The Wonder Island Boys: Conquest of the Savages

by Roger T. Finlay

There was still quite an amount of barley which had not been ground, and the willing warriors helped the boys bring a lot to the mill and the production of the flour before their eyes was such an amazing thing that they could not even give vent to their expressions.

Early in the day one of the bullocks had been killed by John's order, and a roasting pit dug out, and this was now being prepared for the principal meal of the day, and many of them were interested in this new way of roasting an entire carcass.

A quantity of vegetables had also been gathered by the parties detailed for the purpose, and George[p. 26] was the busiest of the lot, as he personally attended to the cooking of the various dishes. He had most willing helpers, each one trying to lend a hand, so that he did little more than direct.

But he was determined to have bread, and it did not take long to improvise an old Dutch oven with the firebrick, and in this a fire was built, so that the bricks were heated up intensely, and the fire then withdrawn, and a cover put over the chimney. The heated brick, therefore, did the baking. Loaf after loaf was put in, and while the dough had not risen as it should have done, owing to lack of time, still the bread produced was something so unlike anything the natives had ever seen, that the making of it in their presence was a joy, to say nothing of the eating of it when the meal was served.

It was not only a picnic; it was a feast. None there, excepting Uraso and Stut, had ever tasted such things before. They knew what honey was, but sugar was a novelty, and this was supplied[p. 27] without stint. George had no opportunity to make any delicacies in the form of cakes, but he made a barley pudding in which was a bountiful supply of sago.

After the meal, John called the boys together and said: "Before dismantling the place here it has occurred to me that there are some things which we ought to make, because it will take some time to set up the parts, even after we get them in the new locality. I believe we still have quite a quantity of the cast-steel bars, from which we intended making gun barrels."

"In looking over the stock to-day," said Harry, "I find we have sufficient to make at least fifty barrels, and I have prepared the lathe to do just what you have suggested."

"Good boy," responded John. "You and Tom keep at that, and don't mind about anything else. If we can once get the barrels bored out, and the fittings made, we can put them together without having the shop in running order."