Angel was in his glory again. He romped about careless and free. Enemies did not seem to trouble him. George almost hugged him, as he spoke of the hint which he had so opportunely given in climbing the tree.
The Professor smiled at the remembrance, as he said: “That might be called the ‘tree of life’ in our case. It has been said that trees and wood saved the world twice.”
“How?” asked several of the boys in concert.
“John Evelyn said, ‘Trees and woods have twice saved the world, first by the Ark, then by the cross; making full amends for the evil fruit of the tree in Paradise, by that which was borne on the tree at Golgotha’”
The appointments of the house curiously interested the savages, and they were the more astonished when the evening meal was set before them. Shortly after the meal the cocoanut-oil lamps were brought out by George, but their use was forbidden, as it would not be prudent to illuminate the place.
When the savage saw the oil he was interested at once, and John, who was ever on the alert to notice any of his actions, quietly requested George to give him some of it.
To the surprise of all, the savage put it on his face, and rubbed it in with considerable satisfaction. The boys looked at John inquiringly. “Does that surprise you?” he asked. “Do you know that savage is doing just what they were accustomed to do in Biblical times?”
“Do you mean,” asked Ralph, “that he was anointing himself?”
“Not exactly that, but he was doing what started the custom of covering the body with oil?”
“What was it done for originally?”