The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 2

"Yes; and that shall be taken back by you to your homes in the States, and you will want to enjoy it," and John said this with a most sincere air, as he looked at the boys.

"That would be nice," said Harry reflectively. "But if we are there the only thing we can do is to spend it, and there is no particular fun in doing that."

"What? No fun in spending the money?" exclaimed the Professor.

"Why, we haven't spent a cent since we have been here, and we have enjoyed every hour of the time, except--except--" and George hung his head for a moment.

"I know," said the dear old Professor; "I know what you mean. Home still has a warm place in your heart. That is right. You must see your home, and then,--"

"Then we want to come back," broke in Harry.

"It makes me happy to see that the lessons of the past while we have been together has impressed on your minds one thing; that it is not riches which give happiness."

"I know that," said Harry. "When I go out and see these poor people here, and I meet smiles on every face, and a welcome everywhere, the thought that we have tried to make them feel and know that wars were wrong, and that true happiness consists in trying to make others happy, it gives me more pleasure than all the gold which we took from the caves of the Buccaneers."

"Yes, and there is another thing, that I have been thinking about," said George. "I really don't think the people here are so bad, and never have thought so."

"Well, they have been doing some pretty bad things," remarked John. "I would like to know what makes you think as you do."

"I mean, that if it wasn't for certain cla.s.ses, like the Krishnos, say, the people would not be trying to sacrifice each other. Those fellows are the ones who lie to the people, just as the fellows at the last cave told the people and the Chiefs that if they went into the cave the Great Spirit would destroy them."

John and the Professor both laughed, while the boys looked on. There did not seem to be anything amusing about that, and they wondered why they should laugh at George's remark.

"Did it ever occur to you how like that is to the white man's way of doing things?" asked John.

"I never thought of that!" said Harry.

"Do the white people act that way, too?" inquired George. "I never knew that we had people who tried to deceive others so they could give them up as a sacrifice?"

"What do you think the Krishnos deceive the people for?" asked the Professor.

"So as to give them the power," answered George.

"Quite true. But what is the object of that power?"

"So they can rule?"

"Yes; but what gives them the power to rule?"

"Oh, I see now! They get paid for it! And that is why the Krishnos have all the best things, and are better cared for than even the chiefs are?"

"You have given the right answer. The Krishnos don't want to sacrifice human life because they love to do it, but because in the doing of it they inspire fear, and through fear they can get what they want."

"But, Professor, you haven't yet told us how that is like the white people do it."

"In exactly the same way. The Krishnos own the big gun factories, and they tell the chiefs that the people across the river, or on the other side of the mountain are going to rise up against them, and they must arm the people and attack them. You see the white man's Krishnos have a great cave, called a gun factory, and while he does not want to offer up any sacrifices for the love of it, he does so because it is his business to make guns, and ammunition, and sh.e.l.ls which explode with terrific force, and destroy hundreds at every shot."

"Well, after all, we are not much better than the savages here, are we?" said Harry, as he looked around, with a sad expression.

"We have advanced a little beyond them," interpolated John. "We have tried to systematize the killing. The savage goes at it without regard.

But the white man has set rules to conduct the slaughter. Of course, the rules do not say that they shall not kill but it does point out the impolite ways of killing."

The Professor smiled at this homely way of putting it, but the boys looked doubtfully at John's exposition, and then George ventured to remark: "I can see the force of it, and it is my opinion that the savage way is, after all, the most reasonable."

"If it is not the most reasonable," answered the Professor, "it is certainly the most logical. But we are getting away from our subject. I understand from what John says that within the next week we shall be able to launch the vessel!"

"Yes," answered Harry. "Everything is now so far ahead that in two weeks more we can be ready to sail."

"That is well. I hear there is considerable rivalry among the men to go with you?"

"But aren't you going with us?" asked George in a voice of alarm.

"No; my place is here. I have no desire to go back. I have induced John, much against his will, I know, to go with you, but I cannot leave my people here. I will welcome you only the more gladly when you return."

Harry was almost in tears, as he said: "But we wanted you to go back with us so we could take you to our homes and let our people see you.

They would be so happy to see you and to hear you talk."

"Thank you so much for the kind invitation. Sometime in the future, when everything is properly settled here, and I can see my way clear, I will consider it an honor to visit your homes, and enjoy the friends.h.i.+p of your dear ones; but not now."

The door opened quietly, and Angel stepped in, Angel being the Orang-outang to which we have alluded. He was now nearly as tall as George. He gravely shambled over to the Professor, and placed an envelope in his hand.

Angel was the most wonderful character in that community. He was the pet and the playmate of all the children. No one dared to harm him or offer an insult. Such a thing would have caused an insurrection in that town.

While he could not speak, he could understand practically everything that was told him. Daily he performed many extraordinary tasks, thanks to the training and care that George had bestowed upon him from the day he had become a captive.

The Professor opened the envelope, and adjusted his gla.s.ses. As he read his eyes opened wider and wider, while John and the boys drew closer.

While reading one of the sheets the Professor was slowly unfolding a sc.r.a.p of dark colored material, smaller than the sheet he was reading.

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"The letter is from Blakely," he said as he pa.s.sed the papers to John.

"And what do you think it is about?"

All eagerly peered at the letter and then at the brown missive, whatever it was.

"Read it aloud," said the Professor.

John handed it to George, and this is Blakely's letter:

"SOUTH MOUNTAIN, Below Illya.

"My Dear Professor:

"I felt sure that my view as to the character of the mountain range below the town was correct. Copper outcroppings were found as far south as the range can be seen, and there is also silver in abundance.

This will surely be a profitable field for the natives. Yesterday, while prospecting on the southeastern side of the main ridge, I was surprised to find a part of a metal pot, evidently of cast iron. Quite a number of articles, of no particular value were lying near, but within the fragment of the pot, and protected by a shale of rock, was the enclosed sc.r.a.p, which I thought might interest you, as you have a leaning in the direction of finding out hidden and abstruse things.

Probably, you can decipher what it says. All the men are well, and are feeling jolly. We may be ready to return in a week. I hope the old s.h.i.+p is coming along all right.

"Hurriedly, as ever,