAPTER IV

  THE SKULL WITH THE CRYPTIC WRITING

  It was at the latter part of May when the _Wonder_ steamed up the broadriver which led to the town of Unity. When they were within two miles ofthe town, where they could begin to see the beautiful white houses inthe distance, Blakely came up to the bridge, and suggested that it wouldbe time to give the town a salute.

  The Captain gave the order and the great whistle began to make ahorrible din, and kept it up for a full half mile. Long before the boatcame into sight of the dock itself the boys could see the people of thetown hurrying down to the wharf.

  When they saw the boys on the bridge pandemonium was let loose.

  "This looks and acts just like a real American town," said Harry.

  "See the Professor," said Harry, as he rushed to the end of the bridge,and frantically waved his hat.

  The plank was swung and fastened, and the crew of natives rushed off andmet their friends, but George and Harry were not permitted to walk downthe gang plank. The joy at seeing them again was so intense that thepeople took them on their shoulders, and the Professor had a hard timeto get near enough to grasp them and bid a welcome.

  The people marveled at the boys. They were dressed up in regulationAmerican style, and the Professor asked them if they had brought the"latest" cuts to put in the show windows.

  Everybody followed, and the bantering and cheering made a continuousperformance for them until they reached their home. All the chiefs werethere, dressed up for the occasion, and what delighted them more thananything else was the fact that the Krishnos, the former witch doctorsof the tribes, and who were now the teachers for the children, were thefirst to offer congratulations on their return.

  There was no work in the town that day. Everybody determined tocelebrate, and it was with hearts full of joy that the boys witnessedthe demonstrations in their behalf.

  "Isn't this a glorious home-coming?" said George. "It was worth the triphere to witness it."

  "It does seem strange to call it a 'home-coming,' but that is just whatit is," answered Harry. "How happy the people are. They seem toappreciate everything that has been done for them, and it is such apleasure to do things for those who appreciate it."

  The stories which John brought to the Professor were so beguiling thathe promised the boys that he would probably be able during the next yearto make a visit with them to their homes, and this delighted them beyondmeasure.

  Although they had been absent four months, they noted many improvementsmade during their absence. The boys, on their own initiative, visitedmany of the homes, and talked to the people, and told them of the visithome. And how those simple people enjoyed this kindly act, and cherishedit for months afterwards.

  But it was now time to think seriously of the contemplated voyage ofdiscovery, which was ever uppermost in the minds of the boys. Whileconversing on the subject a few evenings after their return, Harryremarked: "I suppose we must use the _Pioneer_ for our trip, as the_Wonder_ will have to make the regular trips?"

  "John and I think that would be the wisest plan. The native sailors arenow well adapted to handle her, and do you know that Sutoto sailed heraround the island?"

  This was pleasing to the boys, who liked Sutoto.

  "And who are the others that went with him?"

  "Why Lolo was one of them, and Stut and Chump. Oh, they had a jollytime; so they said, and I can believe it, because they are simply crazyto make another trip." And the Professor beamed as he related many ofthe incidents which they told him of their experiences.

  While they were talking, Sutoto appeared, and was immediately admitted.After some talk, Sutoto said: "The Professor said that when you returnedyou would have some work for me with the _Pioneer_."

  "Yes, and you shall command her," said Harry.

  Sutoto could not but show his pleasure. "I knew you would come back, butso many here said you would not."

  At this point Professor explained that there were many rumors among thepeople to the effect that the boys would never again come back, and allshowed grief at the news. I assured them that you were just as anxiousto return as they were to have you and I then told Sutoto that I knewyou had plans which would require his services, but I thought it wouldbe more agreeable if you imparted the nature of it to him.

  The boys were not slow to outline the plans to him, but advised him tokeep the information to himself, which he promised to do. It was enoughfor him to know that he would command the ship. It was this that inducedSutoto to take out the ship, and finally to circumnavigate the island,so as to try out the sailors and properly to fit them for the work whenthe boys returned.

  "Now that being settled, Sutoto, we are going to leave the work ofprovisioning the _Pioneer_ to you. We must take a supply of guns andammunition, as well, and probably it would be wise to have a small troopof the best soldiers," was Harry's instruction.

  "Uraso wants to go. I am sure he would be the best one to take.

  "What will Muro say to that?" asked the Professor.

