Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator Part 5

"Why, Dad told me that if we wanted to get off the ship at Hawaii that the best place to put up at would be the Seaside House," said Ralph. "He thinks that we can have more fun at a small place than we could at one of the swell hotels."

"I agree with him there," said Bert, "but do you know the way?"

"You just watch me," said Ralph. "If I don't get you to the Seaside in ten minutes I give you leave to hand me whatever you think I deserve in the way of punishment. Come on, jump in, and the little 'Gray Ghost'

will have you and your baggage at your destination before you know it."

So Tom and d.i.c.k jumped into the tonneau with the luggage, while Bert took his seat beside Ralph. Once more they were flying over the road with the wind whistling in their ears to the tune of the throbbing motor. Many nights they had dreamed of it and many days they had talked of it, but to really be there, to feel the mighty power of that great man-made monster, to feel the exhilarated blood come tingling into their faces with the excitement of the race, ah, that was heaven indeed.

But all delightful things must come to an end sometime and so, in the very midst of their enjoyment the speed of the great car slackened and they drew up before a building that looked like an overgrown cottage with a sign in front, announcing to all whom it might concern that this was the "Seaside House." It all looked very comfortable and homelike, and even as they stopped the host advanced to give them welcome.

It took the boys a very short time to explain that they had just come in on the _Fearless_ and only wanted accommodations for a very few days. In less time than it takes to tell the machine was taken around to the garage and the boys had been shown up to two very comfortably furnished rooms.

"Doctor Hamilton expects to stay here, too," Ralph volunteered when they had finished exploring their small domain, "but he won't be able to get here until late this evening. I promised to take the car around for him at the dock about nine o'clock. I suppose all you fellows will go with me, won't you?"

"Surest thing you know," Bert agreed. "I'm glad that he's going to be with us for he knows a lot about the country and he'll go with us on all our expeditions. The Doctor's a jolly good sort."

"He sure is that," said Tom, and so, in the course of time the Doctor arrived and was given the room next to the boys. Just before they went to sleep that night Bert called into Ralph, "Say, Ralph, what do you love best in the world?" and the answer came in three words, "The Gray Ghost."

Next morning bright and early the boys, the Doctor and the "Gray Ghost"

started for a visit to Halemaumau, the fire-pit of the crater, Kilauea.

The day was ideal for such a trip and the party started off in high spirits. They rode for miles through the most beautiful country they had ever seen until, at last, they came to the foot of the great crater.

Only a very few minutes more and they stood within a few yards of the edge of that wonder of wonders, the fire-pit of Kilauea. It is impossible to describe the grandeur of that roaring, surging sea of fire, the tongues of flame lapping one upon another like raging demons in terrific conflict. It is the greatest wonder of Nature ever given to man to witness.

For a few seconds the boys could only stand in amazement that such a thing could be. "If anybody had told me," said Bert, almost whispering in his excitement, "a few months ago that I would be standing here at the edge of the largest living crater in the world, I would have thought that either I was crazy or that they were. I never could forget that sight if I lived forever."

"It sure is about the slickest little bit of Nature that I ever came across," Tom agreed. "If all the scenery is like this we ought to spend four years here instead of a measly four days. I'm beginning to be as much interested in this place as the Doctor is."

"The more you see of it the more you will love it," the Doctor prophesied. "If you would like to we can take a ride across the island to-morrow. It will be about a day's journey, but I can show you a great many points of interest as we go along. What do you say?"

The boys fell in with the plan very readily, and so it was decided that the next morning they would start early. With great reluctance and many backward glances they finally tore themselves away from Halemaumau and turned the "Gray Ghost" toward home. During the ride they could talk of nothing else than the wonder and the magnificent beauty of "The House of Everlasting Fire."

Mile upon mile they rode with the sun filtering through the trees in little golden patches on the road before them, with the caress of the soft breeze upon their faces and the song of the birds in their ears.

"I don't wonder that you think Hawaii's about the nicest place on earth, Doctor," Bert said after a few minutes of silence. "I'm almost beginning to agree with you."

And again the Doctor answered, "The more you see of it the more you will love it."

CHAPTER VI

THE "GRAY GHOST"

The next morning after an early breakfast the "Gray Ghost" was brought around in front of the "Seaside" and the boys began to look her over to make sure that she was in condition for the day's trip. They found that everything was all right, so they began loading her with baskets of delicious eatables that the host had prepared for them. In a very short time all was ready and Tom, d.i.c.k and Ralph piled in the tonneau, while the Doctor took his seat beside Bert, who was to drive that day. There had been some discussion that morning as to whether Bert or Ralph were to run the machine. Bert claimed that as it was Ralph's car it was his right and prerogative to drive. But Ralph wouldn't listen to such an argument for a minute. For wasn't Bert his guest and wasn't he there to give his guest a good time, especially as he, Ralph, had driven the car the day before? So after a time it had been settled and Bert reluctantly took the wheel.

But the reluctance didn't last long, for, when he found himself guiding the great car over the road, the old feeling of exultation took possession of him and the old wild desire to put on full speed came surging over him. But Bert was never one to give way to impulse when caution told him it would be unwise, so he held his desire and, incidentally, his machine well in check.

