The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 7

"Before going we must visit the place where the Walter note was found,"

called out John.

The boys had forgotten this. "Most a.s.suredly," answered George, "I had almost forgotten that."

Blakely led the way up alongside the rugged cliff. "See that bluish green outcropping," he said as they were pulling themselves up.

John stopped and chipped off some specimens. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed.

"Better than anything I have ever found in Mexico. These hills remind me of the formation all along western Chihuahua, and through northeastern Sonora."

The ledge on which they finally emerged was fully six hundred feet above sea level. When they turned around and viewed the sea below them, and saw the s.h.i.+ps at anchor, they were delirious with joy. How Sutoto enjoyed the scene. He had never seen anything like it before and he was amazed and stupefied. He turned and grasped George by the hand. He was too full to speak.

"But wait, Sutoto, until we get to the top," said Harry, as he saw his countenance. As they looked up at the top they wondered what they might see from the elevation.

"Here is the spot," cried out Blakely. "This is the pot in which the message was found. And here is something that I dug up afterwards."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 4. Inscription on the Skull._]

The boys crowded around. It was a skull on which was engraved the characters ABCC, followed by a star.

All looked at John, thinking he might offer some solution. He turned it over, and examined every portion. Not a word was spoken. "Tell me the exact position in which this was found," he asked, as he looked at Blakely.

"The first thing I found was the pot, which was simply turned upside down, in exactly this way. This is the place. It rested on this flat stone. The skull was behind it on this upper shelf."

"And was there nothing else on the shelf?"

"Nothing whatever."

John stooped down and carefully examined the shelf. All followed his motions. "Do you see that mark?" he said, pointing to a heavy scratch, which was now plain. "That mark is a.s.sociated with the skull, if not with the message. I am unable at this time fully to decipher the marks on the skull, but I have an idea of the meaning."

"I wonder if the scratch across that is in the same direction as the arrow in the letter?" asked George.

"Unquestionably: let me see your gla.s.ses," and George unslung them as John took them and gazed long in the direction of the line on the shelf.

He lowered the gla.s.ses and slowly shook his head. Something was forming itself in his mind, this was evident. He walked around the ledge and back again. Finally, he said: "I wish it were night, it might help to solve the riddle."

"And why?" asked Harry.

"Those letters have reference to the star which follows."

"It seems to me to be a singular thing that anyone should leave this here in the hope or expectation that it could be a guide for any one,"

remarked George.

"There is certainly one explanation of that," answered John. "It is evident that the articles were placed there as a form of note to others, and it is a sort of cryptic sign, intelligible only to those who have the key. The fact that these signs are here denote several things, one of which is that something important, such, for instance, as treasures, or the location of hidden wealth, or the directions necessary to find mining lodes, or even to point out the direction and distances of other islands in the distance."

"But," said Harry, "the fact that we have found these things here looks as though there were other parties besides Walter and that he was a.s.sociated with them in some sort of enterprise."

"Quite true; but I am not at all satisfied that the Walter note has anything to do with the skull. In fact there is every evidence to me that they are entirely disconnected with each other."

This announcement was the most surprising to Blakely, who now added a few points of information. "I should have said that the skull was not exposed as you now see it on the shelf. After I went up the side of the hill, I returned and landed on the ledge, and then I noticed the skull through the apertures formed by the stones now lying at the side."

"That is evidence to my mind, that Walter knew nothing of the existence of the skull at the time he left the message, and yet, singular as it may seem, both the skull and Walter's message point to the same thing."

This announcement was certainly curious and interesting, and keyed up the listeners to a high pitch of expectation.

CHAPTER V

THE TRIP TO THE NEW ISLAND

Exciting as were the events alluded to in the last chapter, the boys insisted on taking Sutoto to the top of the peak. John and Blakely gathered up the fragments, and when the boys left they were busily engaged in making careful measurements of the stone and ledges.

It was not an easy task to gain the summit, but when they reached it, there was spread before them the most remarkable panorama. To the north they could see South River, the first stream they discovered when they came to the island.

They looked on it almost lovingly. "If it were not for the mountain range to the north we could see clear to Cataract," said Harry.

"The dear old place!" exclaimed George. Sutoto smiled. He had been there, and he shared the views of the boys.

"Let me have the gla.s.ses," shouted Harry, as he adjusted them and turned to the west. "Unity," was the only thing he said, as he handed the gla.s.ses to Sutoto. The latter looked, and stepped back in surprise.

George kept his eyes on Sutoto, as the latter bent forward in his eagerness to see the town which was now so plain to him, although more than fifty miles away.

George leisurely took the gla.s.ses, as Sutoto said slowly, and with proper emphasis, "Wonderful! wonderful!"

He turned the gla.s.ses to the southeast, hoping to catch a glimpse of the land of treasures, but they saw nothing but the wide open sea, calm and peaceful, and he wondered that it could ever be so angry and tempestuous as they had known it to be on two momentous occasions.

They remained there for a long time, and viewed every portion of the island. When they descended they took a route leading to the west, and when nearly at the bottom, heard the unmistakable sounds of voices below them. For a moment the boys were alarmed, but Sutoto set up a shout, his quick ears having detected the voices of their friends. It was the first caravan load of copper which they were taking from the great cave near the Illyas' village.

"Glory! we are near the Illyas' village," said Harry, as he stumbled down the mountain side, and saw the train of men with the loads.

They would now do some more visiting. They must surely go over to the village where they captured the last of the hostile tribes. As they neared the village they were surprised to see Oma coming toward them. He greeted them like a monarch, and led them into the village.

"I am glad to welcome you," he said. The boys were astounded at the words. This man, the most vindictive and bitter of all the tribesmen, had learned to speak, and showed by his actions that he was glad to welcome them.

But when they came to the village, the surprise of the boys was so great that they could hardly speak. Instead of filth and uncleanliness everywhere, they saw carefully attended lawns, and houses, instead of huts. The people came out and greeted them with laughter.

And then the boys recognized many of the men who had lived in Unity, and who had worked for them in the shops, and in the fields. The Chief then escorted them to the large building, the same one in which the Chief was captured by the boys, the year before.

What a change! Formerly the furniture in the room was one jumbled ma.s.s of debris, and the household arrangements were only such as savage conditions warranted. Now, the large interior had been cut up into rooms, and they were furnished with comfortable belongings.

The Chief saw the curiosity of the boys, and he read their thoughts.

"You wonder at the difference? Yes; it is a difference. We owe it to that wonderful Chief, and to you, and to John."

"Yes; John will be here soon," said George.

"I have seen him. He will be here. We are preparing a great feast for him," and the boys opened their eyes and smiled as they heard this announcement.

The people flocked about them, and the men who knew the boys were only too proud to be recognized by them. Thus they visited every nook and corner of the town, surprised and glad to see that the Chief had insisted on his people going to Unity and learning the ways of the white people.