The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 21

"Do look at the Coffee trees?" exclaimed Harry.

The Chief's son was consulted. He had no knowledge of the use of the berry. "We must take a lot of the berries back with us. This will be a treat at the celebration." John stopped short, and the boys commenced to laugh. He had almost given away the scheme for the wedding feast. Sutoto did not catch the force of the allusion.

George and Harry were now on the quest for new things in every direction, and the natives aided them in carrying out their every wish.

After they had reached a small stream flowing to the north it became evident that they had pa.s.sed the highest point of the plateau, and were now descending.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 9. Sesame Oil Plant. The Benne._]

One of the natives pointed out a peculiarly-shaped tree, tall, with immense leaves, and at each leaf cl.u.s.ter there was an immense white flower.

"Here is a tree with yellow flowers. We must have some of these as specimens," said Harry.

The trees were exceedingly tall. "The men are asking if you want some of the flowers," said Sutoto.

"By all means," answered George. Without a moment's hesitation a young athlete made his way to the top, and gathered a dozen branches, which he dropped to the ground.

The beauty of these flowers is difficult to describe. The tree body is perfectly straight, and the limbs grow out uniformly on three sides, the leaves being very rough.

"This is a species which belongs to the Indicus family," remarked John, as he cut off one of the leaves. "It would be a good tree for carpenters to raise."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 10. Flower of Indica Tree._]

"Why so?" asked George.

"You see it is just like sand-paper."

"Well, that is something to know. But will it really smooth down wood?"

"It is frequently used for that purpose, and you might take some along and try it."

At intervals John was observed taking up bits of soil, which he carefully wrapped up and deposited in one of the receptacles.

"I am curious to know what you are taking dirt for?" said Harry.

"I should have told you that a knowledge of the nature of the soil is one of the things that is very important to the agriculturist. Many men have made failures because they planted things which the earth was not adapted to grow."

"It has always been a wonder to me why things really do grow up out of the dirt," said Harry.

"That is not difficult to understand, if you will consider that the ground contains food, and that a plant can grow only where it can get the right kind. Then, there may be plenty of food but not the kind it can digest."

"Well, that is news to me. Do plants digest food?"

"Yes, just the same as what we call living animals. The tree is somewhat different from animals, in the particular that it digests its food first and then consumes it afterwards. In this particular certain larvae act the same as trees, that is digest it before they consume it."

"What do you mean by larva?"

"The early form of certain living organisms, before they are fully developed. Thus, the tadpole is the larva of the frog. A great many insects are bred from what are called grubs, or caterpillars. All these are called larva."

"What kind of food is found in the earth?"

"Many, many kinds. Carbon, nitrogen, the various salts, such as lime, magnesia, strontia, and the like, and when the little feelers shoot out from the roots, they are in search of something to eat."

At this point they were interrupted by shouting and laughter from one section of the searching party, and the boys ran out across the open to learn its cause. Two of the natives were carrying a dark brown object, about half the size of an ordinary hog.

It was kicking vigorously, but did not appear to be at all vicious.

"Why, it looks just like a little bear," said George as he danced about.

"Let us keep it for a pet."

"It is a bear," said John. "It is the Bruang, or the sun-bear of the Malayan peninsula."

"But doesn't it grow any bigger?"

"No; that is a full size specimen; in fact, it is a pretty large specimen, I should judge."

"What beautiful fur, and so soft! Will it bite?"

"I am of the opinion they can bite, but they are easily tamed and make great pets. Hasn't it a fine white spot on its breast?"

The men stood about and allowed it to move about within the circle. It cast its eyes around, as much as to say: "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

George cried out: "Hold it for a minute," and he pounced on one of the provision bags, and brought out a pot of honey. He forced his way in among the watchers, and with a stick dipped into the honey held it up before the animal.

It smelled the honey, and began to lick the stick, and then it darted for the pot. "What a tongue," exclaimed Harry.

"That is what they are noted for. The tongue is made for the very purpose of going into deep holes, and the greatest use is to rob the hives of the wild honey bee."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 11. Bruang. The Malayan Bear._]

The antics of George and the bear were most amusing to the watchers, and occasioned roars of laughter. When the pot was emptied he wanted more, and nosed around George until the latter could hardly keep his feet.

"He is getting to be a mighty close friend," said John, when he could find time to stop laughing for a moment.

"Well, don't let him get away," cried George, as he saw the cordon around the animal broken up, leaving plenty of opening for it to get away.

But, of course, the natives didn't understand him, and soon Mr. Bear had all the opportunity in the world to go home. But he didn't. He walked alongside of George, and the latter liked to stroke his soft fur, to which no objection was offered.

The bear followed and was by his side every minute of the time for the next hour, and while they sat down to lunch little Sunny, as George named him, was at the feast. He had samples of everything in sight, and the menu tasted good, from honey at the beginning of the repast, to honey at the end of it.

The progress was necessarily slow, because there were so many things to examine and to make notes of. They went out of the way from the direct route, so as to cover as wide an area as possible. Before camping for the night they had ascended a slight elevation, and there, to the right and to the left they saw the wide stretches of the great ocean.

Directly ahead was a narrow tongue of land, leading to a broadening area, and off in the dim distance was a high point. The Chief's son pointed there and said:

"On the other side of that high place is where the bad people live."

"That must be a long way off," said John. When this was interpreted he answered: "Another day's march."