"You said last night that you would tell us about the hunt for sharks, Doctor Hamilton," d.i.c.k reminded him. "Won't you tell us about them, now?"

"Why, yes, if you would like to hear about it," the Doctor consented.

"These seas, as you probably know, are full of sharks, and therefore are very dangerous. The natives of Hawaii are not the people to be terrorized, however, by any animal on land or sea. So, after careful consideration, they decided that, as long as they couldn't hope to exterminate the pests, the only thing for them to do was to learn how to defend themselves against them. So, when a man wanted to go out into the deep, shark-infested waters he would take with him a handy little dagger. Then, instead of swimming for home and safety at the first sign of a shark, he would wait boldly for the creature to come near enough for a hand-to-hand (or, rather, a fin-to-hand) conflict."

"Say, a man would have to have some nerve to wait calmly while one of those cute, harmless little animals came prancing up playfully to be petted," Tom broke in. "I'd rather be excused."

"It does take an immense amount of courage to brave a shark, but I shouldn't wonder if there were thousands of people in the world who are at this moment making greater sacrifices, performing deeds that call for more real fort.i.tude and courage than these shark hunters ever dreamed of. Only, you see we don't know of those cases. However, that's neither here nor there. Well, to get back to my story, when the shark nears the man he turns on his back to grab him. Then comes the crucial moment.

Before the shark has a chance to accomplish his purpose, the native deftly buries the dagger up to the hilt in the shark's throat."

"Yes, but suppose the shark nabbed the hunter before he had a chance to use his weapon," Ralph suggested.

"It is very probable in that case that the hunter would hunt no more sharks," the Doctor laughed. "However, that very rarely happens these days, for the Hawaiians are trained to hunt as soon as they leave the cradle, and are experts at the age of nine or ten."

"I wouldn't mind trying it myself," Bert declared, for, to him danger and excitement were the very breath of life, "only I'd like to practice up for a few years before I hung out my sign."

"Well, they went on killing the sharks by means of a dagger for some time," the Doctor went on, "but one day some bright young native discovered what seemed to him to be a much more interesting and, at the same time, just as sure a way of killing the shark. So one day he called all his relatives and friends together and told them to watch his new method. They all noticed that, instead of the usual dagger, this youth carried in his hand a pointed stick. 'What good will a sharp stick do?'

they all asked one another. 'He surely cannot mean to kill the shark with such a weapon,' and they tried to persuade him not to try anything so foolish. However, he was not to be persuaded, so he started out with his stick to fight the shark. He had not gone very far before his eagerly watching friends on the sh.o.r.e saw a fin rise above the water and knew that the shark was near. With breathless interest they watched the coming conflict. Nearer and nearer came the shark until it was only a very few yards from the daring hunter. Then in a flash it was on its back and bearing down on its prey. With the speed of lightning our hero reached down the shark's throat and wedged the pointed stick right across it so that the shark couldn't close his wicked, gaping mouth. Of course, not being able to shut his mouth he drowned there in his native element. There is an instance of the irony of fate, isn't it?"

"It surely is," d.i.c.k answered. "But, Doctor, is that really so or is it only a story?"

"It's the truth. The shark hunters use both methods, the dagger and the sharp stick, but the stick is the favorite."

So the morning was pa.s.sed in interesting tale and pleasant conversation, and they were all amazed when the Doctor informed them that it was half-past twelve. Soon afterward they came to a cozy little inn with the sign "Welcome" over the door painted in great gold letters on a black background. At this hospitable place they stopped for lunch.

When this most important function of the day was satisfactorily accomplished, they went for a stroll on the beach, as they had about half an hour to look around them before it was necessary to start on their way once more.

This part of the beach was perfectly protected from the unwelcome visits of the sharks by the large coral reefs, and the boys were surprised to see the number of people that were enjoying their afternoon dip.

"Look at those fellows over there riding in on the breakers," Tom cried, pointing to a group of boys that looked as if they might be Americans. "Will you please tell me what they think they have on their feet?"

"They look like snow shoes," Bert said, "but I never knew that you could use skees on the water."

"They are really nothing more nor less than snow shoes, but you see over here they have no snow to use them on, so they make them do for the water," said the Doctor.

"It's a great stunt," said d.i.c.k. "I wish we had brought our bathing suits along, we could take a try at it ourselves."

"If bathing suits are all you want," Ralph broke in, "I can soon get you them. This morning I thought we might want them, so, at the last minute, I ran back to get mine. While I was there I discovered your suits all tied together with a strap, so I brought them along, too. They are under the seat in the tonneau."

"Bully for you, old fellow," said d.i.c.k. "You have a head on your shoulders, which is more than I can say for myself."

"Yes, that's fine. Now we can try our skill at skeeing on the water.

But, by the way, where will we get the skees?"

"They are not really skees; they're only pieces of wood pointed at one end," the Doctor explained, "and I think you will be able to get all you want up at the inn."

"But you will come with us, too, won't you?" Bert asked. "It won't be half as much fun if you don't."

"No, I don't think that I'll go in with you to-day. I brought a little work along, and I thought that if I got a minute I would try to do some of it. You will only have a little while to stay anyway, so go ahead and enjoy yourselves while you may. I'll tell you when time is up. I'll go with you as far as the house. You needn't be afraid that I'll forget."