In one of the evening conferences it was finally decided to make the preparations for a trip to the portion of the island where the savages had their homes. This meant a good supply of weapons and ammunition.
The following circumstances determined them on this course:
The Professor, addressing John, on this occasion, said: "We were intensely interested in the review of your experiences on the island; but there are several things which we are anxious to know about, and in some particulars you may be able to supply the missing links. We have not yet shown you the message which we found in the Investigator's lifeboat, so that if you will get it, Harry, you may be able to tell us something about it."
This was the little slip of paper which had on it the following inscription: "We cannot hold out much longer. Wright and Walters were captured yesterday. Will."
Harry handed it to him, and he looked at it for some time. "I do not know who Wright and Will are, but Walters was one of the crew of the sailing vessel that we took from San Francisco."
"Had you any knowledge of any of the boats of the Investigator being on the west side of the mountains during the time you were in that neighborhood?"
"No; during my stay with the tribe to which Chief belonged I tried in every way to ascertain something about the fate of my companions. Only once during that time did I get any sort of knowledge on that point. When I tried to describe the men, all denied any knowledge of them; but pointed to the youths of the village, and I could not understand what they meant. That is now made plain to me, as, undoubtedly, they meant the ones referred to were boys."
"And, now, there is another thing I want to know from Ralph and Tom. Did either of you have a photograph of some of the boys on the ship?"
George found the photograph which they had taken from one of the warriors in the second day's fight.
Ralph and Tom both declared that it was the first time they had ever seen the photograph, and on closer examination it was seen that while Harry and George were shown on the picture, neither of the other boys' features were there.