CAPTURE OF THE VILLAGE

The most trying time for all adventurers and explorers, is after night has set in. During the daytime there is always plenty to take up one's attention and energies, but as the sun goes down the world seems to contract into a very small s.p.a.ce, and when enemies are near the burden of waiting is a doubly trying one.

The boys had spent many such nights. Whenever John or the Professor were about these hours were always enjoyed, because like all healthy boys, they were ever on the alert to ask questions which happened to be suggested by the experiences of the day.

Now, it is a singular thing, that there is no selfishness in education.

True education is charitable. Those who crave it with the most eagerness, are always the foremost in wishing to impart it to others.

The honest learner does not resent the listening ear of his fellow pupils.

Uraso and Muro, the two chiefs, who were the first to conceive the advantages of education at the hands of John and the Professor, were always on the alert at the evening meetings, whenever their duties permitted it, and hundreds of the natives of Wonder Island craved the privilege of hearing the conversations which took place on all sorts of topics.

In Unity, the capital of Wonder Island, schools had been established and were flourishing, and all the children were pupils, so that within another generation there would be a tremendous change for the better among those people.

There was nothing more enjoyable to the boys than to see the intense interest manifested by the common natives, when night came on, and they expected one of the treats which they knew would be in store for them.

On these occasions George and Harry were usually the questioners, but many times they saw that some of the men seemed to desire additional information, and by degrees the boys encouraged them to put the questions, and to seek inquiries.

This had a very stimulating effect. John was delighted at the spirit thus developed, and he gave it a still broader range by refusing sometimes to answer the questions, and thus inviting answers from the men themselves.

Thus discussion developed. It taught them to begin to think for themselves. If men know that the ready answer is always at hand, it prevents the mind from expanding. The evenings, therefore, were seasons of enjoyment, alike to the men as well as to the boys.

After they had reached the cove in the rocks, and all the dispositions had been made for the night, John warned the men that while the natives were no doubt, in consternation, the utmost care must be observed to prevent any surprises.

The moon had not yet arisen, but there was a beautiful clear sky. The great Southern Cross hung in the heavens like a giant lantern. On one side, and on line with each other, shone the two brightest stars in the heavens, the first being the Dog Star Sirius, and the next in order, Canopus, the one white, and the other a yellowish white.

Then, on the other side of the Great Cross, sparkled Antares, the brilliant red star, of the first magnitude, while Spica, another star made up a most remarkable combination of heavenly orbs.

George had always been impressed with the appearance and the arrangement of the stars, and he was struck by the intense interest which all savages manifested in astronomy.

"Your observations are correct," said John, when the discussion began.

"Almost all of the savage rites, their feasts and religious ceremonials, have something to do with the appearances and the movements of the heavenly bodies."

"I suppose the grouping of the stars, when they named these groups of the planets after animals, and the like, was done by the ancients, and really meant something in a religious way," ventured Harry.

"It is difficult really to determine the origin of what is called the Zodiac. From the evidence attainable it was known to the Babylonians, over 2300 years before the Christian era. They divided the heavens into twelve parts, each cl.u.s.ter of stars representing some fanciful animal or being, such as the Lion, or the Bear, or the Dragon."

"Isn't it funny that the tribes here, as well as some on Wonder Island have an idea that the dark moon is caused by the Great Spirit trying to hide it in anger?" asked George.

"It is singular when it is considered that the same superst.i.tion is found in many, many tribes, on different continents, and it induces the belief that this idea had one common origin, and that the people all sprang from one source, or, that the different peoples worked out the ideas independently of each other."

This statement caused considerable discussion, the natives being of the opinion that the idea was worked out by the different peoples and could not have been spread broadcast by one set of people.

"Why do you think it could not have come from one race?" asked George, as Uraso urged.

"Because," he answered, "how did the people in olden times cross the big ocean? Even now, people like my own, dare not venture on the sea, for any distance from sh.o.r.e."

"But," said John, "the surface of the earth was not originally like it is now. In many places over the earth, new lands have appeared,--that is, they come up out of the sea, and other lands have disappeared. We have records of islands, and parts of continents, hundreds of times larger than Wonder Island, which have disappeared in a single day. One of those, near j.a.pan, sank, and engulfed over 200,000 people."

