The Wonder Island Boys: The Tribesmen Part 22

At this instant Chief appeared at the door, and as he moved forward in front of the gla.s.s he started back in fright as his own image appeared to him. All of them laughed, and as he was now at one side of the mirror he could not see himself. But Harry mischievously turned it, and then it dawned on the Chief that it was simply a perfect representation of himself.

All savages know of the glistening qualities of surfaces, but few of them, as was the case with Chief, had ever seen any made with the white amalgam, which, of course, made a perfect counterfeit resemblance.

But Harry delighted him beyond measure when he presented one of the small mirrors, and George took a piece of the ramie cloth and folded it around the mirror, a proceeding Chief could not understand until John showed him it was for the purpose of preserving it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_He started back in fright as his own image appeared to him_" [See p. 194]]

He kept it in the cover religiously from that day forward, except at such times as he was employed in examining it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 32. Amarylla. Chief's Poison Vegetable._]

When Chief appeared it was not noticed that he carried a curious looking bulb, and when he sat down to experiment the mirror several of them fell from the pouch or pocket which was put in the garment which had been provided for him.

The Professor saw the bulbs and picked up one of them and glanced about the room, and then looked at John in a questioning way. The boys noted this. Nothing was said at the time, but as the Professor pa.s.sed out George followed him.

"What was that bulb you picked up?"

"It is the root of the plant called Amarylla, and it is in the juice of this plant that certain savages dip their arrow-heads for poisoning them."

This information was not a little startling and disquieting to George, who rushed back and quietly called out the boys. "Do you know what Chief has been doing? Did you see the peculiar bulbs he had? The Professor picked up one of them, and what do you suppose it is? It is the root from which they make the poisons for arrow-heads."

Harry could not believe that the savage had any designs on them. "I suppose he will bear watching, so let us see what he intends to do with them!"

When Chief had admired himself sufficiently he took the bulbs to the kitchen and placed them in the oven, as the boys called it, and when George came in he was smiling, as he thought, in a very peculiar way.

George did not disturb the bulbs, and when the meal was brought in Chief was on hand and went to the kitchen. He soon returned with the roasted bulbs and deposited them at the table.

The boys looked at the Professor, and he and John exchanged smiling glances, and both of them took the bulbs and began the meal with them in the most nonchalant manner. The boys could not understand the Professor's defiant manner in eating a poisonous bulb, and George cried out: "Didn't you say that the bulb was poisonous?"

"Yes, it is, for some things."

"Well, how can it be poisonous for some things and not for others. Don't the savages use the poisons of the arrows to kill people with?"

"Certainly; but it is used in that case as a blood poison. A blood poison is not necessarily a stomach poison. In truth, there are few poisons that are fatal to both the blood and stomach."

Chief had been slyly preparing this treat for them, as savages like the root, and all regarded it a welcome change, and it was that peculiar look which George wrongly interpreted. How often the motives of people are misjudged in the same manner, and without a more p.r.o.nounced reason than Chief had!

When the meal was announced Angel, as usual, was the first to appear, and when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror he thought one of his friends had come to visit him. It did not seem to startle him in the least, but like all children tried to look behind it.

The wall prevented that, so when George handed him one of the small ones, and he put his hand behind the mirror, the vacancy there is what alarmed him. When he did finally comprehend what it was, it so attracted him that he could not partake of the meal, but sat entranced before it.

After the meal he took the mirror to the rafters, and found a hiding place for it, and they would often notice him with it, but from that time forward he never brought it down into the room.

CHAPTER XVI

A SURPRISING TRIP TO THE CAVE

The house was completed and partly furnished. New bedding was prepared for the bedrooms, the Chief installed in one, and the other two reserved for John and the Professor. The new living room, which was commodious, served as a dining room, and a door was cut through from the old kitchen to the new dining parlor.

The other rooms in the original building were reserved for the boys.

John was now fully recovered, and felt like beginning his task anew, although he did not recall any of the previous work which he was engaged in. Chief was progressing well in his education, and the constant source of wonder to all was that he did not take the advantage his liberty gave him to leave them.

