The Wonder Island Boys: The Mysteries of the Caverns Part 21

If possible, we should try and get John to show us where he found them.

Undoubtedly it was along the sandy part of the island."

The first real surprise manifested by John was when the yaks were hitched up and he was invited to join them on a trip. His eyes seemed to show some glimmer of intelligence when he slowly crawled up into the wagon. Their course was directed toward the forest to the west, and the trip there, which occupied nearly two hours, was a constant source of pleasure to all.

On the way the animals were stopped at intervals to allow the Professor and George to collect specimens of plants and to seek for ores. And here occurred the first real symptoms of returning consciousness on the part of John. As the Professor was moving toward a hill, with a small pick, he was seen to pick up one of the little hammers and follow.

Without seeming to notice either of the party, he undertook to explore on his own account, moving here and there along the hillside and occasionally stopping to examine and chip off samples, which he carefully laid down, but when this was done, entirely forgot to collect them. The act of procuring the samples seemed to be the absorbing element. He thus went on, never returning to the places where they were deposited.

"That action on his part shows a remarkable phase of his malady. Notice how carefully he puts them down and how uniformly he forgets that he has done so. The mind, in his condition, is so disordered that it cannot reason with any degree of sequence. He recalls only one thing at a time; but if I am not mistaken, he is a man of culture, and his every act shows that he was a man of broad intellect. I hope we shall be able to restore him to his normal condition."

The guns had been taken along, as usual, in order to do some hunting, and while the Professor and John were engaged in prospecting, the boys were after game, in which they were more than ordinarily successful, the bag for the first hour being a half dozen pheasants and several squirrels.

When the Professor returned to the wagon with several loads of samples which the two had gathered, George insisted on penetrating the forest still farther, their direction being toward the falls in South River.

Before long they came across the trail which had been taken by the yaks when they made their flight some three months before. They were now not to exceed two miles from the falls.

Angel, who was with them, now began one of his peculiar chattering exhibitions which betokened alarm, and the yaks exhibited a restless disposition. Harry moved forward to ascertain the cause, and before he had gone two hundred feet, saw the cause of the disturbance. It was one of the largest bears which they had so far seen, standing alongside of a large fallen tree and vigorously working his immense paws.

He ran back to the party and gave the information, and the Professor seized a gun, but John instinctively, as it were, grasped one of the spears and darted forward in the direction Harry had taken. The bear paid no attention to the party, and when the Professor came up, he said: "How fortunate it is that we shall be under obligations to the bears for our second treat of honey. I do not think we ought to attack him after rendering us this service."

John was restrained from going forward, and he cast a peculiar glance toward the Professor. "If there is honey there," replied George, eagerly, "let us drive him away, at any rate."

But Bruin would not be driven away. He sprang down from the log, growling and pacing back and forth. Occasionally he would leap back on the log. It was plain, that he was after the honey and regarded it as his special property.

"Well, George, suppose you give him a shot as a reminder that we need some of that honey?"

He needed no urging, and taking a rest alongside a sapling, fired a shot with one of the long guns. The shot was answered by a terrific growl, which ended in a prolonged roar. Without waiting for another summons, he made a line for George, who ran back. This was more than John could stand, who now ran directly to the bear with his sole weapon, the spear.

Neither of them could restrain him, but all sprang after him. It was a challenge the bear sought, and John did not in the least check himself until within ten feet of the animal, when, with a light spring to one side, he directed the spear against the side of the bear as he pa.s.sed in his rush. While the spear entered the animal, it did not reach a vital spot.

Harry was about to fire, but the Professor held up a hand. "Have a care, unless you are able to control yourself well. You are likely to hit John." The bear turned, but John made no motion to avoid him, and again the bear charged. This time John did not jump aside to exceed two feet, and again plunged the spear forward, and as the bear's lumbering body moved forward fully ten feet or more before he could bring himself to a halt, they saw that the spear had broken off, and the terrific growl of the animal showed how badly he had been wounded.

John made no effort to escape, although he plainly saw the broken end of the weapon, and the Professor, surprising as it may seem, did not encourage a shot. The effect of the last stab was apparent, however, as Bruin did not turn after the last attack, but, with an expiring growl, sank down.

He was a magnificent specimen. The Professor went up to John and held out his hand in recognition of his wonderful feat, and he seemed to realize the nature of the commendation bestowed on him.

The work of skinning the animal was partic.i.p.ated in by all. John seemed to enjoy it, and by his actions showed that he was at home in this sort of work. You may be sure that his actions throughout the day were such as to give him a warm place in their hearts, and they recognized what a valuable ally had come to them.

The excitement made them forget the honey tree. They were recalled to that by Angel. He had made his way there after the battle ended, and was now in the seventh heaven of delight, and when George arrived to take possession, Angel was covered with a ma.s.s of the delicious sweet and fairly gorging himself.

As no provision had been made for carrying the honey home, the boys remembered the first attempt at conveying it, and after the skin had been removed, it was taken to the hive, and it was a pleasure to all to remove the comb and every part of the coveted treasure. A luncheon was prepared, and for the first time in two months the use of their sugar was dispensed with.

"As we are so near the falls, why not go there, and possibly the sight of it may recall something to John?"

George and Harry looked at the Professor for an inkling of his reason for the remark, but he appeared not to notice them.

As the distance was not great, the course was directed along the very trail that the runaway yaks had taken from the river some months before.

The moment the river was reached, John sprang from the wagon and made his way to the sh.o.r.e and stood there gazing, and as his eyes turned to the right and he saw the falls, he slowly turned to the Professor, as though he was about to say something, but there the quest of his eyes ended, and all recollection seemed to leave him.

George could not restrain himself any longer. "Why did you make the remark that it would be well to bring John here to see whether or not he would be able to remember anything?"

"I was anxious to see if he would recognize the stream, and possibly recall the boat."

"What boat?"

"The boat we left here."

"And do you think John took the boat?"

"It is my opinion he took the boat, and then forgot it. During that lapse it was washed down to the sea by the flood."

"But how do you account for the oars and the rope which we found in it?"

"He must have put them there."

"Where do you suppose he got the oars and the rope?"

"That is the peculiar part of the problem. The rope, if you will remember, looked as though it was made by savages. At any rate, it was not a regulation rope; but the oars were undoubtedly taken from the _Investigator's_ lifeboat."

This was interesting news to the boys. It did seem probable, after all, that John had something to do with the lifeboat as well as their own boat.

CHAPTER XV

THE STORY OF THE CAVE

An hour or more was spent on the sh.o.r.e of the river, pa.s.sing along its banks and investigating the proximity of the falls, but if there was a glimmer of intelligence, John did not exhibit it. All realized this one thing: that if his memory could be brought to its normal condition, he would be able, undoubtedly, to reveal some of the mysteries they longed to unravel. For all they knew, he might have been one of the crew of the _Investigator_, but this, after all reflections, was out of the question, because life on shipboard is rather intimate, and boys, above all others, are most likely to remember faces.

Neither had the slightest knowledge of ever having seen him, and it was now felt that they must await the time when he would again regain his consciousness by the orderly course of nature.

While on the way home, George, who was seated by the Professor, mused over the occurrences of the day. "It has always been a wonder to me to know why it is that humanity must always be surrounded by a mystery of some sort. It seems there is always something just beyond him, and he must struggle and work to find it out. Why is it?"

"You have asked the great question of the ages. It is an eternal question. Why should man know everything? That would be omnipotence. If you stop to consider, it will occur to you that the moment man knows everything he ceases to be a man. All energy, all effort, and every instinct in life fades away. The a.s.sociation of man with man would cease. Take the simple act of one lady calling on another. Do you think it is merely to look at her friend, or is it done to make some inquiry?

Every action in life has in it some desire to acquire something, to get that which man did not possess before. The quest for the things of this life become and are the great pleasures which man enjoys. It is not their possession. Men pursue pleasure. That is a seeking after something just as much as hunting for wealth."

Returning to their home, the samples which the Professor and John had gathered were carefully taken to the laboratory, and several of the large copper receptacles cleaned for the honey. This was the part which Angel enjoyed more than anything else. And here it may be remarked that, when John was installed, Angel was a little shy with the stranger, but gradually became accustomed to his presence. Somehow John could not fully understand the creature, and often would be seen following his motions; but within a week Angel would permit himself to be caressed without objection, and he seemed to know that no harm could come from the kindly faced man.

Notwithstanding the mystery of their new friend, there could be but one course to follow. They lived on the island and were a part of it. The longing to know what the other side of the island contained was an ever-constant inquiry. Something must be done to forward their efforts in that direction.

During the four weeks at home a good supply of provisions had been gathered, and now the plans were made for an overland journey. The wrecked boat was still near the mouth of West River. It would be a week's trip to bring it home, and this was not considered advisable, particularly as the monsoons were still blowing, with greater or less violence and frequency.

It may well be imagined that the boys had not forgotten the cave. It was their constant talk by day and their dreams at night. It had a fascination which was constantly drawing them in that direction, but, singularly, they never entered it. But one day George suggested that they make a search on their own account. Harry quickly a.s.sented, and taking up the two lamps, together with their weapons, were soon at the entrance.

They cautiously went down the stone steps and directed their way to the recess where the treasure was deposited. The skeletons had been buried on a previous visit, so they did not have that grim recollection to ponder over.

What interested them most was the chamber to the east which had been examined by the Professor, and to that they made their way. During the first two hundred feet the direction was to the east, or nearly so, and then the walls suddenly turned to the right, and here a sight met their eyes which bewildered them.