The Wonder Island Boys: The Mysteries of the Caverns Part 20

The boys now went over the entire premises, carefully examining every part. Evidences were plenty to show that the man had slept in the shed adjoining the stable, and the sh.e.l.ls of nuts as well as barley heads were found around the place he had slept.

There was everything to indicate that his trials and sufferings on the island had deranged him. Probably his was a case like many instances known, where consciousness of self--the absolute loss of memory, had caused disappearances, and many instances have been recorded where intelligence finally a.s.serted itself and brought back former recollections.

The instinct to clothe himself was shown when they returned. The Professor went up to him kindly and spoke. The words were repeated in German and French, but not one word did he utter, nor did he give the least visible sign of recognition.

During the afternoon he wandered around from place to place. The boys were too much fascinated to turn their attention to anything. George started out for a trip to Observation Hill, accompanied, as usual, by Angel. The strange man was pa.s.sed on the way. Without a sign he followed. George was a little frightened, but soon recovered, as he walked along unconcernedly.

They crawled up the steep ascent, instead of going around the gentler ascent, and when the pole was reached, the stranger for the first time took any interest in anything he saw. He looked up at the flag, and then out over the sea, and as he did so, he put up his hand to shade his eyes from the glare of the sun. This was the only human thing which was noticed about him.

When George left, he followed, walking erect, and he could not help admiring his strong, although drawn, features, and the admirable build of his frame. He would be an antagonist to fear as an enemy.

On the return, George stated the occurrence, and the Professor said that the man was no doubt used to the sea, as his walk betrayed that, and the incident of shading his eyes is a common one to all seafaring men.

But now came up the great question of the future course to be followed.

What should be done? The determination to again attempt further explorations was fixed in the minds of all; but how should it be conducted? Should they again brave the dangers of the sea, or make the next trip by land?

The only means available by sea would be the partially damaged boat, which was seventy-five miles away, and plans were considered either to bring it to the Cataract by boat, or to repair it where it lay; either course had its disadvantages.

One day the stranger wandered over to the workshop where Harry was engaged. He had never been inquisitive, as nothing seemed to interest or appeal to him. When he saw the machinery, the lathe, and, finally, the electric battery, he stood still and gazed. Slowly he made his way to the battery which had the terminal wires lying loose. He picked them up, and brought the ends together, and the spark seemed to fascinate him.

The experiment was repeated several times, but the wires were soon dropped, and he resumed his usual demeanor.

Harry ran over to the laboratory, and informed the Professor, who came at once, and arrived just as he was dropping the wires.

"The best thing for him is something to do. In this way, the a.s.sociation with tools, if he has any knowledge of them, may awaken some recollections of his past. I have watched him for the past three days and I am sure he is not deranged, in the sense of being demented. Let us try what employment will do."

Harry was engaged in dressing a board with a plane when the man came in.

The Professor led him to the bench and placed a plane in his hand, and by making a motion with his hand and pushing the man's hand along with the plane, he took notice of the motion and mechanically drew the plane back and forth.

He not only planed the board, but he followed up the roughened parts and finished the job in a workmanlike manner. The saw was placed in his hands, and he handled this with a facility that surprised both of them.

He did not look like a mechanic, but on the other hand had every appearance of a literary man, but he was, unquestionably, used to tools.

After considering the all-important question of the exploring expedition, which subject was an ever present one, it was agreed that the wisest course would be a trip by land. They now knew the location of the inhabitants of the island, and with proper equipment, they ought to be able properly to defend themselves. Another element which might prove of value to them was the new acquisition in the man who had come so unaccountably to their home.

One of the first things necessary was to give him some name by which he could be known, and which he would in time recognize. This was debated over and over, without coming to any conclusion. Eventually, in the absence of anything better, it was decided to call him simply John.

When Harry went to the shop where he was at work, he addressed him as John; and at the uttering of the word started, as though he had been alarmed. Harry noticed it, and repeated the name several times, with the same result, and he hastened to inform the Professor of this experience.

The Professor went down without delay, and it was evident from the actions of the man that he recalled something familiar in the name, as in every instance he would put his hands to his head and give an inquiring look.

"It is my impression that John is his name, as he would be more likely to remember that than anything else connected with his life. Let us keep him occupied, and his work may also be the means of bringing back familiar things."

The boys, in company with John, set about preparing a good bed for the newcomer, and he took a part in it most heartily, and seemed to understand when the Professor pointed to him and the bed that it was intended for him.

The interest was more intense when he was taken to the boathouse, which Harry had opened, and when he saw the boats, his eyes opened wide and grew brighter, but they suddenly lost their color and he relapsed into his former state.

It was truly pitiful to watch him, and when in the evening they sat together and conversed, they felt that at times he must have gotten some glimpses of his individuality.

In the morning when George went out to the cattle pens to milk, he mechanically grasped a pail and followed, and the milking operation seemed to be a familiar one to him. Thus, he was a mystery, for the reason that he seemed to be at home in every direction where it called for any special activity. This was made the more mystifying when, during the next day, he wandered over to the laboratory, and his eyes caught sight of the skulls and the skeletons which were on exhibition.

He walked over to the skulls, and picking up one poised it on his hand, slowly turning it around, as though trying to discover what it meant.

The one selected had one side partially crushed, and this attracted his attention. He placed the fingers of the other hand in the shattered part, and seemed to realize that some agency must have caused it. The whole deportment while examining it was that of one who was called upon to make an examination of it for the purpose of determining the cause of the injury.

When he laid it down, he looked at the Professor, who quietly took up the skull and pointed to the fracture, endeavoring by his conversation to strike a word or keynote by which some recollection would be started; but he was mute and soon again became listless.

CHAPTER XIV

AN EXCITING TRIP TO THE FALLS

The food supply was now the first thing to consider, as all necessaries in the way of vegetables, as well as meats, had been exhausted when they started on the last trip, and a new lot had to be laid in. The matter of b.u.t.ter was always a hard problem to take care of, and George referred to this difficulty, and before they sailed away the Professor told him that, on their return, the first thing to do would be the construction of a machine which would simplify the production of the b.u.t.ter.

"As we are going to use more b.u.t.ter, I think it would be a good thing to start in on our cream separator," said George, who, while he was not an adept, like Harry, to devise the things required, was always ready to suggest things that could be made to advantage.

"I know that Harry will be very glad to set to work on that, so we might as well commence," answered the Professor.

"What is the principle of the separator that causes the cream to break away from the milk?"

"Centrifugal motion is employed to bring it about."

"But how does that motion affect it?"

"When you put a ball on an elastic and swing it about your head in a circle, the elastic stretches in proportion to the speed at which you swing it. You have probably seen it done. It is stretched in proportion to its weight, also. These two things, therefore, are properties of centrifugal motion. Cream is the fatty portion of the milk. It is contained in little globules, and when the milk is allowed to stand, the milk surrounding the globules, being heavier than the cream, forces its way to the bottom, and the cream by that means goes to the top. The inventor has taken advantage of this fact by making a machine which will take the milk and impart to it a very high centrifugal motion, and in doing so the milk particles, on account of their greater weight, force their way outwardly and the cream inwardly. The machine is also so arranged that the cream and milk are drawn from it at separate points, and this operation is a continuous one."

Harry quickly understood the machine from the drawing made for his guidance, and in Figure 28 a sketch is made, showing how it was constructed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 28. Cream Separator._]

A frame was made which had a base (A) and two standards or uprights (B, B), and between these uprights were a pair of horizontal bars (C, C).

These bars served as supports for a vertical tube (D), the tube being journaled in the center of the cross bars, so that it extended above and below the bars, and had a small pulley (E) between them.

Below the lower cross bar the vertical tube has two radiating tubes (F, F), closed at their outer ends, but communicating with the bore (G) of the tube (D) by means of two orifices (H, H). The bore (G) extends down to a point a little below the orifices (H, H), and a small tube (I) runs through the tube D, within the tubes F, F, the ends of the tube being open. A duct (J) centrally through the tubular piece (D) communicates with the bore of the tube I. One each side of the tube D is a little tube (K), which communicates with the inner end of each tube (F). A receptacle (L) is attached to the tube D below each tube (K), to catch the cream.

The operation of the machine is as follows: When milk is poured into the top of the tube D, and the latter is set to rotate at a high speed, it pa.s.ses down and out through the ducts (H, H), into the horizontal tubes (F, F), with the result that the cream is prevented by the heavier milk from reaching the outer open ends of the tube I. As a result, only the milk pa.s.ses inwardly through the inner tube, and is discharged downwardly through the duct (J), whereas the cream pa.s.ses out through the small tubes (K).

The quest for a supply of vegetables was now a part of the daily occupation of some in the colony, as the garden had not yet advanced to that stage where anything could be gotten from it. One morning John was missing, and there was a great deal of speculation as to his disappearance.

Before noon he reappeared, carrying in his arms as large a quant.i.ty of vegetables as he could carry. Harry was the first to see and welcome him. He recognized beets and was delighted to find that John understood what they were after. When the Professor was informed, he gave a hearty welcome, and John seemed to recognize that his efforts were appreciated.

"Ah! I see you have some onions," he said, as he beamed on him.

"Onions!"

"Yes; the wild onion, the progenitor of all the onions. One variety of this is a species called chives, used as a salad, and is known throughout Europe under that name."

"But this beet is very small; is it also wild?"

"There are four varieties of the beet. This is the most common of them all, and grows in a wild state in many parts of the world. The Mangelwurzel is a larger beet, and coa.r.s.er, and is much used for cattle feed. If you want to give your cows a treat, this would be the food to give them. Then there is a kind called the chard, also a good variety.