  "Oh, take him along, by all means," said George, "because I want Lolo togo with us."

  It was then settled that they were to take a small force, sufficient forimmediate purposes, and if it was found that the islands discovered weretoo well settled with hostiles it would be an easy matter to remainaloof, or return for reinforcements.

  While arrangements were being made for the departure of the expeditionBlakely informed the Professor that it would be good policy to make uppart of the cargo of the _Wonder_ with copper, and that both vesselscould proceed to the southeastern part of the island, and the men aboardcould be used to transport the copper to the sea.

  In this way the expedition would serve a double purpose. No oneattempted to go contrary to the wishes of Blakely on matters whichtouched upon the commercial ventures in which they were engaged.

  John was only too glad that Blakely had hit upon that idea, as he wasanxious to visit that part of the coast, contiguous to the copperdeposit, and what was more, he wanted to see the place where Blakelyfound the missive which the boys had translated.

  As there was still a week before the _Wonder_ would sail for itsnorthern port of call, both of the ships wended their way to the east,skirting the coast as closely as possible, John on the _Pioneer_ withthe boys.

  They now had an opportunity to see the Great South Mountains from thesea. They remembered when they last saw them on land, during thecampaign against the Illyas, and also the wonderful village on thewestern side of the mountains. What would their present wanderings bringforth?

  That evening they landed within a cove, both vessels being brought asnear the shore as possible.

  "We can safely go in close this evening, because the tide is now out,"said John.

  Sutoto, while he had navigated the vessel, and had shown remarkableskill, was, nevertheless, not well versed in tides and the action of themoon.

  Quick to learn, he asked John why the tides thus changed. John explainedthe reason that the tides flowed in and out twice during eachtwenty-four hours, or a little less than that time, so that high water,or low water would always be at a time a little later each day, and thenstated that it would be an easy matter to so make the calculations thatthey would be able to tell ahead for a whole year just when during eachday the highest or lowest water would be.

  While waiting on the ship during the hours of the evening they wereinterested in the magnificent fire flies which they saw on the shore andalong the mountain side. This was not an unfamiliar sight to them asthey had witnessed such scenes many times before.

  But now they saw such sights as they had never before observed. Theymust have been giant glow birds, because some of the lights flew atleast hundreds of feet emitting continuous streams of light, and thiswas not all, many of the lights were colored, particularly red and blueor simply faint tinges of those tints.

  "I have often thought that there is nothing more wonderful than the firefly," said George.

  "But what do you
think makes it so wonderful?" asked John.

  "Well, I suppose the wonderful part is that it has strength enough tomake a light," answered Harry.

  "No, the remarkable thing is that the light which it emits is absolutelycool. Experiments which have been made go to show that there is no heat.In every form of light which man has been able to produce thus farartificially, a great heat is evolved, and it would be a most valuablediscovery to find out why these insects are able to do it withoutraising the temperature."

  _Fig. 3. The Fire-fly._]

  "But what difference does it make if heat is produced?" asked Harry.

  "The production of heat means the loss of power. The heat generatedtakes up more of the power than the light which is produced, so that itwould be a great economy if the heat could be dispensed with."

  "But if there was no heat in the light produced would it make anydifference in the lamps themselves?"

  "Unquestionably. The lamps would last much longer."

  "What are the things which must be learned in order to get the secret ofcold light?"

  "Well, there are number of questions which must be determined. While itis known that the fire fly and the glow worm emit what is called aphosphorescent light, this fact is a mere prelude to the knowledge ofwhat is the exact color of daylight."

  "Color of Daylight? Why, I supposed it was white."

  "But the light of the glow worm and fire fly are not white."

  They watched them, and soon appreciated that John's statement was true.

  "You asked what were some of the things to be solved? Well, to find outthe secret of the phosphorescent glow. That is one thing. What is thebest artificial light, is the next. Then, what substance will have themost intense glow when a current passes through it, and give out theleast heat."

  "Well, has no one attempted to explain any of these things?"

  "Yes; many explanations have been offered, but all of them leave thesubject dark somewhere." And John laughed as he saw that the boysappreciated his little attempt at witticism.

  "But the time will come when man will find out this, as everything inhis way. When you think of it, that electricians, chemists,metallurgists, physiologists, engineers, physicists and microscopists,are all working on the problem, we should be able to extract the secretsooner or later."

