Orders had gone out to prepare to receive the visitors in true Hutoton style, but, in truth, the people did not need any urging. The remembrance of the last visit, when the gifts were so judiciously distributed, was sufficient to assure a generous welcome.

It was out of the question to leave that night, and John felt it to be a duty to cultivate their acquaintance, and confer with the chief magistrate about starting the people at work gathering the native products.

John announced that within a month it was proposed to establish regular sailings between that port and Wonder Island, which would enable them to get supplies and ship their products each week. This intelligence was then imparted to the people, who received it with the greatest enthusiasm.

"One of the objects of the present visit is to take you with us to Wonder Island," said John, addressing the leader, "so that you may learn what we are doing, and come back prepared to instruct your people."

When this information was conveyed to him, he cast down his eyes, and said sorrowfully: "But I am a convict, like the others, and I have been conp. 176demned to stay here. If I leave this place I disobey the law of the Chief."

John smiled as he replied: "I have provided for all that. You will meet your Chief Beralsea in Unity, the Capital of Wonder Island. Hutoton is no longer the terrible place that the Chief pictured to us. He told me that your assistance was necessary to him and to the people in the colony."

This information was received in gratitude, and his consent was thus readily obtained.

After a night of feasting, preparations were made for the departure. Retlaw was brought to the place where the paralyzed man was discovered, and the leader Caramo accompanied them.

The moment Caramo saw him he turned to John and said: "I have seen that face before. I am sure he accompanied another man when on one occasion a boat load came ashore a long way to the south of us."

"How long ago was that?"

"Not more than three suns ago."

It must be understood that three suns meant with these people, three years by our reckoning. When Retlaw was examined he denied that he had ever been on the island before, and, of course, there was no way to discredit his statements. After all, Caramo might be mistaken in identifying him, as they were some distance apart at the time the island was supposed to have been visited by Retlaw.

At noon of the following day the Pioneer weighed anchor, and set sail for the southern port of the northern island, there to visit Chief Ta Babeda, of the Malolos.

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While they were skimming the shore south of the village, George said: "There is one thing we have neglected. We have had so much to do lately that we haven't found time for it, but there is an opportunity now."

"What is that?" asked Harry.

"We have no name for the island to which we are now going. We might consult Ephraim. It would be hardly fair to impose any sort of name on his country," suggested George, with a good humored laugh.

Ephraim was delighted at the idea. "We must have a name, assuredly, but it never occurred to me before. The natives called it Rescudada; at any rate that is as near as I can recall the pronunciation of the word."

"Why, that is almost like Rescue."

"Why wouldn't that be a good name?" asked Ephraim. "There has been considerable rescue work here, and it is going on all the time."

"That's the name for it!" exclaimed Harry, enthusiastically.

"Suppose we notify General John and Skipper Stut that the Geographical Society has just named the island 'Rescue'?"

This important function was attended to and a note made in the log that the island discovered in south latitude 41° 37' 10", and west longitude 138° 2' 56", by the steamship Pioneer, was formally named Rescue.

Long before the village was reached the great fog horn of the Pioneer commenced to give the signal. The villagers knew what it meant, and the old Chiefp. 178 himself was at the landing place to welcome the visitors.

The boats were manned by the sailors, and the boys, together with John, Ephraim, and Caramo, were in the first boat. When Ta Babeda gazed at Ephraim, he was astounded. John had not informed him of the name of his visitor, but he continued to gaze at him in amazement.

It was evident that the old Chief was impressed with his appearance, so unlike anything he had ever before known in the form of a human being. When they arrived at the Chief's house, John awaited the proper time before making the introductions, and finally said:

"It gives me pleasure to introduce to you, the greatest enemy you have. This is Rumisses, the Cannibal Chief of the Umbolos."

The Chief was startled beyond measure. True, he knew that John and his party had come into contact with his arch enemy, but this was certainly a thrilling way to bring them together.

Ephraim walked forward and seized the Chief by the hand, and then pressed his nose against him. This was, of course, symbolic of friendship.

The Chief unhesitatingly accepted the token, but he could not remove his eyes. Here was the man, so unlike all others, and the impression of superiority, undoubtedly, was also in his mind, but Ephraim quickly relieved him of his reflections, as he said:

"Because I am so unlike you, is not due to any particular knowledge, or favor from the Great Spirit. I am a white man, like the Great Chief here, and wasp. 179 unfortunate to be cast among the natives in the north, and I have tried for many years to prevent the practicing of the sacrifices, and have succeeded."

