Ta Babeda had never summoned up sufficient courage, while the ship was formerly in port, to board the vessel. His examination of the _Pioneer_ was made from the sh.o.r.e. Now he would step into a new world.
He little knew what wonders would be exhibited to him. The ship"s band was the greatest thing he had ever known, and he never tired of its music. But when he saw the curious piano, the music box that acted as though it had life, and the other evidences of civilized arts, that were found in the cabin, he was content to make the best of it.
Like all natives, as we have already stated, he was immoderately fond of eating, and the kitchen arrangements, where food was cooked without any fuel, interested him beyond everything else. He would sit at the entrance of the kitchen for minutes at a time.
The push b.u.t.tons, the snap switches for the electric lights and for the cooking apparatus, were some things which he could not understand. The little innocent wires meant nothing to him, nor could the boys, or even John, explain the phenomenon to him so he could understand it.
The boys puzzled over this, as he was insistent upon an explanation.
What finally happened, the very thing the boys tried to avoid in every way, came when he touched the two wires, and formed a short circuit through his hand.
He emitted one yell, and bounded out through the door, and it was some time before he could be induced to make further investigations. His expressions were very humorous, particularly when he insisted that the wires were mad, and didn"t like him, and that they tried to pull his arms out of his shoulders.
Harry then took two of the wires and brought them together, and then pulled them apart. Each time this was done, a spark would flash. The object was to show that two wires were necessary to produce a circuit or a current.
Eventually an inspiration seemed to strike him, as he exclaimed: "They are married! Yes, I see!"
The boys laughed as they told John of the circ.u.mstance, and how utterly impossible it was to produce a current until a circuit was established.
John threw himself back and roared at the recital of the story, as told by the boys. "I think his description is a pretty good one. Perhaps he was thinking of the family circle?" and John continued to laugh as the boys tried to grasp the full meaning of his little joke.
But Ta Babeda was an apt pupil. He was far more acute than Beralsea, and there scarcely was an hour but he had one of the boys at his side trying to fathom some of the mysteries in the new world. This was in the nature of a picnic for the boys, who enjoyed his curious questions and his equally unexpected comments.
Ephraim, too, was generally present, as well as Camma, his eldest son, the latter evincing remarkable knowledge for one who had never known of the wizardry that resides in wood and stones and iron.
To Ephraim this opportunity to open the wide world to his children must have been a heaven of delight, and he reveled in every hour and even regretted that nature demanded sleep. It seemed to be better awake and seeing and feeling. Two weeks prior to this he had merely existed; now he was a man again, and living.
It was, indeed, a merry party on board of the n.o.ble ship. When the Chief, and those about him were told that the vessel was the creation of George and Harry, it was another occasion to marvel over.
"Your boys can do the same thing, and make other things just as wonderful," said John, as they were commending and petting the boys.
"Do you think so!" asked Ta Babeda, in great earnestness, and for the first time showing any curiosity or indicating any desire to give his children any advantages.
John saw that the leaven was working, as he replied: "That is why I have been so anxious to have you and your children visit our city. Your wife and daughters will find as many surprising things to interest them as the boys will discover."
The run from Rescue to Wonder Island, would occupy, ordinarily, about ten hours, of a complete day, and for that reason the start was made early in the morning. Unity was about eight miles from the sea, on a large stream, and it was desirable to make the run through the river by daylight.
But shortly before noon a wind sprang up from the west, and it increased in intensity, so that shortly after the noon hour they were compelled to make a long tack to the south. This meant a night on board ship, and a stormy one at that.
The wide, wide sea, without the sign of any land in sight was, indeed, a fascinating thing to the natives, and how they admired the native sailors with whom they readily fraternized. They watched every movement, the taking down of the sails, the changing of the angles of the great sheets, as they turned in their course, the handling of the tiller, and all the paraphernalia of sailing, for the _Pioneer_ depended princ.i.p.ally on her sailing capacity, and not on the small engine with which she was equipped.
