THE SKULL WITH THE CRYPTIC WRITING
It was at the latter part of May when the Wonder steamed up the broad river which led to the town of Unity. When they were within two miles of the town, where they could begin to see the beautiful white houses in the distance, Blakely came up to the bridge, and suggested that it would be time to give the town a salute.
The Captain gave the order and the great whistle began to make a horrible din, and kept it up for a full half mile. Long before the boat came into sight of the dock itself the boys could see the people of the town hurrying down to the wharf.
When they saw the boys on the bridge pandemonium was let loose.
"This looks and acts just like a real American town," said Harry.
"See the Professor," said Harry, as he rushed to the end of the bridge, and frantically waved his hat.
The plank was swung and fastened, and the crew of natives rushed off and met their friends, but George and Harry were not permitted to walk down the gang plank. The joy at seeing them again was so intense that the people took them on their shoulders, and the Professor had a hard time to get near enough to grasp them and bid a welcome.
The people marveled at the boys. They were dressed up in regulation American style, and the Professor asked them if they had brought the "latest" cuts to put in the show windows.
Everybody followed, and the bantering and cheering made a continuous performance for them until they reached their home. All the chiefs were there, dressed up for the occasion, and what delighted them more than anything else was the fact that the Krishnos, the former witch doctors of the tribes, and who were now the teachers for the children, were the first to offer congratulations on their return.
There was no work in the town that day. Everybody determined to celebrate, and it was with hearts full of joy that the boys witnessed the demonstrations in their behalf.
"Isn't this a glorious home-coming?" said George. "It was worth the trip here to witness it."
"It does seem strange to call it a 'home-coming,' but that is just what it is," answered Harry. "How happy the people are. They seem to appreciate everything that has been done for them, and it is such a pleasure to do things for those who appreciate it."
The stories which John brought to the Professor were so beguiling that he promised the boys that he would probably be able during the next year to make a visit with them to their homes, and this delighted them beyond measure.
Although they had been absent four months, they noted many improvements made during their absence. The boys, on their own initiative, visited[p. 53] many of the homes, and talked to the people, and told them of the visit home. And how those simple people enjoyed this kindly act, and cherished it for months afterwards.
But it was now time to think seriously of the contemplated voyage of discovery, which was ever uppermost in the minds of the boys. While conversing on the subject a few evenings after their return, Harry remarked: "I suppose we must use the Pioneer for our trip, as the Wonder will have to make the regular trips?"
"John and I think that would be the wisest plan. The native sailors are now well adapted to handle her, and do you know that Sutoto sailed her around the island?"
This was pleasing to the boys, who liked Sutoto.
"And who are the others that went with him?"
"Why Lolo was one of them, and Stut and Chump. Oh, they had a jolly time; so they said, and I can believe it, because they are simply crazy to make another trip." And the Professor beamed as he related many of the incidents which they told him of their experiences.
While they were talking, Sutoto appeared, and was immediately admitted. After some talk, Sutoto said: "The Professor said that when you returned you would have some work for me with the Pioneer."
"Yes, and you shall command her," said Harry.
Sutoto could not but show his pleasure. "I knew you would come back, but so many here said you would not."
At this point Professor explained that there were many rumors among the people to the effect that the boys would never again come back, and all showed grief at the news. I assured them that you were just as anxious to return as they were to have you and I then told Sutoto that I knew you had plans which would require his services, but I thought it would be more agreeable if you imparted the nature of it to him.
The boys were not slow to outline the plans to him, but advised him to keep the information to himself, which he promised to do. It was enough for him to know that he would command the ship. It was this that induced Sutoto to take out the ship, and finally to circumnavigate the island, so as to try out the sailors and properly to fit them for the work when the boys returned.
"Now that being settled, Sutoto, we are going to leave the work of provisioning the Pioneer to you. We must take a supply of guns and ammunition, as well, and probably it would be wise to have a small troop of the best soldiers," was Harry's instruction.
"Uraso wants to go. I am sure he would be the best one to take.
"What will Muro say to that?" asked the Professor.
"Oh, take him along, by all means," said George, "because I want Lolo to go with us."
It was then settled that they were to take a small force, sufficient for immediate purposes, and if it was found that the islands discovered were too well set[p. 55]tled with hostiles it would be an easy matter to remain aloof, or return for reinforcements.
While arrangements were being made for the departure of the expedition Blakely informed the Professor that it would be good policy to make up part of the cargo of the Wonder with copper, and that both vessels could proceed to the southeastern part of the island, and the men aboard could be used to transport the copper to the sea.