"You surprise me," said Muro.

"Furthermore, there is pretty conclusive evidence that the continents of Europe and America, were once joined, or that there was an immense continent, called Atlantis between the eastern and western hemispheres."

"I read something on that subject some time ago, in which the writer denied that such a thing was possible," said Harry.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 2. The Atlantean Plateau._]

"I am aware of that, but there are some things which are difficult to explain, unless the two hemispheres were once united, or, at any rate, were close enough together to permit travel from one part to the other."

"What evidence is there on that point?"

"Well, in the first place, the root of the languages in Central America, and in Mexico, are the same as in the corresponding lat.i.tude in Europe and Africa. Then the Pyramids of Mexico are built on the same plan, and located, astronomically, the same as those in Egypt."

"But could not the ancients have crossed the seas, and in that way given the same knowledge to both sections?"

"There is absolutely no evidence that the ancients had vessels capable of traversing 2000 miles of ocean."

"But the book I read said that the Western Hemisphere merely broke away from the main body of the land, and that is why the people here knew all that those in Europe had learned."

"That is very plausible, and for the purpose of giving you a fair understanding of the matter, I make a sketch, showing (Fig. 2), the Atlantean theory, in which the western sh.o.r.es of Europe and Africa, and the eastern sh.o.r.es of North and South America are outlined, and between them, in dotted lines, is Atlantis, the only part of that vast continent now being visible being the Azore Islands, at the northern extremity."

"But what evidence is there that such a continent existed? Is it only a theory?"

"It is supported by some evidence, much of which, like the account which the Egyptian priests gave to Solon, would take too long to state; but some years ago, while Darwin was engaged in making the deep sea soundings in the ship _Challenger_, it was found that the bed of the Atlantic showed a raised plateau, where the legendary Atlantis was claimed to be."

"But might it not be possible that the other theory could be correct, also,--that is, that North America merely broke away, and in breaking away, left Atlantis as an island?"

"I do not see how it can be reconciled. In the first sketch (Fig. 2), note the shape of the continent of Atlantis. Now, in the next sketch (Fig. 3), I have brought the two continents close up to each other. The outlines appear similar, and it would be difficult to make them fit together, if Atlantis should be placed there, or left in that s.p.a.ce, after the breaking apart."

The discussion was closed for the night and arrangements made for sleep and sentry duty.

Frequently during the night the beating of the singular drums was heard.

After the entertainment of the evening both Muro and Uraso undertook some scouting on their own account. The boys were awake early, and then learned of their expeditions.

Three miles north of the rocky point the main village was located. They had crept forward cautiously until close enough to learn that there must be fully five hundred inhabitants. But what was more surprising still, was the evidence they obtained that the tribes believed in the Hoodoos and the witch doctors.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 3. The Severed Hemispheres._]

The boys were jubilant at the information, and John was full of smiles as he imparted the information. The difficulty was to get into communication with the natives, as their efforts of the preceding day did not offer much encouragement in that direction.

The fact that the people on the island observed peculiar rites was evidence to John that they must be steeped in the superst.i.tions that are a necessary part of the craft of the witch doctors, and to the boys, as well as to Uraso and Muro, the opportunity for John to match his intelligence with the crafty Krishnos, was awaited with interest.

It was shown on Wonder Island, that while the people had the most implicit confidence in their medicine men, they were the first to cause their overthrow when it was shown that they maintained their superiority through deceit.

Before nine o'clock the drums began to beat. They were plainly heard, as there was a slight breeze from that direction. John selected fifteen of the warriors, and accompanied by the boys, and Muro and Uraso, started for the village.

"You are to remain here until you get word from us. If you should hear heavy firing it will be the signal for you to come on without delay. In such a case approach cautiously, and rush them, so as to reach us. We do not want to cause the loss of a single life among them, except as a last resort to save our own. Otherwise you are not to leave the cove. One must be sent to the height beyond, to keep a watch for the _Pioneer_.