Chapter X: The Capture of the Professor

There is nothing more trying than to wait during the long watches of the night, knowing there is an enemy at your door, who awaits the morn before attacking. Light and darkness are wonderful things to contemplate. Every variety of subject was discussed, the moon and the stars, plants, trees and flowers, the habits of people, the seasons, and kindred topics, but the one absorbing topic that always had a leading place was the savage.

“There is one thing I must admire in them,” said Blakely, “and that is persistency.”

“That is one of the four cardinal principles in nature,” answered the Professor.

George was at the front at once. “What are the other three?”

“Resistance, reciprocity, and equalization.”

“That is something new to me, and I do not know whether I understand the meaning of it.”

“Well, in nature, everything persists in doing and in continuing to do just what it started out to do. For instance, a ball at rest will continue at rest forever, and if it is moving it will continue to move, unless in either case it is acted on by some external force.”

“Now every object in nature also has resistance. It objects to a change of form or direction.”

“I can understand that, but I do not see where the other two come in.”

“Well, nature is reciprocal in its tendencies. It gives and takes, so to say. If you heat water and set it aside, it will cool off in course of time. If the water should be placed in a receptacle that had air in it, the water would cool down, and the air would become warmer at the same time, and the heats would reciprocate--that is, become of the same temperature.”

Then, if you should heat up different subjects at the same time it would be found that some would require double the length of time to take up the same amount of heat. Suppose we take a pound of iron and a pound of aluminum. In the case of iron it would absorb, say 100 units of heat in ten minutes, whereas it would take fifteen minutes for the aluminum. If the heat is withdrawn it will be found that it takes the aluminum fifty per cent longer to give off its heat than the iron, and thus the process is equalized.”

When morning came the savages were seen in force to the northwest, and Muro’s prediction that the Brabos were on the trail was found to be correct.

This was the first time this tribe had ever faced the white men. As was afterwards learned, they had a knowledge of the existence of the “Fire Fiends,” as they were designated, but they now had to learn something first hand.

As soon as the sun had arisen sufficiently to distinguish objects well they moved up, keeping for the time at a safe distance, and Muro took delight in showing himself to his late captors. This caused a chorus of howls, at which Muro laughed.

At a signal they started forward, launching their arrows, when within shooting distance, and without stopping, poised their spears and rushed forward. At a signal seven shots rang out, and the leaders fell. Seven more guns were brought into position. The charge halted, and the Professor advised all to reload. Muro saw the wonderful execution, and danced about in glee, but he could not understand why the shooting was not continued. It was such an unheard-of proceeding.

Without stopping to gather the wounded, they retreated to a safe distance, and the party had an opportunity to count the number of the attacking party. All agreed that over a hundred were engaged, and it was evident that the Brabo village to the south had been called to assist.

They surrounded the wagon at a safe distance, and the siege was begun. This could have been done only on the theory that starvation would compel a sortie or surrender. They had no idea of the number within the fort, but they knew what the effect of the fire had been, and they respected that warning.

Muro was instructed to confer with them, and to say that they had no hostile intentions, and this was conveyed to them, but the only response was that the whites had commenced the hostilities by taking their prisoners from them; which was true.

There was no common ground on which they could enter into a treaty with them, and the question now was to fight their way out as best they could.

“We might remain here for the day and night, and if we find they persist in besieging us, must continue to the south, and fight them as we go.”

All agreed to the Professor’s proposal; and they settled themselves to the more comfortable pastime of waiting for the morning. A most careful watch was kept up all night, and on two occasions parties stole up in order to secure more advantageous positions, but the chief Muro and his friends were too much on the alert to give them any advantage.

The wounded savages were removed by their friends in the night, and as soon as breakfast was over the entire party ranged alongside the wagon and headed for the south. This direction, it will be understood, would bring them directly into the heart of the Kurabus’ territory.

If the two tribes were hostile toward each other this might be a factor in their favor, but if friendly it would certainly mean a bitter fight. Muro advised a southwesterly course, and this would, of course, avoid the necessity of fighting both tribes, but it might also lead them into another tribe just as hostile.

The direct route to Muro’s tribe was to the south, or rather to the southeast. It was a difficult problem to decide. They must force the issue, be it right or wrong.

“We must ascertain from Muro how long it will take Stut to reach the tribe,” suggested John.

“He says two days, and two days more to get the people in motion. Muro was pretty smart. He says he instructed them to attack the Kurabus on the south, and that would divert them from us, but the trouble is that he has hardly reached them yet, and before night we may be within the territory of the Kurabus.”

A southwesterly course was decided on, and the Brabos followed. Evidently they had no fear of the Kurabus, and the intervening time might have been employed by them in sending runners to inform them of the invasion. All these things had to be taken into consideration.

The camp that evening was made at a running brook, and in the open, as usual. The camp was again surrounded, and pickets were established to keep them at a safe distance. There was no indication of the appearance of the Kurabus, and this relieved the situation somewhat.

