The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 17

"Ask him if he knows who makes the rain and the suns.h.i.+ne, and the clouds."

"He says that the questions are surprising to him."

"Has he never thought of those things?"

"No; all he knows is that he lives and that he is a Chief and is the one who must govern the people."

"Does he know why he is the Chief?"

"Yes; because he is stronger than any one else."

"That would certainly make him a Chief," remarked Harry. "I never saw such a big man."

"Do they have any big holes in the ground!"

When the question was asked he waited a moment, and then slowly shook his head.

"They have nothing of that kind to his knowledge."

The countenances of Harry and George fell. John noticed it, and smiled at the disappointment.

"There are no caves around here," said George.

"Are there any mountains on the island?"

"There are high hills."

"Have they any neighbors, or different tribes?"

"Yes; to the north, (pointing in that direction) are some bad people, but they belong to him."

"Why do they not live near to the village!"

"Because they would make the people bad."

"What did they do that was so bad?"

"They stole and lied."

"From whom did they steal?"

"From the Chief."

"Did they steal from each other?"

"No; they could not steal from each other."

At this remark the boys laughed. John began to be interested now in his questionings.

"Do you mean it is not wrong to steal from each other, but only from the Chief?"

He nodded an a.s.sent. This was a curious bit of reasoning. It needed some explanation. John continued:

"Why is it wrong to steal from the Chief and not from each other?"

At this question the Chief did not answer as promptly as usual. He weighed the question in his mind. He smiled as though to say: How can it be wrong for people to take things from each other? They do not own anything. No one but the Chief owns things.

His answer, when finally given, was not at all clear, at least so the boys thought.

"The Chief in his wisdom gives to all alike; and when he gives it the property still belongs to him and not the people; but if they take it from the Chief then they are robbers."

"Ask him," said John, "whether, if when he gives anything to one of his people, and it still belongs to him, after he gives it, why it is not stealing from him, if some one takes it away from the one he gave it to?"

The Chief was not at all taken aback at this question. Pointing to the sun, he said:

"That is a great Chief. He gives seed to the people, and they plant it.

But the great Chief does not forget it. The seed comes up to see its father. It still belongs to him. When he gives that seed to the people it is for their use. Every one has a right to take it and use it, and it is no crime. But if he takes it away from the Chief, he destroys what belongs to him, and he then does a wrong which must be punished."

"This may not be very clear to you," said John, "but it means that whoever takes it away and destroys it wilfully, is guilty of a crime.

Whatever the Great Chief gives willingly, like the fruits of the earth, is intended for all alike, and men should not be called criminals for taking what they need, if they do not wilfully destroy it."

"That is a wonderful idea, when I come to think of it," remarked George.

"And to think that a savage could work that out in his mind."

"But there is one thing that looks a little queer to me. He said he did not know or believe in a Great Spirit, and yet he talks of the sun as a Great Spirit," remarked Harry.

"I will put the question to him," said John. "You said that you did not believe in a Great Spirit, but now you speak about the sun as a Great Chief. Do you not believe in him?"

"No; I only know that he is there; I do not believe in him any more than in the carago (moon)."

A great noise was heard outside; the Chief looked up, as an attendant entered. He spoke to Uraso, and the latter turned to John and said:

"Our s.h.i.+p is coming."

This announcement broke up the interview. It was exciting and interesting from first to last, and when they emerged from the dwelling the host and visitors were friends that the future never could sever. It gave a new inspiration to the boys, and it showed them that even a low state of man was capable of expressing things that were worthy of consideration.

The entire village went to the seash.o.r.e. The inhabitants wondered at the great vessel, and were impressed at the manner in which it was handled.

"I am anxious to see the man who can row such a vessel," said the Chief.

"He is one of the men from our island," answered Muro.

This seemed to be an astonis.h.i.+ng thing to him. He had seen vessels before, but in the distance. At long intervals parts of s.h.i.+ps had come ash.o.r.e; but this was the first time that a vessel had ever landed, within his recollection.

As it drew near he marveled at its size. He could see the man at the bow-sprit who was constantly throwing something attached to a line overboard, and then drawing it in again.

He questioned the reason for such a strange action, and was told that the man was trying the depth of the water, so that they might not come too close to the sh.o.r.e, and strike the bottom. Then some of the sailors dropped something overboard, with a great splash, and a huge sail fell down like magic, and the s.h.i.+p still moved toward the sh.o.r.e and turned around.