One day John had a long conversation with him on the subject, and afterwards the boys were curious to know the result of the interview; but the result of the talk was not, apparently, satisfactory to John, and the subject was not pressed. He was entirely well, and took a keen interest in everything around him, and partic.i.p.ated in the work. Each new phase had some special attraction, and as the days pa.s.sed less anxiety was felt on this score.

In one of the evening conferences it was finally decided to make the preparations for a trip to the portion of the island where the savages had their homes. This meant a good supply of weapons and ammunition.

The following circ.u.mstances determined them on this course:

The Professor, addressing John, on this occasion, said: "We were intensely interested in the review of your experiences on the island; but there are several things which we are anxious to know about, and in some particulars you may be able to supply the missing links. We have not yet shown you the message which we found in the _Investigator's_ lifeboat, so that if you will get it, Harry, you may be able to tell us something about it."

This was the little slip of paper which had on it the following inscription: "We cannot hold out much longer. Wright and Walters were captured yesterday. Will."

Harry handed it to him, and he looked at it for some time. "I do not know who Wright and Will are, but Walters was one of the crew of the sailing vessel that we took from San Francisco."

"Had you any knowledge of any of the boats of the _Investigator_ being on the west side of the mountains during the time you were in that neighborhood?"

"No; during my stay with the tribe to which Chief belonged I tried in every way to ascertain something about the fate of my companions. Only once during that time did I get any sort of knowledge on that point.

When I tried to describe the men, all denied any knowledge of them; but pointed to the youths of the village, and I could not understand what they meant. That is now made plain to me, as, undoubtedly, they meant the ones referred to were boys."

"And, now, there is another thing I want to know from Ralph and Tom. Did either of you have a photograph of some of the boys on the ship?"

George found the photograph which they had taken from one of the warriors in the second day's fight.

Ralph and Tom both declared that it was the first time they had ever seen the photograph, and on closer examination it was seen that while Harry and George were shown on the picture, neither of the other boys'

features were there.

"Did either of you boys know of any of those mentioned in the message?"

"I knew a Will, but I do not remember his last name. I do not think Wright was the name of anyone on shipboard. I am sure he was not one of the boys," was Ralph's answer.

This information pointed to two things clearly: That there were other boys, belonging to their ship, castaway on the island, and that at least one of the crew of John's vessel might be found. It also a.s.sured them of the certain knowledge that there were others, either wandering about, or sharing the captivity mentioned in the message.

"I should state here," continued John, "I was informed by one of the chiefs that their disposition to the shipwrecked mariners had been, in the past, a friendly one, but that some time previously, how far back I do not know, a crew had been saved, and instead of rewarding them for the service, had murdered one of the chiefs and committed such excesses, that in self-protection they slaughtered them, and, thereafter, took prisoners only in order to use them for their sacrifices."

The plans for the forthcoming expedition were now fully discussed in every detail. The first proposal was to build a vessel of sufficient size to accommodate the party, but to this John offered the same objection which they had theretofore found so potent when the last trip was undertaken. It would take too long, and when they reached the savages it would be necessary to make a trip or trips inland.

The situation now was entirely different. There was no longer a question in their minds as to the existence of savages, and, furthermore, they knew the location, and the knowledge of John was positive on another point: They were not located near the sea, and the most powerful tribes were far inland.

All these facts compelled them to undertake the journey overland. The wagon was the only means to transport their supplies, and as all except the Professor, were vigorous, they would be far better able to cope with the savages in that way than by the sea route.

Now let us see what was necessary for the purposes of defense. They had a force of six men, as Chief was not considered one of the force, notwithstanding his friendly att.i.tude. They had ten guns, and Ralph and Tom had been engaged for weeks in turning out additional gun barrels, for which the stocks had not yet been prepared.

John suggested that twenty-five of the guns would be ample for almost any force that might be brought against them, and that provision should be made so that while in defense, each could carry two guns, by having one of them strapped on the back.

Ammunition was of more importance, really, than guns. They had learned this at the last encounter, and it was lack of this that eventually forced them to retreat.