When morning came the besiegers were nowhere in sight, and this meant one of two things; either that they had given up the fight in sheer disgust, or that the Kurabus were at hand.

The country became more broken as they advanced, and the continual ascent indicated a ridge of some extent, and this might be the dividing line between the limitations of the tribes on the different sides, just as they had found the streams to effect this division, and this was also pointed out by John and Blakely.

The best trails were selected by John who was in the advance with Muro, and at noon stopped within a valley which had a curious rock formation that attracted the eye of the Professor. The old instinct, to discover minerals, was too strong for him to resist, and with a pick was soon prospecting along the rocky walls.

He was gone for an hour before his absence was particularly noted, and George was the first to direct attention to it. John and one of the Saboros started to the south in the direction taken by him, and returned in less than a half hour without any tidings.

It was certain he had gone to the south, and the wagon was set in motion, and hurried forward. All was excitement now. Both sides of the ridge were examined, and indications found where the rock had been chipped and samples set aside.

As John crossed one of the ridges, he saw in the distance a band of savages moving rapidly to the southeast, but too far distant to be able to distinguish the individuals containing it. When Muro came up, he gazed forward, and his sharp, piercing eyes were sufficient to confirm their fears.

The Professor had been captured!

This startling news was conveyed to the boys, and their grief was heartrending to witness. They moved about from place to place without knowing what to say or do. The tears came in spite of their efforts.

“What shall we do?” asked Harry through his tears.

“We must follow them,” answered John, “but the wagon cannot travel fast enough for that. Muro and one of the Saboros will accompany me, and Blakely, you remain with the boys, and follow as I direct.”

Then going to the highest point of the hill, he pointed to the south. “See the end of the forest in the distance, which may be five miles beyond. You will see the glimpse of the river there. To the east of that is an elevation, with trees very distinctly outlined. That will be your objective point. Make for that place as rapidly as possible, unless you get information from us to the contrary.”

“That is the forest where I made my home,” said Blakely. “I know every foot of this country, and all down beyond that point. Within ten miles of that place is a savage village, and my opinion is that they are the ones who have the Professor.”

“Muro has just informed me that the Osagas live in that neighborhood, or somewhat farther to the west, and beyond the river is another tribe called the Berees.”

The boys looked at John. “Weren’t you captured by them, and was not Chief from that tribe?”

“Yes, but my impression is that the Osagas are to the east of the place indicated.”

If the Osagas captured the Professor there was some hope, because they did not believe Chief would permit him to be ill-treated. They had still to account for one, if not two, tribes in the south of the island, and of whom they knew nothing, except the slightest rumors.

John selected six of the guns, and an ample supply of ammunition, and as the chief and his associates had been drilled in the use of the weapons since the last fight, it was felt that with the spears they carried they would be a match for a pretty good force.

Thus equipped they plunged forward in the direction of the disappearing band.

Let us follow the movements of the Professor. In his eagerness to collect samples, he went much farther than he intended, and left the wagon without taking anything in the shape of a weapon. When he had proceeded less than a half mile from the wagon, he was surrounded by a dozen warriors, whose headdress proclaimed them to be a tribe entirely different from any that they had formed the acquaintance of, and as he saw resistance was useless, quietly submitted, and tried by all his arts to induce them to accompany him.

But to all his efforts they turned a deaf ear, and without waiting hurried him across the ridge and along the southern incline. The pick was taken away from him, and his clothing examined, but to his surprise nothing was taken from his pockets, although he carried a small knife, and other trinkets that the boys had made.

The march was kept up for fully four hours directly to the south and then turned to the east, and shortly before night the village came into view. His arrival created great excitement; and all turned out to welcome the strange man.

Months before this the Professor, in the course of his experimental work, had made what is called synthetic food--that is, the same material substances as are used in any particular vegetable, are combined to have the same food qualities as the real article, and when put up in tablet form it requires but a small compass to give as much nutriment as a full meal.

It was fortunate that this and the other contents of his pockets were not removed at the time of the capture, because those tablets became a wonderful agent, as the subsequent story will show.

When he arrived his captors took him to the chief at once, and he treated the head of the tribe with the greatest deference. The house of the chief was the most pretentious in the village, as there were three rooms to be seen, and passing by the open passageway at one side he saw a child, probably ten years of age, lying on a couch.

Evidently it was suffering, as its wan and drawn face indicated. After making his deference to the chief, he turned to the little sufferer, and the women shrieked and threw themselves in his way. He turned to the chief, and pointed to the child, and moved in that direction.

The chief gave an order, and the women stepped aside. The Professor knelt down and took the child’s hand and felt its brow, while the chief looked on in astonishment. Turning to the chief he motioned for water, and indicated this by making the motion of pouring water from glass to glass.

It was instantly understood, and when the water came, in a small gourd, he asked for another, or smaller vessel. Then reaching in his pockets he drew forth one of the small vials which the boys had made, and poured a small portion into the small gourd, and forced some of it past the lips of the little sufferer.

