The Wonder Island Boys: Conquest of the Savages Part 30

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 20. The Peculiar Illya Village._]

"By all means have it prepared during the day. Later on I may be able to give a pretty good guess what all this means." And the boys looked at each other significantly.

If the chiefs, or any of the lower order, knew anything about the origin of the town, they did not make it apparent.

"Do you notice one singular thing about this town and the people in it?"

asked John.

Neither of the boys could guess.

"Where are the medicine men, and those who perform the sacred rites at their festivals?"

The boys again looked at each other for an answer. George replied: "I think they are at the caves of which the charts give some indication,"

finally exclaimed Harry.

"That is the case, undoubtedly. That is where we shall have the difficulty. The chiefs will not disclose their hiding places. Before going on the search we must question the chief."

In the early morning John and the boys called on the chief in company with Uraso. A complete change had come over him. Two days before he was sullen and moody, after the first lesson had been given him. Now he was different and agreeable.

"Before we start for the village of the Great White Chief there are some questions I would ask you. How many medicine men have you?"

"Ten."

"Where are they?"

"In their dark homes."

"Where are those homes?"

"To the east. Sama will take you to them, but you cannot go in."

"Why not?"

"Because you will be destroyed."

"How do you know?"

"Because they have told us so."

"Do you believe them?"

"Yes."

"Do you sacrifice your captives because they tell you the Great Spirit demands it?"

"Yes."

"Then I must tell you that they lie to you. The Great Spirit does not tell them to sacrifice. It is not death to enter their homes."

"But we know that no one has ever come from them alive."

"Does the Great Spirit kill them when they go in?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to know whether they tell the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then I will go in, and show you that the Great Spirit will not harm me."

"How shall I know that you go in?"

"You must go with me and stand at the opening."

The chief's eyes now wandered about. He was visibly affected at this bold declaration, and John saw hesitation in his demeanor.

Without giving him time to waver, he continued: "The great Chief Oroto must not show his people that he is afraid. He must show them that he is greater and wiser than the medicine men, and that the wise men who have told him those tales have not told the truth."

Turning to Uraso he said: "Prepare the wagon, and we will start at once." The chief and two of the sub-chiefs were taken out and placed in the wagon. Harry, George, Uraso and Muro, with a picked company of twenty-five men, were selected to accompany them.

The wagon was a curiosity to Oroto. He enjoyed the ride immensely and admired the manner in which Harry handled and guided the yaks.

Their course was directed due east for a mile, and then moved along a well-beaten path diagonally up the hill in a southern direction. After proceeding thus for a half mile farther the ground, became rough and cut up by innumerable gullies.

"How much farther must we go?"

"To the place where the great trees are." And he pointed to a group of trees less than five hundred feet beyond. Progress with the team was impossible, and all alighted. Leaving three of the warriors with the team, the others ascended the slight elevation, and before them was the mouth of the cavern.

The opening was not more than eight feet in height, and not over six feet wide, with irregular sides. Arriving in front of it, John advanced to Oroto, and said: "I am about to show you that the Great Spirit will not injure me!" And saying so boldly marched in.

He remained for a full half hour, and the chief became uneasy. The boys, as well as Uraso and Muro, affected not to be disturbed. What John did was this: It was evident to him that the occupants of the cave had no knowledge of the approach of the party.

They knew that the White Chief and the allies had captured the village and the chiefs. They felt a certain sense of security in their home, because in all the tribal warfares the medicine men and the wise men of the tribes were regarded with fear and reverence.

When John entered the cave, he went in a sufficient distance to be surrounded by total darkness. He remained concealed long enough so that he could become accustomed to the darkness, and slowly moved toward the interior, as he felt a.s.sured the occupants' presence would sooner or later be revealed by their lights.

In this he was not mistaken, and he was surprised to find them much nearer the entrance than he antic.i.p.ated. It would be more impressive to remain for some time than to emerge at once, so he sat down to observe the wise men.

There was the most oppressive silence when he first observed the light, but as he neared them, a more or less animated conversation took place.

Much of this was understood by John, as his knowledge of two of the dialects gave him some key to the words uttered. From this it was evident that they knew of the rescue of the captives.

The chief had told them of ten belonging to the order. John could count only eight. Possibly two were in some other part of the cavern, and he moved along at the opposite side of the large chamber to discover what was beyond.

Brus.h.i.+ng along the wall, a hanging stalact.i.te was dislodged, and it fell. The noise did not give even a momentary start to the company. John was surprised. He stopped and reflected, and the reason soon became plain. They supposed that it was caused by the absent ones returning.

But John waited and the two did not return, and they began to glance about. At this time he was on the opposite side of the chamber, so that the medicine men were between him and the mouth of the cave.

A half dozen of them had arisen, and John stepped forward with his gun in position. In a stentorian voice John shouted: