The Wonder Island Boys: Conquest of the Savages Part 15

The natives saw the warriors and their chief depart, not as prisoners, since all had their weapons, but conducted in state, if the appearance of the chief in the vehicle was an indication of the proceeding.

Two days thereafter the cavalcade approached the village, and the chief strained his eyes, as he peered at the mult.i.tude about him, and saw a village of a most remarkable character, where two moons before was a virgin tract of land.

The venerable appearance of the Professor attracted him. He was startled at the sight of Suros, and then, glancing about, he recognized Oma of the Brabos, Uraso of the Osagas, and lastly, Tastoa, chief of the Kurabus, lately his ally.

The Professor welcomed him with outstretched hand. "You are wondering at the sight of your late enemies, and of your friends. We have nothing but friends here. They can tell you that we welcome you as a friend, and will explain why we do so. We will show you what the people are doing for themselves, and how happily they live, and the White Chief brought you here so that you might see these things for yourself."

"We welcome you, Marmo, as one of our friends," said Suros. "I tried many moons ago to tell you that the Great Spirit did not want us to kill each other, but the wise men told you differently. We do not believe them any more, but listen to the White Chief."

"He has told us the most wonderful things, and taught us how the white men live, and how different tribes live together in peace."

After the welcoming functions and the explanations were concluded, he was taken to the different works, and everything explained to him. He saw the water wheel, and how it turned the sawmill and the grindstone and lathes, and the mill for making the flour.

The looms interested him the most of all. It is singular how the various tools and machinery affected the different ones, and this was particularly observed by the boys.

"I have watched the several tribes," said Harry, "as they first looked about them at the strange things, and it is curious how the different things impress them. I have noticed that the Osagas are particularly interested in machinery. The Saboros like anything connected with the soil, and they would make good agriculturists."

"Don't you remember when Uraso came to the Cataract he never took any stock in the guns, but Stut couldn't keep his hands off them?" responded Tom.

"The old chief Marmo thought the loom was the finest thing in the whole lot. He is over there now, and has been watching it for the last two hours."

For two days the chief wandered around, paying no attention to anything but the machinery, and the products turned out. The coins were a novelty, and a string was presented to him. He noticed the friendly att.i.tude of all the warriors to his men, and marveled at the change.

He could not understand why the men would work for the coins, and then give them up for something else. The Professor tried to explain this, and it must be confessed that it was a hard thing to do. It seemed that nothing but a practical application would make it plain.

The Tuolo chief was a ready listener now, and was unusually quick to grasp a situation, although he could not learn the ethics of the white man. The Professor had him present at one of the trials for theft of a petty nature, which occurred a few days after his arrival.

He was surprised to find that any notice should be taken of such a trivial affair. The Professor, commenting on it at the trial, which he did particularly for the benefit of Marmo, said: "It is not the amount of the theft, but the act itself, which we must condemn. If you could have taken a larger amount you would have done so, and you must learn that the property you took did not belong to you but the some one else, and that is just as much a crime as though you took all the man possessed."

That was sufficient for his first lesson in justice. "But," he asked of the Professor, "can all men be guilty of doing wrong?"

"Can you do wrong?"

"Yes."

"But you are a Great Chief, and how can you do wrong in taking things from your people?"

"Because the people own the things, just as much as you own the things which you have properly obtained."

"Then if you do wrong, will you be punished?"

"Yes; just the same as the people who do wrong. My punishment should be greater, if I do wrong, because I should set them an example to do right."

"But how can I do wrong if I take anything from my people? I own everything."

"Who gave everything to you? By what right should you or I own everything? Because we are chiefs does not give us the right to own everything."

"Then how can the chiefs ever own anything?"'

"They should work for it like everyone else does."

"Do you work like the others do?"

"Yes; I oversee the work of others and try to make them happy, and see that no one is idle and that the laws are obeyed. For that work I am paid, just as the others are paid for the work they do. I do this work because my people ask me to do so, and they pay me a certain number of coins for the work, the same as the man is paid for the particular work he does."

This doctrine, so entirely new, could not be grasped at once, and he continued with his questionings: "But the people may not want me as their chief, and take some one else, and that would cause trouble, and no one would know who was chief."

"Then it becomes your duty to so conduct yourself that they will not want some one else to be chief. If a man works for me and he does not know or care how he does the work, or is careless, and I cannot depend on him, I get somebody else in his place. Would you keep such a man?"

"No; but I would have the power to send him away."

"Then the wise chief must know that if he acts as a true father to his people they will not try to get another chief."

Blakely had been a man of affairs at home, and was a sharp, shrewd business man. To him the Professor entrusted the arranging of the affairs of the town, impressing on him the importance of directing the natives into a wide and diversified character of enterprises.

The business was one admirably suited to his temperament. He had long ago spoken to the boys and John about the promotion of the island, by the establishments of various industries, and particularly agricultural pursuits, which would require workmen to cultivate coffee, cocoa, the spices, and the numerous vegetable products which grew in a wild state in great abundance everywhere.

These various articles, if grown systematically, would mean an immense source of wealth, and should afford employment for all the natives, and thus mean their advancement.

The hills were full of mineral. He knew this, and had the testimony of the Professor as to the valuable character of the various ores. Sooner or later communication could now be established with the outer world.

All were contemplating the preparation of a suitable vessel which would enable them to return to the United States.

One evening, while the conversation was on this absorbing topic, he remarked: "I don't know how you gentlemen feel about this place, but as for myself I feel that from a business point of view this is the ideal spot. I am just as anxious as you are to see my home again, but the possibilities are so immense here, that, as soon as possible, I shall come back."

"For my part," replied the Professor, "if a ship should appear in the harbor to-morrow, I would not for a moment consider leaving these people. The work of their redemption is not even started in such a way as to permit me to safely leave them. The boys may well be pardoned and commended for wanting to go home, but my work is here."

"That expresses my sentiment exactly," said Harry. "I want to go home, it is true, but what a wonderful experience we have had here, and when I think of the remarkable progress we have made it astonishes me more than I can tell you. If I do go home it will be to come back again, because I want to be where the Professor is. I like this work, and the excitement it affords."

"You won't have any more savages to fight," responded the Professor, "and it might not be so interesting for you."

"Making guns is much more pleasant than using them against people."

George's face was a study. He was the sentimental one of the lot. He was by all odds the most emotional, and the greatest lover of home. But withal that he reechoed the sentiments of Harry. "If I could only see home again, I would be content, and when I came back it would be to know that I could return whenever I wanted to."

All the boys were enthusiastic about the trip home. Many plans were projected, and talked over.

"Won't it create a sensation," remarked Ralph, "when it is announced that three of the _Investigator's_ lifeboats were wrecked on an island, and that the survivors arrived after an absence of--"

"Yes," broke in Tom. "How long?"

"That will depend on several things," said John. "First, to bring the Illyas to terms, and second, to build a boat big enough to take us safely to the nearest harbor which is in communication with America. As for myself, this life and the hopes for the future are too alluring for me to even try to get away."

With characteristic energy Blakely consulted Harry and the working force in the shop.

"Do you think we could turn out some plows?" he asked.

Harry smiled. "This establishment is prepared to turn out anything it has orders for."