The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands

by Roger T. Finlay

There was a wondering look on the Chief's face. He looked at the weapon, and then at the hole. There was a question in the peculiar guttural sounds of his language, which slowly came from his lips. Evidently the Chief wanted to know something.

Ah! he knew what it was. What made the hole? George took the weapon, and extracted one of the bullets, and then pointed to the hole in the tree. It was plain that even this did not satisfy him. Better still; why not dig out the bullet; and as he thought of it he instinctively reached in his pocket for the knife.

Then he remembered. One of his captors had it. Without any ceremony he walked over to the man who had it, and by motions indicated that he wanted the knife. The savage was mute. He boldly searched the folds of the rude clout, and without a protest on the part of the savage he brought forth the coveted knife.

This action was indeed a surprise to the Chief. A frown gathered on the Chief's face. George saw it, and really trembled for the first time, as he saw the eyes of the Giant riveted on the knife, and then turned to the culprit. The latter fell to the ground, and muttered something, and instantly the two others were also seized, as they uncovered the other belongings and laid them before the Chief.

George looked on the scene with genuine regret. The culprits were led away, and he speculated on[p. 99] their fate. But the Chief's eyes immediately returned to the hole in the tree, while the gaze of the others rested on the cartridges, the watch and the field glasses. The knife was in George's hand, and he slowly opened it whereat the appearance of the blade startled the Chief. He was all eagerness now, so George closed the blade and opened it again, and then cut a circle around the bullet hole and chipped the wood away.

There was the bullet, and he slowly drew it forth, a shapeless bit of lead. When he had deposited it in the Chief's hand, he laid one of the cartridges alongside, and also showed the empty shell. Then he quietly laid the closed knife in the Chief's hand and stood back with his arms folded, as though he owned the entire Island.

If the action of the Chief counted for anything the boy did have everything in sight. The Chief returned the revolver to George, and then began to examine the articles before him. The most interesting appeared to be the cartridge belt. He looked at the revolver and cartridges, and then turned over the revolver bullet and shell which George had exhibited.

It was now plain that the Chief could not understand the use of the large cartridges. George's mind was working by this time. He did not recall that the gun was in evidence at any time after they met the first crowd on the road.

The Chief pointed to the cartridges, and George looked toward the group which had captured him. This was enough for the wily savage. A stern com[p. 100]mand was issued, and in an incredible short space of time the gun appeared. Where it could have been hidden was a marvel. Certainly these people must be adepts in the art of concealment.

The Chief handled the gun in a most awkward fashion and George politely took it from his hand, and after glancing about for a moment, saw a bird on a branch. This he brought down, upon which one of the men ran forward, picked it up and brought it to the Chief. After this the weapon was turned over to him, and the peculiar chuckle that followed was, undoubtedly, the savage's way of expressing delight.