The Wonder Island Boys: Treasures of the Islands Part 29

The boys were simply wild with delight, and George commenced to laugh immoderately, after viewing the brightly-polished machine.

"What is the matter? Anything wrong? Is it upside down?" asked Sutoto.

"No; I was just thinking how funny it seems that one of the wild savages of the island should be the first to import an automobile."

Sutoto didn't in the least mind this allusion to his former condition, but the boys were the only ones who dared to jest with him in this manner. He joined in the laugh, but quickly replied:

"But I am not the only one favored in this way."

"Why not?"

"I know some other people who are indulging in pleasure cars also."

"Who is that?"

"Well, Blakely has one, a fine little car he calls a 'runabout.'"

"He never said anything about it. Then he brought one over for John, and another for the Professor, but you must keep quiet; they are not to know anything about it."

"Then there are two more machines down there that have queer names on them, because the fellows themselves are peculiar, and are awfully civilized," said Sutoto, with a faint attempt at a smile.

Harry laid down the wrench and turned to Sutoto. "What are the names?"

he asked, for the first time interested.

"On one it says 'Mayfield,' and 'Crandall' on the other." And Sutoto said this without cracking a smile, or indicating that he really knew who the names applied to.

Probably, no one on the island, at least among the natives, really knew the boys by any other designation than George and Harry. The surnames were of no use. Sutoto was simply "Sutoto," and no more, and so with Uraso and Muro.

The Professor and the old Chief heard the hilarity, and were soon out of the house, and although the boys and Sutoto tried to push the machine behind the garage, they were too late for the Professor's quick eye.

He laughed when he saw the commotion. "It is all right; if I were not so old, I would get one myself."

"That's just the time you need it," said Harry. "By the way," he continued, "I will bring it around to your place this afternoon."

"Bring what?" asked the Professor.

"Your car; of course." And Sutoto and the boys laughed at the Professor's discomfiture.

"I thought there was some job about to be put up on me. I wondered why Blakely tried to keep me out of the warehouse yesterday."

But while this merry scene was taking place, five new machines were coming along B Street, with Blakely in the first one, and a competent chauffeur in each of the others.

"The first is yours, Harry, and the next one, with the red body is yours, George," said Blakely. "I thought we should surprise you."

"Why, there is John, too!" exclaimed Sutoto.

"Yes; he is in his car; he was greatly surprised. But the Professor's car is a neat one; don't you think so?"

The boys had no ears for any one or for anything. Each was a forty-horse power roadster, while the Professor's car had a five-pa.s.senger body, was handsomely upholstered, and equipped with particularly easy-riding springs. John's machine was equally well built, and after the boys had made a full examination of their own treasures, they investigated the other cars, and marveled at their beauty and appearance of comfort.

The procession of the machines naturally attracted the people who came from all directions to witness the wonder wagons which ran by themselves. They crowded around, and listened to every comment. The old Chief was the one most excited at the strange things.

Neither Sutoto nor Cinda had informed them of the autos, because it was intended to have quite a surprise party, and it was afterwards learned that Blakely and Sutoto had planned to give all of them a surprise. The fact that the Professor and the boys, having gone to Sutoto that morning, were absent from their homes, precipitated to disclosure, so that John was found and together they went to Sutoto's house.

You may be sure that it did not take the boys long to learn the mysteries of the machines, and they were with Sutoto, until he got the hang of the motor, and could spin along as fast as any of them.

The old Chief was finally induced to get into the Professor's machine, and the latter instructed the driver to proceed slowly. Minda, who was with them, was the braver of the two, by far. The speed was about six miles an hour, at which the Chief marveled.

Then, gradually, the driver speeded up, until they were making a comfortable speed of fifteen miles an hour. As confidence increased the pleasure grew stronger, and before they returned on the first trip he was as determined as could be to have one for his own use.

Blakely took note of his wish, and said: "I shall see to it that on the return trip one of the machines will be shipped to you, but it will be two weeks before the _Wonder_ comes in."

From that day on Sutoto had his hands full entertaining the Chief, but the boys relieved him of much of this, by taking him from place to place, where he saw the work going on in all parts of the beautiful country, and witnessed the planting of the groves, the gathering of the crops, and the way in which the produce was handled at the wharf.

Sutoto's home was a beautiful structure of five rooms, all nicely furnished, the gift of the Professor. The boys enjoyed the visits there.

Sutoto was always a boy to them, and Cinda a happy bride,--and a woman of whom any one might be proud.

When Beralsea, her father, decided that his children must remain and attend the schools there, the adjoining cottage was prepared for them, and Minda consented to stay, but Beralsea, who had now partaken of the commercial instincts, under the tutelage of Blakely, was determined to return at once and revolutionize the condition of affairs in Venture Island.

That day he and Ta Babeda had a long conversation, and together they visited John and Ephraim, and then called in Blakely. The boys were present, of course, and it then turned out that they had agreed upon a plan to start the agricultural work in the two islands conjointly, and the only question which remained was to take care of the management of the work.

Both of the Chiefs declared that they did not possess the qualifications to direct the work, and Ephraim pleaded age as the reason why it would be impossible to undertake the burdens.

"I have an idea," he said, "that the best solution would be to make George and Harry the managers for the islands. I have been with the boys for some time, and see what they are capable of, and every one would be glad to work under them."

The boys were, of course, somewhat confused at the encomium, and the Professor came to their rescue. "These are my boys," he said. "I have known them ever since they came to the island. They have been with me under every condition of service. We have had hours and days of pleasure, and of trials, such as few have undergone, and always, whatever the circ.u.mstances, they have been manly, and never gave up, although sometimes things seemed hopeless.

"You have seen how, through their ingenuity, they have built the water wheel, the mills and the factories. Fortune has been kind to them; they do not need the money that may come to them, as they have found riches here, far greater than you know, but they have loved the work, for the pleasure it has brought them, and it is for them to decide."

"Harry and I have talked about these things many times," answered George. "When we first came to the island, we had nothing. For our own preservation we set about to better our condition, began to build the things necessary to maintain life, and to protect ourselves.

"What at first was a necessity, later became a pleasure, because we could see, day after day, how we built the shop and the machinery out of the crude things; it would be hard to leave that work now."

Harry approvingly nodded his head, as he responded: "I consider it a pleasure to do anything which would help the people here. George and I feel that it would be wrong to leave them, so long as we can be of service to them.

"The money we have will not make us happy; that I know, unless we can use it to do some good. And it is so with our time, also. I am as willing to give that as money, because we have been amply rewarded and now our duty is to the people here."

As a result of the conference it was agreed that George and Harry should take up the management of the affairs on Venture and Rescue Islands, they to decide which should be the particular sphere of each.

The Chiefs were immensely pleased at this arrangement, and the first steps were taken to put their plans into execution.

John advised them that they should decide which island each would take, and then each should cultivate the acquaintance of the young men that the Chiefs should select, so that the administrative functions could be instilled into them, and that they might be taught the business qualifications necessary.

George laughingly remarked that as the Chief Beralsea had so accommodatingly captured him, when they first arrived on the island, he thought that their intimate acquaintance, which was so long prior to Harry's should decide the matter in his favor, by taking Venture Island.

"That suits me all right. I have one advantage over you on Rescue Island; and that is the caves. You haven't even an excuse for a cave."