The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Part 3

"BLAKELY."

"That is satisfactory. Blakely is the right man for his job," remarked John.

"Now, let us see what the sc.r.a.p has to say," said the Professor.

John held the sc.r.a.p up to the light, and all peered at it. "I think there are cross lines on it, although I am not quite sure," he said, as he again held it up so the light could flash through it.

"What difference would that make whether it had or it hadn't cross lines?" asked Harry.

"Simply this: I wanted to satisfy myself whether or not it was taken from a s.h.i.+p's pad, which is generally ruled both ways."

"What is the object of having paper ruled both ways?"

"It is a convenient way of making calculations where measurements are necessary, as is the case in figuring out and placing the different celestial marks which guide the sailors. I think this is a marine pad.

Now, let us see what it contains, before we go further."

"See the name signed at the bottom," cried out George. "W-a-l-t. That must be a 't'. But the rest is blurred."

"I wonder if that isn't Walter?" said Harry.

"Who is Walter?" asked John.

"Walter? Why he is the man who signed the note we found on the _Investigator's_ life boat No. 3 and from whom we have never heard."

"I remember now," said John, reflectively. "He mentioned Wright who was one of my companions. But I did not know Walter,--but what is this?" All craned forward now. "Here is a line; it looks like a large V, pointing to the south;--that is if the upper part of the paper is the north."

"There is some sort of tracing on it," said George.

"Your eyesight is good, George, see if you can see any figures on the sheet that will explain the V, and the reason for the name below."

"There is the slightest sign of a figure, or a word just below the point of the V. It looks like '30'. This seems to be an arrow, which points to the right diagonally."

"Now you boys have something to occupy your minds. Yon have been interested in the Walter note for a year; now is the time to do some investigating."

"I have an idea," said Harry, jumping up. "Where can we find the original Walter's note? We can compare the signature, and that will tell whether it is Walter or not."

The Professor smiled as he noticed the eagerness of the boys. They rushed out of the room and went over to the shop to reclaim the note that had given them so much concern fourteen months before.

When they had gone John said: "I presume you have already guessed what the note contains?"

"Unquestionably it has reference to the location of the main ledge of copper or other ore which is measured from some point in that vicinity, and which may be determined later on by noting the place where the missive was found, or from some natural landmark."

"That is my view, but I felt it would be better for the boys to dig it out for themselves," replied John.

The wonderful nature of the instruction which the boys had obtained during their stay on the island, was characterized by this little incident. Everything learned by one's own exertions is not only more valuable because of that fact, but the facts thus gleaned will leave a stronger impress upon the mind.

The boys thus learned by doing things themselves, that they became strong and self reliant, and it made them happy to think that they were able to pick up the threads, however tangled, and weave them into a harmonious whole. It is the secret of doing things well.

CHAPTER III

THE ARROW ON THE SHEET

When the boys reached their rooms they set to work to decipher the colored paper. It was about four by six inches in size, and had been folded twice, as the creases plainly showed. a.s.suring themselves that it was paper which had been crossruled, as suggested by John, they tried to decipher the straggling letters and form them into some coherent form.

The paper had the following appearance when they received it:

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 1. The Mysterious Message._]

The words, or parts of words "dire," in the first line, and "30 gues" in the second line, together with the letters "Walt" are the only absolutely clear things to be noticed.

"The writing is right across the V-shaped marks, and the arrow is plain enough. It may be though, that the arrow has nothing to do with the V-shaped mark." And George held the paper away from his eyes to get the proper effect at a distance.

"I wonder how close the mountain is to the sea?" ventured Harry.

"I don't see what difference that would make," replied George. "That _30_ must mean some measurement. It is either feet, or miles, or yards, or,--"

"Why can't you see that 'gues' is a part of the word 'leagues.'"

Harry jumped up as though shot. "Well, that was stupid of us, sure enough."

"With that key before us, we can make some headway. I believe the V-shape is the lower end of the mountain, probably a headland, and the arrow points to a place 30 leagues to the,--see here, in the last line is a W. and there is a blur before it and after it. That may be SWE, EWS, SWW, SWS, and,--"

"Don't go so fast," shrieked Harry. "What do you suppose the capital I stands for at the beginning of the third line?"

"I--I--, why,--_Island_, of course," said George, with an air of superiority. "But it cannot be west."

"Well, the arrow points southeast."

"How do you know?" asked George, dubiously.

"Why, that word at the extreme top must be 'north,' and if so then the arrow is pointing south, and the 'W' belongs to something in that direction."

"There, in the second line is a word that looks like 'land.' Can it be a part of the word 'Island'?"

"It doesn't seem so, as there is too much s.p.a.ce before the letters. It seems to me though, that it reads 'land 30 leagues' but what does 'se'

mean?"

The boys were up late that night, and they went to bed with the missive still unsolved. Before retiring Harry said: "Let us wait until daylight.

The sun may help us out."

When they awoke the first thing that occurred to George was the original Walter letter, so that the writing could be compared. It was found, and George came in with an exultant bound.

"I am sure now that it was Walter. Here it is." The original letter was as follows: