The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 18

The Chief was inquisitive concerning every action. Why did the ship act like a human and turn around? He could hardly believe the statement when told that the anchor was a giant claw, and that when it reached the bottom it took hold and had sufficient strength to stop the ship and make it swing around, as he had witnessed.

A boat was lowered, and the last one to descend was Sutoto. Uraso pointed out his figure, and the Chief kept his eyes on him. The first man to leave the boat was Sutoto, and both boys rushed down to meet him.

It was the course they always pursued, to be in the lead to welcome anyone.

They led him to the Chief, and he put his great arms about Sutoto, to the latter's great embarra.s.sment. But what affected Sutoto more than anything else, were the eyes of the Chief's daughter, who had acted so shyly to George the night before. From that moment Sutoto saw no one else, and she,--well, Harry and George laughed, and slyly caressed Sutoto, as they saw her admiring glances.

Sutoto was the handsomest native on Wonder Island. He was the brave and fleet runner who undertook the mission to pa.s.s through the three savage tribes to carry a message, written on a plaintain leaf by the Professor, to John and the boys while they were surrounded by the hostiles.

The friendship between him and the boys grew stronger and better from that day on. The tribute to him was one which the boys enjoyed for his sake, and because he deserved it.

There was a feast that night, unparalleled in the knowledge of the boys.

It was like going to a new world, and meeting new people. Only one little thing seemed to mar the joyous occasion for the boys for a time.

When they were returning from the beach, they saw three of the natives, together with their wives and children, with their hands bound, and in charge of a half dozen warriors.

George recognized the three as his captors. Then was impressed upon him the fact that they were about to pay the penalty for stealing his things and hiding the theft from the Chief. They were to be exiled to the place where the bad people lived.

George hurriedly told Uraso the story of the theft, and begged him to intercede with the Chief. Instantly, when he learned that George requested it, he turned to Uraso, and said: "He may release them."

He rushed up to the now bewildered culprits, in order to sever the bonds, and then recalling that he had given his knife to the Chief, he called to Harry, and together they freed the limbs of the captives and the Chief, with a few words of admonition, dismissed them. The boys never forgot the grateful looks that came from the men and their wives.

When they had departed Muro said: "Under their law the women and children of the culprits are criminals also, and so they were doomed to go together."

It would be a difficult matter to describe the food prepared and eaten at this banquet. Several varieties of fowl, all wild types, and the wild boar, as well as the 'possum, provided the meats. Of course taro and amarylla were the chief vegetables; and of nuts, the well known Brazil species was found everywhere, and to be seen in all dwellings.

The outer portion of the sh.e.l.l of the Brazil nut formed bowls and cups, which the boys early learned to utilize. There were bananas, a species of fig, and loquats.

"What surprises me is that they have no fish, or sea food of any kind,"

observed Harry.

John mused for a while, and then said: "It is likely that the people here have the same aversion to fish as some natives along the Australian continent, and in the islands near there."

"What is that?" asked George.

"The natives of New Guinea, for instance, worship snakes, lizards, sharks and crocodiles, and there is a strict law among them not to injure anything, of that kind. As a result, they are afraid to eat anything that approaches the shape of these animals."

"Well, if they worship the snakes they must have some kind of religion,"

ventured Harry.

"Yes; and with them go the witch doctors who practice on the people and charge fees just the same as the physicians do in our country."

"Do they claim there is a Great Spirit, like some of the people here!"

"No; they have a G.o.d called Baigona, who lives in the mountains, and instead of being a good G.o.d, is a bad one; he has the power to speak without being heard, to strike without being seen, and he loves and hates, just like human beings. He gives the witch doctor the power to do anything, without being wrong, and without being liable to punishment."

"Well, that is a pretty convenient G.o.d to have," said Harry, as he mused at the idea.

The peculiar thing about the absence of sea food at the banquet could not be understood, particularly as the natives on Wonder Island were great fish eaters, and were also the bitter enemies of snakes.

"We must consult the Chief about that," said John.

At the first opportunity the subject was brought up, and it was discovered that the people were afraid to eat anything that came from the sea. And then another thing was learned. There were no rivers of any consequence on the island; only a few streams, that were dry most of the year.

"I can understand," said John, "that in such a case you do not have fresh water fish."

The Chief was, in many respects, a remarkable character. Most natives are extremely superst.i.tious, and it is particularly true of those who have a belief in some form of G.o.d. While he would marvel at new things they did not occur to him as being the result of some new occult force.

In this respect he differed from the natives of Wonder Island, all of whom believed, more or less, in the tales of the Medicine Men, and of the witch doctors. Old Suros, of the Berees tribe, was the only one who did not believe in the existence of a being who could rule him.

But the Chief had other qualities which were remarkable in a savage, if such he was. He governed according to some law, and yet he did not know what law was. The only thing in that community was the will of that one man.

If he said something, in adjusting any matter, it was always remembered by the people, and that ruling became a guide for them in the future.

Take, for instance, the theft of the articles from George. The three who partic.i.p.ated in it, knew that it was not wrong, according to the light they had, to take it from George.

Indeed, the Chief had distinctly said that they could not steal from each other, but only from him, hence the theft of the articles which George owned was not a crime. On what ground, then, were they guilty?

George thought he had solved the problem, when discussing the matter with John. "The Chief found them guilty of trying to hide what they had done, and they were caught at it."

"But the Chief was not covetous. He admitted he did not care for the things, and one of the men told Muro that the Chief never took things from his people without paying for them."

"Well, then, he punished them for trying to deceive him."

"There, that is one of the crimes which the Chief referred to. I think he is a wonderful character, and I hope we shall be able to unite him with us."

CHAPTER XI

SUTOTO AND THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER

It was plain that Sutoto was not the same being. During the three days they remained at the port, and formed the exploring expeditions into the interior, with the co-operation of the Chief, Sutoto did not take a part.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you mean," said the Chief, "that your people are trying to find things they do not need, so they can buy them, and try to make some use of 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, by our people. It is difficult to say just where necessity ends and luxury begins. But each year, yes every month, new things are brought out, and people begin to buy them, because the traders and the people who sell are shrewd and know how to cultivate taste and the desire for new and startling things."