The Wonder Island Boys: The Tribesmen Part 16

The Professor was not surprised at their failure to bring the boat back.

He was a little disappointed, but they were certainly in a better position to build a boat now than when the old one was undertaken.

CHAPTER XII

THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE CAVE

That evening they all had a jolly time in the living room, with music and stories, and it was a great contrast to the strenuous times of the past six days of absence.

"We got lost once," said George, "when we struck the river at least eight or nine miles too far south. I tried to make out the direction by the two stars you spoke about, but I am afraid there will be several more lessons necessary before I can get it in my mind."

"Couldn't you see the moon?" asked the Professor.

"Yes, but that didn't help me any."

"Get the map we drew the other night, and we'll try and make it plainer.

Now, if you can imagine the moon making a silver streak along the heavens, it would pa.s.s along such a route that the following fixed stars would be in its path. Note them carefully, as follows: Hamel, Aldebaran, Pollux, Regulus, Spica, Antares, Arkat, Fomelhaut, and Markab."

"But how can we distinguish one of the fixed stars from the others? That is a matter which has always puzzled me."

"Because of the company it keeps. Isn't that like we judge people?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Each fixed star is set in the heavens with certain others stars arranged about it in such a way that it cannot be mistaken."

Angel's antics now attracted the attention of the company. He had been on the floor while the music was being performed, but disappeared shortly afterwards. He had his gun, and dodged from one chair to the next, and sighted his gun, and bounded away, as though attacking and running from an imaginary enemy.

This exhibition was a perfect mimicry of the boys' att.i.tude during the previous week. The comical manner in which he fought and eluded the enemy brought out roars of laughter, but this did not affect him in the least; he sprang to the rafters, and began to chatter in imitation of the way he had warned the boys, and then sprang down and hid behind a chair.

But the acme of his exhibition was reached when he mounted the table and simulated the rocking motion of the wagon crossing the stream. George simply hugged him, and Angel joined in the laughter.

But the boys wanted to know about John and Chief. John was there to welcome their return, and Chief came up soon after, and held out a welcoming hand, as he had seen the others do. Of course, he had no idea what the party went away for, nor did he comprehend the failure to bring the boat back. His education had not yet advanced to such a state as would have made an explanation of that kind understandable.

But John seemed to realize the story, and his eyes often glistened as they had not done before. On all these occasions the Professor was ever on the alert to notice his symptoms.

During the following day, in conversation with the boys, he said: "There is every indication that John is beginning to make an individuality entirely apart from his former surroundings."

"But if he does not recall any of his former life, how is it that he goes ahead and does things which he must have learned before he reached his present condition?"

"That is plainly a manual act. For instance, I remember when the saw was put into his hand, the manner of holding it, and his act in starting the saw at the edge of the board, was a physical recollection of the former manner of doing certain things. It was so in the handling of the gun, and the adroit manner in which he stalked the savages, all go to show that certain things which are a.s.sociated with purely physical acts are just as aptly done now as when in his other state."

"How is Chief getting along?"

"He is often an enigma to me. Each day he learns something new, and really seems to seek the information. Most of the time he has been helping John, but he always looks suspiciously at him. I can account for it in one way only. He has never seen John talk, and this may be a puzzle to him, and accounts for the strange looks he always gives him."

From the day that Chief saw the tree turned into lumber the mysteries of the workshop charmed him. This penchant was taken advantage of by the Professor, and when the day following the departure of the boys, the Professor started up the grindstone and ground one of the tools he edged up to it at once, and when the Professor reached for his bolo and put its edge on the stone, and finally showed him the result, he was as much excited as though he had discovered a lurking enemy.

He used the grindstone day after day in the same manner, and when it was noticed how he delighted in it, the Professor took one of the tools which had been ground and used it on a fine stone, to show how much keener the edge was made.

The saw was a marvel, and he tried it until he learned its use, and a line was drawn across the board, and when he failed to guide it the Professor smilingly corrected him, and he could not be induced to lay it aside until he had mastered the art of sawing along the line.

In the evening George again brought out the maps of the heavens and asked why he had made the band which was traced in curves on the two hemispheres.

"They show the course of the moon through the heavens, and in order to get the position, the mariner measures the degrees between the moon and the nearest fixed star."

"But if he hasn't any instrument to measure degrees, how can he tell how to make the calculation?"

"In that case he simply takes the yardstick of the heavens out of its box, and uses that as a measure."

"I never heard of such a thing before. Where is the box?"

"In the constellation Orion, which contains the most beautiful cl.u.s.ter of stars in the heavens, and is visible all over the inhabitable world, are four stars which form a parallelogram. See them on the map?

Betelguese and Rigel, at the extreme opposite corners, are of the first magnitude, and the others that form the other corners are Bellatrix of the second and Saiph of the third magnitude. Two of the stars are in the northern and two in the southern hemisphere. Within the parallelogram thus formed, you will note three very bright stars in a line. These are exactly one degree apart, and is the yardstick the heavens are measured with."

Harry announced one morning that they had a new calf, and there was a rush of the boys down to the cattle range to welcome the newcomer. They had a fine herd, and seemed to be domesticated. From the time they acquired the first, of these animals there was always an abundance of milk, and that meant b.u.t.ter, a thing which was very welcome to Ralph and Tom.

Chief also enjoyed the luxury, but it was a remarkable thing that the savages had not anywhere in their observations utilized the herds which ranged to the north of them, and undoubtedly existed in the southern portions of the island. There was always plenty of beef on hand, and plenty of game was available whenever they had occasion to go for it, and their larder was well supplied with the wild vegetables, although they had to go considerable distances for them at times; but now that the garden was coming in they did not apprehend so much trouble in that direction.

There was one thing which none of them could understand in Chief. He would be seen frequently going over toward the forest, in the direction of the clay banks. He never tried to do this by stealth, but the Professor was anxious to ascertain the reason for it.

One day while he was on his way to the same quarter, Harry took his gun, as though on a little hunting trip, and followed him cautiously. Chief made his way directly to the clay bank, and Harry, on the opposite bank, sat down to watch him.

It will be remembered that in making their first experiments a considerable amount of clay had been dug out, for use in making the brick and the retorts required for the metallurgical processes. Chief took out a considerable quant.i.ty, and after selecting the amount which suited his fancy, sat down and ate it. Harry was almost disgusted at the sight, and made his way back hurriedly.

The Professor and the others were waiting.

"What do you suppose he was after? Clay! And he ate it!"

This remarkable proceeding could hardly be credited by the boys.

"Ate it!" exclaimed George. "I think you must be mistaken."

Ralph looked at Tom, and immediately answered: "That is just what they did with that stuff we saw that the first savages had; don't you remember, Tom?"

"I never stopped to inquire; but I know they had something that looked like clay mud. I wonder if that was eaten by them?"

"That is not so remarkable," observed the Professor. "It is a custom in many parts of the world."

"Where?"

"In Eastern Asia, in Java, in the Himalaya Mountains, in northern Europe, particularly the remote regions of Sweden, in Finland, as well as in many parts of South America, particularly in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, and many instances are known of this habit among the savages of the Pacific islands."

"Can they live on the clay for any length of time?"