The Wonder Island Boys: Conquest of the Savages Part 17

"Well, what shall it be?" asked Tom.

"Call it America," shouted Will.

"Oh, that's too big a name," roared Ralph, with a scornful touch in his voice. "Just imagine how this would sound: 'William Rudel, Esq., America, Wonder Island?' What would the postmaster think of such an address?"

It did look a little out of proportion, as the boys laughed at the sally.

"Let's call it Independence; everybody seems to be pretty independent here," was Tom's suggestion.

"I have the best name in the lot."

"What is it?"

"Industria."

"There you are again with your Latin," answered Harry. "This is going to a real American town. None of your Latin endings, or any other dead language. This is a live town."

"Here is John; let's get a suggestion from him."

He heard the merry laughter, and as he approached wonderingly inquired about the cause of the hilarity. George said: "We have been holding a convention to find a name for the town. We have decided to leave it to you."

"Name of the town? Let me see. I suppose you want a stunning name?

Something that will make people sit up and take notice. Eh? Well, if it turns out all right it doesn't need a name, and if it is a failure everybody will be calling it names."

The boys laughed at this first attempt that John had ever essayed to treat a subject in a jesting way, but he continued: "If this convention hasn't enough wit about it to select a name I don't think you ought to get an outsider to make a suggestion. But seriously, Unity would be a good name; and so Hustletown."

"Unity is just the thing," suggested George. There was not a dissenting voice.

"Now that we have the name, I suppose we shall have to christen it to make it hold," remarked George.

"Considering the trials and tribulations we have gone through to put this town on the map it doesn't need any christening. If we work as hard to make it a success as we did to get it started we needn't be ashamed of it," said Harry.

"Probably, the same principle will apply in this case as the sentence uttered by the Hindoo priests at the christening of an infant."

"What is that?"

"Thou hast come into the world with all around thee smiling; so live that when thou departest thou mayest smile while all around thee weep."

"That is a beautiful sentiment. Hurrah for Unity!" and George raised his hat to start the shouting.

As the expedition against the Illyas was about ready to start, the time for the departure was set for the following day. Two of the wagons were brought into requisition, and loaded with sufficient provisions to prevent the necessity of foraging too much.

George and Harry begged to be taken along, as they had put in some strenuous times during the two months at Unity, and this was readily granted. The other boys were to remain and take charge of the active work. John had command of the expedition, and Blakely had now too much work at the new town to enable him to take part.

Over three hundred warriors were mustered for the expedition. One hundred of the picked men had the muzzle-loading guns, and an ample supply of ammunition was stored in the wagons, and each gun bearer had twenty-five rounds.

The Professor said, on the eve of their departure: "I have every confidence in the ability of Mr. Varney to make it unnecessary to give him any advice, but I must say a word to all the warriors. You are going to the tribes, not for the purpose of revenge. We know they have captives in their possession, and we have demanded their return. They sent us an insulting message.

"Notwithstanding this, we must consider that they have sent us this reply out of ignorance of our true purpose. Each man must conduct himself as the chiefs dictate. There must be no killing except in self-defense."

Muro and Uraso, as well as Ralsea, were to accompany them, but the other chiefs were kept at home, this arrangement having been made because the others really preferred to continue the work in the factory and field.

It was a glorious day to begin the campaign. George and Harry were in their element.

"What a wonderful thing it is to look at these people now, and recall what our situation was a year ago," said Harry, as they drove down the road which had been made from the village to the east.

"Yes; a year ago, we were having some troubles, as it was about that time we got the first intelligence that these people were on the island," answered George.

"I had particular reference to the trip we made by sea, when we were wrecked the second time."

The entire column marched out past the Professor and the chiefs Oma, Suros, Marmo and Tastoa. The six tribes had contributed to the expedition, which they hoped would end all future wars, and put the island in a condition of peace, and thus enable them to carry out the great work planned by the Professor.

Before evening of the second day the main Saboro village came in sight.

Muro was in a heaven of delight. Many of his warriors were in the column, and some still remained at Unity. But the women and children were still there, and they rushed out to meet the advancing column.

The news of the uprising of the Illyas was confirmed. A large party of them were less than a day's march to the east, and the appearance of the fighting force was a welcome one. There was no reason to apprehend that they had any knowledge of the surrender of the Tuolos.

The night and part of the day spent at the Saboro village was a period of feasting. Uraso met his sister, the wife of Muro, and the boys were lionized by the chief's family, who took particular pleasure in entertaining them. They had heard so much about the remarkable boys, and their capacity to make the beautiful things.

Harry and George brought with them a number of the mirrors, and those, with other little trinkets, were presented to the women. The boys were particularly impressed with Muro's eldest son, a boy of their same age, and George won Muro's heart when he asked if he could not accompany them.

Speaking to Harry he said: "Wouldn't Lolo enjoy the work at the factory?

I hope he will let us take him with us when we go back."

"I am going to ask Muro," replied Harry, and he sought him out at once.

"We want Lolo to go back with us to Unity."

Muro was delighted at the proposal, and he answered: "Yes; Lolo shall go back with us, because all of my family are going with us and we shall live there."

This news was a source of the greatest pleasure, you may be sure, and it was most gratifying to Muro, because he admired the boys.

"Lolo will like to work in the shop with you. He can now make the best bows in the tribe, and he makes fine arrows." And Lolo exhibited some of his handiwork, which, from the standpoint of the native weapons, was really creditable.

Returning now to Unity, we shall have to relate some very singular thing's which should be mentioned, as it shows the peculiar beliefs and practices of the natives.

On the day the force left the village occurred the first death in Unity.

This was one of the warriors, who had been wounded during the last fight with the Tuolos and Illyas, and he had lingered along until he finally succ.u.mbed. He was one of the best men, and was mourned by the Osagas, of which he was a member.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 13. Ready for the Happy Hunting Grounds._]

Singularly, another of the same tribe died the following morning, who was the exact opposite of the warrior. Within six hours of the death of the latter his friends carried him away, and he was buried. The warrior, however, was not buried, but, instead, his body was carried to an open place, fully a half mile beyond the town, and placed on a hanging cot suspended from two trees.

The boys witnessed the ceremonies, and could not understand the meaning of it.

"Why do they bury one so soon after death, and keep the other for several days, and then suspend his body in the air?" asked Tom.

The Professor, who attended both ceremonies, responded: "This action on their part has a great significance. In most savage countries there is no more n.o.ble thing than to die on the battlefield. Usually those who die in that way are not accorded a burial, generally, because, in case such a warrior belongs to a defeated party, his friends do not have the opportunity to inter the body.

"Sir Samuel Baker, in his book, 'The Explorations on the White Nile,'