In this way the expedition would serve a double purpose. No one attempted to go contrary to the wishes of Blakely on matters which touched upon the commercial ventures in which they were engaged.
John was only too glad that Blakely had hit upon that idea, as he was anxious to visit that part of the coast, contiguous to the copper deposit, and what was more, he wanted to see the place where Blakely found the missive which the boys had translated.
As there was still a week before the Wonder would sail for its northern port of call, both of the ships wended their way to the east, skirting the coast as closely as possible, John on the Pioneer with the boys.
They now had an opportunity to see the Great South Mountains from the sea. They remembered when they last saw them on land, during the campaign against the Illyas, and also the wonderful village on the western side of the mountains. What would their present wanderings bring forth?
That evening they landed within a cove, both vessels being brought as near the shore as possible.
"We can safely go in close this evening, because the tide is now out," said John.
Sutoto, while he had navigated the vessel, and had shown remarkable skill, was, nevertheless, not well versed in tides and the action of the moon.
Quick to learn, he asked John why the tides thus changed. John explained the reason that the tides flowed in and out twice during each twenty-four hours, or a little less than that time, so that high water, or low water would always be at a time a little later each day, and then stated that it would be an easy matter to so make the calculations that they would be able to tell ahead for a whole year just when during each day the highest or lowest water would be.
While waiting on the ship during the hours of the evening they were interested in the magnificent fire flies which they saw on the shore and along the mountain side. This was not an unfamiliar sight to them as they had witnessed such scenes many times before.
But now they saw such sights as they had never before observed. They must have been giant glow birds, because some of the lights flew at least hundreds of feet emitting continuous streams of light, and this was not all, many of the lights were colored, particularly red and blue or simply faint tinges of those tints.
"I have often thought that there is nothing more wonderful than the fire fly," said George.
"But what do you think makes it so wonderful?" asked John.
"Well, I suppose the wonderful part is that it has strength enough to make a light," answered Harry.
"No, the remarkable thing is that the light which it emits is absolutely cool. Experiments which have been made go to show that there is no heat. In every form of light which man has been able to produce thus far artificially, a great heat is evolved, and it would be a most valuable discovery to find out why these insects are able to do it without raising the temperature."
"But what difference does it make if heat is produced?" asked Harry.
"The production of heat means the loss of power. The heat generated takes up more of the power than the light which is produced, so that it would be a great economy if the heat could be dispensed with."
"But if there was no heat in the light produced would it make any difference in the lamps themselves?"
"Unquestionably. The lamps would last much longer."
"What are the things which must be learned in order to get the secret of cold light?"
"Well, there are number of questions which must be determined. While it is known that the fire fly and the glow worm emit what is called a phosphores[p. 58]cent light, this fact is a mere prelude to the knowledge of what is the exact color of daylight."
"Color of Daylight? Why, I supposed it was white."
"But the light of the glow worm and fire fly are not white."
They watched them, and soon appreciated that John's statement was true.
"You asked what were some of the things to be solved? Well, to find out the secret of the phosphorescent glow. That is one thing. What is the best artificial light, is the next. Then, what substance will have the most intense glow when a current passes through it, and give out the least heat."
"Well, has no one attempted to explain any of these things?"
"Yes; many explanations have been offered, but all of them leave the subject dark somewhere." And John laughed as he saw that the boys appreciated his little attempt at witticism.
"But the time will come when man will find out this, as everything in his way. When you think of it, that electricians, chemists, metallurgists, physiologists, engineers, physicists and microscopists, are all working on the problem, we should be able to extract the secret sooner or later."
"I am going to have some of those fellows," shouted George, and when the natives on board heard the request of George there was a scramble for the boats, and John was delighted to give them instructions for capturing the insects.
Early the next day the entire party landed, and Blakely, together with John and the boys, started for the high peak, the one visible for miles from the west, and which John and the boys often wished to visit.
One of the things which the boys brought with them from the States, was a pair of strong glasses, and these were constantly in use.
"What do you say to scaling that point?" said Harry.
"Just what I have been thinking about," said George.
Sutoto, who was with the party, showed by his glowing eyes that he wanted to be of the party. "Certainly you shall go," said Harry.
"Before going we must visit the place where the Walter note was found," called out John.
The boys had forgotten this. "Most assuredly," 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 ships at anchor, they were delirious with joy. How[p. 60] 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."
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.[p. 61] 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 associated 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 glasses," and George unslung them as John took them and gazed long in the direction of the line on the shelf.
He lowered the glasses 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[p. 62] 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 associated 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.