The boys explained to Camma, that upon their return to the island a much larger engine would be installed, so that they need not depend upon the sails thereafter, but would be able then to sail directly through the wind, instead of being blown back and forth, as was now the case.
The wind did not abate until the morning was breaking, and then there was a welcome change in the direction that the storm was taking. Many of the natives were ill, and John had the satisfaction of administering the new and lately-discovered remedy, namely, Atropine.
Shortly after ten o"clock the eastern end of Wonder Island was sighted.
The great mountain range was visible, and the identical headland, where the skull with the inscription was found, could be discerned through the mild haze.
There was immense curiosity on board the ship as it skirted along the sh.o.r.e. The Tuolo landing place was sighted, but they continued past it.
Two hours afterward they could plainly see the dock which had been built for the use of Uraso"s people, and an hour later Muro was just as much interested to point out to Ephraim and Ta Babeda the landing station of his tribe.
Immediately after luncheon, George, who was always on the alert, ran through the vessel, with his field gla.s.s in hand, and announced that the _Wonder_, the large steamship, which made trips to Chili, was coming up in the distance, and heading, as they were, for the mouth of Enterprise River, which flowed past the city.
All were intensely excited at the announcement, and rushed forward to get a glimpse of the great ship. As she came up the streamers began to fly from every spar and mast, and Harry ran up to Stut, and asked why the _Pioneer_ did not have them out.
"But they are ready and will be flown as soon as we get nearer." As he said this the first ones were unfurled. Then the _Wonder_ blew three long blasts which the _Pioneer_ answered.
"They are going to let us go in first," said John. Such was, indeed, the case, for the _Wonder_ slowed down, and the _Pioneer_ entered the mouth of the river, for the last eight miles of the eventful cruise.
Two miles from the town both vessels began to blow signals with the fog horns, and long before the wharf was reached the people began to flock from all sides.
One little incident pleased the boys beyond all measure. On the bridge, and furiously waving his arms, and swinging an American flag was Sutoto, with his bride by his side.
"So Sutoto has been on a wedding trip to Chili?" remarked Harry.
Such was the case, as they afterwards learned. Both boys were busy explaining the sights and the locations of the different buildings to Beralsea and Ephraim, and the latter was much affected as he saw the flag floating from the tall staff in the princ.i.p.al square of the city.
Beralsea had seen Sutoto wave the flag from the bridge of the _Wonder_, and when he saw the same sort of emblem on the staff, he inquired of Ephraim the meaning of the curious thing. It was then explained to him that it was the magic combination of colors which their great tribe believed in, and which was always raised above them wherever they were, as a symbol that they were protected by it.
"But how can that protect the people? Is there something in it like the unseen lightning, which we have on the ship?"
"Unseen lightning, is a pretty good name, coming from a savage,"
remarked Harry in an undertone.
"No; not in that way," answered Ephraim, "but whenever people see it, wherever they may be, they know that the tribe is great enough to give protection to any one who may try to injure any member of our tribe."
"The White Chief has told me that there are many islands and countries, and that the world is round, and is peopled by many different tribes. Do the people everywhere know that "flag," as you call it?"
"Yes; in every part of the world."
"Who are those two men standing there alone?" asked Ta Babeda.
"I do not know," responded Ephraim. "This is the first time I have been here. The boys will know."
"That," answered George, "is the Professor,--that is, the man with a white beard and hair. The large man by his side is Beralsea, the Chief of the tribe on Venture Island."
Ephraim looked at Ta Babeda for a moment, with an amused smile, and then remarked: "He is almost as large as you are."
The _Wonder_ was the first to get her cables to the dock, and as she swung against the wharf, and the gang plank was fixed in place, the first ones to spring ash.o.r.e were Sutoto and Cinda, the latter of whom rushed to her father"s outstretched arms, and then to her mother and the other members of the family.
The boys did not know how or where to extend the first greetings. There was Sutoto and Lolo, and the dear old Professor, who considerately kept in the background, but the boys insisted on giving him the first greeting.
CHAPTER XV
THE RETURN TO WONDER ISLAND