The Wonder Island Boys: Capture and Pursuit
9781465681317
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
The Professor, Harry and Tom were dumbfounded at the excited condition of Ralph, as he emerged from the wood and told them to reach the wagon as quickly as possible. “Where are John and George?” asked the Professor, as all hurriedly ran to the rear. “George had already gone forward to take his position, when we saw a large number of the savages appear to our left, and he asked me to tell you at once, while he went after George to inform him of the danger.” “It will not do to leave them in this way. Go back to the wagon and get all the guns ready, and I will remain here, so that at the first sign I may be ready to aid them. If we do not return for some time, or in the event you hear any firing, two of you must come to me with the reserve guns.” The boys hurried to the wagon, all the reserve weapons were taken out, and the ammunition put in order for instant use. They waited impatiently for the first sign which would be the signal to act, but fully a half hour passed, and, after consulting, it was decided that Ralph and Tom should go to the Professor at once, and take with them four extra guns, leaving Harry, who knew most about the yaks and how to handle them in an emergency. In order to make the situation clear, it will be necessary to make a digression from the story. About fourteen months previous to the opening event of this chapter, an aged Professor and two of the boys, named George Mayfield and Harry Crandall, who were shipmates on the schoolship Investigator, were wrecked at sea, and stranded on an unknown shore. They were stripped of everything but their clothing, and of that had only a scanty supply. Without tools of any sort, or any of the means to procure food or clothing, they did not despair, but set to work, in the most primitive way, to dig the different things from the earth, and to make clothing, tools and other requirements. They found the various metals and vegetable products; constructed a water wheel; a sawmill; put up a small shop in which were installed the various tools, such as lathes, grindstone, drilling machines, and the like; a loom was eventually devised, to utilize the vegetable fibers, and by means of which clothing was provided. During the work which necessities forced upon them, they were desirous of knowing something of the land which had received them, and several trips were made into the interior, during which time evidence was found of the existence of tribes of savages as neighbors, but could not learn definitely where they were located, nor had they any means of determining the number.