"But we were told that all the people you captured from us were sacrificed."

"It is not true. They are all living with us in perfect happiness and contentment."

"Then why is it that we have been so much deceived?"

"Because the Korinos have not told you the truth. They did this because they knew no better."

"Yes; the White Chief has told us that they have deceived us, and I believe him. But I learn that my Korinos have gone to you for protection!"

"Yes; and I have shielded them, and they are now on board of the vessel in the harbor."

This information brought back all the native resentment of the old Chief. "Then he has brought them back to me!" he exclaimed in great earnestness.

"I believe he intends to do so, but it will not be until they go to Wonder Island, that marvelous place."

"Then I am content."

John heard the conversation, and soon turned it into another direction, when he informed the Chief that the Chief of Venture Island as well as the leader of the criminal colony, were to accompany them to Wonder Island, and that the company would be incomplete without him and his family.

He looked at his visitors for some time, doubting in his mind the propriety of such a course, but the entreaties of Ephraim, and the urging of Muro and Uraso, were sufficient to decide the question, andp. 180 the only matter that now weighed on his mind was to determine who should accompany him in this wonderful voyage.

Ta Babeda had never summoned up sufficient courage, while the ship was formerly in port, to board the vessel. His examination of the Pioneer was made from the shore. Now he would step into a new world.

He little knew what wonders would be exhibited to him. The ship's band was the greatest thing he had ever known, and he never tired of its music. But when he saw the curious piano, the music box that acted as though it had life, and the other evidences of civilized arts, that were found in the cabin, he was content to make the best of it.

Like all natives, as we have already stated, he was immoderately fond of eating, and the kitchen arrangements, where food was cooked without any fuel, interested him beyond everything else. He would sit at the entrance of the kitchen for minutes at a time.

The push buttons, the snap switches for the electric lights and for the cooking apparatus, were some things which he could not understand. The little innocent wires meant nothing to him, nor could the boys, or even John, explain the phenomenon to him so he could understand it.

The boys puzzled over this, as he was insistent upon an explanation. What finally happened, the very thing the boys tried to avoid in every way, came when he touched the two wires, and formed a short circuit through his hand.

He emitted one yell, and bounded out through thep. 181 door, and it was some time before he could be induced to make further investigations. His expressions were very humorous, particularly when he insisted that the wires were mad, and didn't like him, and that they tried to pull his arms out of his shoulders.

Harry then took two of the wires and brought them together, and then pulled them apart. Each time this was done, a spark would flash. The object was to show that two wires were necessary to produce a circuit or a current.

Eventually an inspiration seemed to strike him, as he exclaimed: "They are married! Yes, I see!"

The boys laughed as they told John of the circumstance, and how utterly impossible it was to produce a current until a circuit was established.

John threw himself back and roared at the recital of the story, as told by the boys. "I think his description is a pretty good one. Perhaps he was thinking of the family circle?" and John continued to laugh as the boys tried to grasp the full meaning of his little joke.

But Ta Babeda was an apt pupil. He was far more acute than Beralsea, and there scarcely was an hour but he had one of the boys at his side trying to fathom some of the mysteries in the new world. This was in the nature of a picnic for the boys, who enjoyed his curious questions and his equally unexpected comments.

Ephraim, too, was generally present, as well as Camma, his eldest son, the latter evincing remarkable knowledge for one who had never known of the wizardry that resides in wood and stones and iron.

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To Ephraim this opportunity to open the wide world to his children must have been a heaven of delight, and he reveled in every hour and even regretted that nature demanded sleep. It seemed to be better awake and seeing and feeling. Two weeks prior to this he had merely existed; now he was a man again, and living.

It was, indeed, a merry party on board of the noble ship. When the Chief, and those about him were told that the vessel was the creation of George and Harry, it was another occasion to marvel over.

"Your boys can do the same thing, and make other things just as wonderful," said John, as they were commending and petting the boys.

"Do you think so!" asked Ta Babeda, in great earnestness, and for the first time showing any curiosity or indicating any desire to give his children any advantages.

John saw that the leaven was working, as he replied: "That is why I have been so anxious to have you and your children visit our city. Your wife and daughters will find as many surprising things to interest them as the boys will discover."

The run from Rescue to Wonder Island, would occupy, ordinarily, about ten hours, of a complete day, and for that reason the start was made early in the morning. Unity was about eight miles from the sea, on a large stream, and it was desirable to make the run through the river by daylight.

But shortly before noon a wind sprang up from the west, and it increased in intensity, so that shortly after the noon hour they were compelled to make ap. 183 long tack to the south. This meant a night on board ship, and a stormy one at that.

The wide, wide sea, without the sign of any land in sight was, indeed, a fascinating thing to the natives, and how they admired the native sailors with whom they readily fraternized. They watched every movement, the taking down of the sails, the changing of the angles of the great sheets, as they turned in their course, the handling of the tiller, and all the paraphernalia of sailing, for the Pioneer depended principally on her sailing capacity, and not on the small engine with which she was equipped.

The boys explained to Camma, that upon their return to the island a much larger engine would be installed, so that they need not depend upon the sails thereafter, but would be able then to sail directly through the wind, instead of being blown back and forth, as was now the case.

The wind did not abate until the morning was breaking, and then there was a welcome change in the direction that the storm was taking. Many of the natives were ill, and John had the satisfaction of administering the new and lately-discovered remedy, namely, Atropine.

Shortly after ten o'clock the eastern end of Wonder Island was sighted. The great mountain range was visible, and the identical headland, where the skull with the inscription was found, could be discerned through the mild haze.

There was immense curiosity on board the ship as it skirted along the shore. The Tuolo landing place was sighted, but they continued past it. Two hours afterward they could plainly see the dock which hadp. 184 been built for the use of Uraso's people, and an hour later Muro was just as much interested to point out to Ephraim and Ta Babeda the landing station of his tribe.

Immediately after luncheon, George, who was always on the alert, ran through the vessel, with his field glass in hand, and announced that the Wonder, the large steamship, which made trips to Chili, was coming up in the distance, and heading, as they were, for the mouth of Enterprise River, which flowed past the city.

All were intensely excited at the announcement, and rushed forward to get a glimpse of the great ship. As she came up the streamers began to fly from every spar and mast, and Harry ran up to Stut, and asked why the Pioneer did not have them out.

"But they are ready and will be flown as soon as we get nearer." As he said this the first ones were unfurled. Then the Wonder blew three long blasts which the Pioneer answered.

"They are going to let us go in first," said John. Such was, indeed, the case, for the Wonder slowed down, and the Pioneer entered the mouth of the river, for the last eight miles of the eventful cruise.

Two miles from the town both vessels began to blow signals with the fog horns, and long before the wharf was reached the people began to flock from all sides.

One little incident pleased the boys beyond all measure. On the bridge, and furiously waving his arms, and swinging an American flag was Sutoto, with his bride by his side.

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"So Sutoto has been on a wedding trip to Chili?" remarked Harry.

Such was the case, as they afterwards learned. Both boys were busy explaining the sights and the locations of the different buildings to Beralsea and Ephraim, and the latter was much affected as he saw the flag floating from the tall staff in the principal square of the city.

Beralsea had seen Sutoto wave the flag from the bridge of the Wonder, and when he saw the same sort of emblem on the staff, he inquired of Ephraim the meaning of the curious thing. It was then explained to him that it was the magic combination of colors which their great tribe believed in, and which was always raised above them wherever they were, as a symbol that they were protected by it.

"But how can that protect the people? Is there something in it like the unseen lightning, which we have on the ship?"

"Unseen lightning, is a pretty good name, coming from a savage," remarked Harry in an undertone.

"No; not in that way," answered Ephraim, "but whenever people see it, wherever they may be, they know that the tribe is great enough to give protection to any one who may try to injure any member of our tribe."

"The White Chief has told me that there are many islands and countries, and that the world is round, and is peopled by many different tribes. Do the people everywhere know that 'flag,' as you call it?"

"Yes; in every part of the world."

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"Who are those two men standing there alone?" asked Ta Babeda.

"I do not know," responded Ephraim. "This is the first time I have been here. The boys will know."

"That," answered George, "is the Professor,—that is, the man with a white beard and hair. The large man by his side is Beralsea, the Chief of the tribe on Venture Island."

Ephraim looked at Ta Babeda for a moment, with an amused smile, and then remarked: "He is almost as large as you are."

The Wonder was the first to get her cables to the dock, and as she swung against the wharf, and the gang plank was fixed in place, the first ones to spring ashore were Sutoto and Cinda, the latter of whom rushed to her father's outstretched arms, and then to her mother and the other members of the family.

The boys did not know how or where to extend the first greetings. There was Sutoto and Lolo, and the dear old Professor, who considerately kept in the background, but the boys insisted on giving him the first greeting.

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