_Stationary_

_Fig. 10. Shell Vessels._]

All this was done in silence, and they looked on him with awe. His white hair and long snowy beard, the kindliness of his face, and his brave demeanor seemed to impress them in a wonderful way.

At an order from the chief the warriors and attendants disappeared, and he was left by the side of the couch, holding the sufferer’s hand.

In less than a half hour the attendants brought a bountiful supply of food, but he waived them aside, and remained there undisturbed for fully two hours, during which time he had administered three doses of the medicine.

The chief came in, and, taking him by the hand, led him away, and did all in his power to express his thanks for the service. One of the three rooms was assigned to him, and during the night he went to the patient many times, and to his gratification by morning the fever was broken, and the child began to perspire freely.

When the chief came in and saw the condition of the little girl his gratification was beyond all bounds. The Professor witnessed, for the first time, how savage affection for their own can be just as intense as among civilized tribes.

The chief led him outside and pointed to the north, indicating that he was ready to take him back to his friends; but the Professor shook his head, and pointed to the child. This amazed the chief, and he could hardly believe in the refusal of his captive to leave.

During the afternoon he was surprised to notice the arrival of a large number of warriors, who had, evidently, returned from some skirmish, as they carried several wounded, and also three prisoners, who were incarcerated in a hut near the center of the village.

No restraint whatever was placed on his movements, and he wandered from place to place, and witnessed the wailings of several women who heard of the deaths of their own kindred. The Professor reproached himself, as he thought of the suffering he had, unwillingly, caused to others, but it could not be helped.

One of the men was severely wounded by the thrust of a spear, and the Professor instantly saw that he was suffering from internal bleeding. Pushing aside the men who surrounded him, the Professor knelt down, changed the position of the bleeding warrior, and pressed his hand against the artery which led to the wound.

His presence there, and the peremptory manner in which he undertook the relief, astonished the new arrivals, but it was for a moment only, when the hurried tales which spread from one to the other circulated among the crowd, and as the chief stepped forward and noticed the Professor he gave a command which plainly showed that his work had been appreciated.

The Professor held his hand on the artery for fully an hour, until the blood clots began to form, and thus staunched the flow. The other wounded ones were attended to immediately after the critical patient had been put into a safe condition.

The men, women and children followed him around, as he moved from place to place. Returning to the chief’s child, he found a slight fever, but this soon abated, and the second day the little patient began to assume a brighter appearance.

During all this time the Professor had not partaken of a mouthful of the food offered him. His only nutriment was obtained from the tablets referred to. The chief could not understand this. Their amazement was intensified when he again refused food the third day.

The Professor was, of course, playing a part. Mystery is the most potent thing with uncivilized tribes. He knew that John and the boys would be able to take care of themselves, and felt sure that before long he would hear from them. He was making a strong ally of these people, and the proper course was pursued to bring this about.

He would have been able at any time after the first day to go back to his companions, and to add to his service something mysterious would make his power over them more potent than the mere healing.

It should also be understood that the motive behind this had another meaning. All tribes have their own physicians, or medicine men, and the great factor of strength with them is the mysteries with which they are able to shroud their cures. To heal the chief’s child, or to perform any other cures, would mean the bitter and vindictive hatred of that class.

It was necessary, therefore, that he should be able to do that which was beyond their power to perform. To live without eating would be such an extraordinary power that it must impress them. The medicine men performed their incantations, but he made no objections, and it was plain that his ministrations were distasteful to them, when he saw their frowning faces.

The chief’s power, and the grateful looks of the one which first received his attention, were sufficient to assure him that the policy he had pursued was successful.

Meanwhile, what were his friends doing to rescue him? John and the two Saboros plunged across the hills much faster than it was possible to urge the team. The trail was soon discovered by his associates, and they stopped only when night fell. After partaking a hurried meal, they again moved forward for an hour, when voices were heard in the distance.

The mumblings grew more and more distinct, and when they halted were surprised to find a considerable body of savages ahead. If this was the same tribe which captured the Professor it must have been reinforced by a considerable body, as there were not more than a dozen in the party which took him.

Moving to the left quite a distance, in order to avoid them, they came unexpectedly on another body, still more numerous. Here was a mystery which John could not solve for the moment. Muro was the first to catch the meaning of it. This was a hostile tribe, and they were waiting for the morning before attacking.

It now appeared evident that the Professor’s captors were with one or the other of these warring factions, and they withdrew to the north, and found an elevation near by, so that they might be able to follow the events of the next day.

But the wagon was coming up in the rear. It must be intercepted, and the three scouted to the north in order to discover whether it had moved up near enough to the position before night fell. The night passed without finding the wagon. Undoubtedly they had made camp before reaching the comparatively level country now occupied.

In the morning the two tribes maneuvered, and the fight began. It would have been bad policy to mix in the affair, but Muro approached as close as possible in order to discover who the combatants were. When he returned his only words were: Osagas and Berees.

The latter were a new tribe to John, but he was gratified to know that the Osagas were so near, and it greatly increased his interest in the affair.