"Yes; John Lewis Varney. But who are you, and how did you come here?"
"My name is Harry Crandall, and this is the Professor who was with us on the schoolship Investigator when she went to the bottom of the sea, following an explosion."
"The Investigator that was to have sailed from New York in September"—and he looked around, "September, last year?" he asked inquiringly.
"Yes," answered the Professor; "and this is George Mayfield, and here are Ralph Wharton and Tom Chambers. Do you remember we rescued them on the trip?"
He looked to the floor for a moment, and then slowly said: "I recall that also, but I do not remember how we got away from the savages."
At that moment his eyes fell on Chief, who had witnessed this remarkable scene, and he started up and leaned forward, and spoke to the Chief in his own language. This effect on the savage was electrical, who rushed up to the couch and clutched John's hand. Then turning to the others, John continued: "Uraso knows me, but I doubt whether he recognized me in this bearded appearance, because when our acquaintance began my face was smoothly shaven, and I had an entirely different attire from what I acquired later on."
"We are all intensely interested in knowing your history, and how you came here; but first tell us what you knew about the Investigator. You seemed to know about the sailing date."
"I was booked to sail in her as one of the instructors, but a serious illness, contracted in Africa, from the previous visit there, prevented me from accepting the berth, and she sailed without me."
"Isn't that a singular coincidence," exclaimed Ralph. "My uncle told me that one of his tutors at college, by the name of Varney, would be on the ship, and that is one of the reasons he so strongly urged me to sign for the trip."
"Your name—what was his name?"