  "I am going to have some of those fellows," shouted George, and when thenatives on board heard the request of George there was a scramble forthe boats, and John was delighted to give them instructions forcapturing the insects.

  Early the next day the entire party landed, and Blakely, together withJohn and the boys, started for the high peak, the one visible for milesfrom the west, and which John and the boys often wished to visit.

  One of the things which the boys brought with them from the States, wasa pair of strong glasses, and these were constantly in use.

  "What do you say to scaling that point?" said Harry.

  "Just what I have been thinking about," said George.

  Sutoto, who was with the party, showed by his glowing eyes that hewanted to be of the party. "Certainly you shall go," said Harry.

  "Before going we must visit the place where the Walter note was found,"called out John.

  The boys had forgotten this. "Most assuredly," answered George, "I hadalmost forgotten that."

  Blakely led the way up alongside the rugged cliff. "See that bluishgreen outcropping," he said as they were pulling themselves up.

  John stopped and chipped off some specimens. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed."Better than anything I have ever found in Mexico. These hills remind meof the formation all along western Chihuahua, and through northeasternSonora."

  The ledge on which they finally emerged was fully six hundred feet abovesea level. When they turned around and viewed the sea below them, andsaw the ships at anchor, they were delirious with joy. How Sutotoenjoyed the scene. He had never seen anything like it before and he wasamazed and stupefied. He turned and grasped George by the hand. He wastoo full to speak.

  "But wait, Sutoto, until we get to the top," said Harry, as he saw hiscountenance. As they looked up at the top they wondered what they mightsee from the elevation.

  "Here is the spot," cried out Blakely. "This is the pot in which themessage was found. And here is something that I dug up afterwards."

  _Fig. 4. Inscription on the Skull._]

  The boys crowded around. It was a skull on which was engraved thecharacters ABCC, followed by a star.

  All looked at John, thinking he might offer some solution. He turned itover, and examined every portion. Not a word was spoken. "Tell me theexact position in which this was found," he asked, as he looked atBlakely.

  "The first thing I found was the pot, which was simply turned upsidedown, in exactly this way. This is the place. It rested on this flatstone. The skull was behind it on this upper shelf."

  "And was there nothing else on the shelf?"

  "Nothing whatever."

  John stooped down and carefully examined the shelf. All followed hismotions. "Do you see that mark?" he said, pointing to a heavy scratch,which was now plain. "That mark is associated with the skull, if notwith the message. I am unable at this time fully to decipher the markson the skull, but I have an idea of the meaning."

  "I wonder if the scratch across that is in the same direction as thearrow in the letter?" asked George.

  "Unquestionably: let me see your glasses," and George unslung them asJohn took them and gazed long in the direction of the line on the shelf.

  He lowered the glasses and slowly shook his head. Something was formingitself in his mind, this was evident. He walked around the ledge andback again. Finally, he said: "I wish it were night, it might help tosolve the riddle."

  "And why?" asked Harry.

  "Those letters have reference to the star which follows."

  "It seems to me to be a singular thing that anyone should leave thishere in the hope or expectation that it could be a guide for any one,"remarked George.

  "There is certainly one explanation of that," answered John. "It isevident that the articles were placed there as a form of note to others,and it is a sort of cryptic sign, intelligible only to those who havethe key. The fact that these signs are here denote several things, oneof which is that something important, such, for instance, as treasures,or the location of hidden wealth, or the directions necessary to findmining lodes, or even to point out the direction and distances of otherislands in the distance."

  "But," said Harry, "the fact that we have found these things here looksas though there were other parties besides Walter and that he wasassociated with them in some sort of enterprise."

  "Quite true; but I am not at all satisfied that the Walter note hasanything to do with the skull. In fact there is every evidence to methat they are entirely disconnected with each other."

  This announcement was the most surprising to Blakely, who now added afew points of information. "I should have said that the skull was notexposed as you now see it on the shelf. After I went up the side of thehill, I returned and landed on the ledge, and then I noticed the skullthrough the apertures formed by the stones now lying at the side."

  "That is evidence to my mind, that Walter knew nothing of the existenceof the skull at the time he left the message, and yet, singular as itmay seem, both the skull and Walter's message point to the same thing."

  This announcement was certainly curious and interesting, and keyed upthe listeners to a high pitch of expectation.