The Wonder Island boys

by Roger T. Finlay

Continually during this trying watch the white man could be seen moving about uneasily. His head would be raised occasionally, as though listening; but the three prisoners were bound together by the feet, so that they were lying, as it were, in a circle. The four guards, two of which were John and Stut, sat around, all of them nodding.

The moon, which had been out since midnight, made the motions of the actors plain enough for them to distinguish many things, but it was impossible from the position of the boys to learn all that did occur.

When the time for changing the guard took place, Stut was awake or placed himself in such a position that he was elected. He knew that being awake would be the signal for his selection, John, who was not more than ten feet away, also awake, was picked by Stut, and the two thus relieved retired at once.

Stut, knowing the language thoroughly, encouraged the two remaining guards to continue their naps, while John, who was next to Stut, and near the head of the white man, after everything had again quieted down, began to attract the attention of the captive.

He finally turned his face to John, and the latter held up a warning finger, which, for the moment stunned him, but this was understood, as John stealthily drew out a knife. The man was bound with his hands behind him, and was lying on his side.

After a few cautious movements he succeeded in drawing up the bound wrists close to the shoulders, thus bringing the cords near enough, so that John had an opportunity to sever them. This being done, there was quiet for a time. The man seized the knife which was pushed over, and without any waste of time, cut the cords which joined him to his captives.

The two who were with him saw the act, and the white man held his fingers to his lips. They understood, but were considerably surprised to see Stut in the same act of sending a warning. The man pushed over the knife with his foot, and one of them, after considerable wriggling, secured it and instantly cut his companions’ cords.

It was now but the work of a moment to free the other, and the three unbound captives lay there, while Stut pointed to John, in order to indicate that the two were associated. Stut acted like a trump in this emergency. He was at home in the proceedings, and had probably assisted in work of this kind before.

John and Stut slowly rose, and signaled the captives to do so. To show how every feature of this business had been considered by John, it should be stated that instead of making an immediate rush for liberty, that event was delayed for an age, as the boys thought.

The Professor enlightened the boys on this point. “If your limbs are held in one position for any length of time, they ‘go to sleep,’ it is said. In other words, the positions of the limbs are usually such that the blood ceases to circulate, and it becomes congested, producing a sort of paralysis, and in that condition the muscles and the nerves are affected. If they had tried to escape the moment the cords were cut this temporary derangement might have prevented them from moving away rapidly.”