THE HUNCHBACK CHIEF
The White Chief's house was built on a plan which was a vast improvement
over anything found on the two islands. True, it was nothing but an
assemblage of rooms, which surrounded an open court. The furnishings
were crude, but it was evident that all the articles were such as had
been taken from the wreckages on the shore.
Goods not native made, were noticed, and even a photograph, on a tin
plate, like the old style daguerreotypes, was observed by Harry. Three
chairs, one with a broken rocker, formed part of the furnishings in the
court. In one corner was a mass of articles, the case of a ship's
chronometer, the horn of a phonograph, some tin tubes of different
lengths, and other odds and ends, which could not be recognized.
"I am anxious to hear your story," said John. "If you have no objection
we should be glad to have you relate it."
"It will give me pleasure to tell of my experiences, although it may not
interest you; but before doing so you must partake of food, because I
know what it means to travel through our country. Besides I have ordered
it prepared, and it is now ready."
[Illustration: "_'It is copper,' said John_" [See p. 122]]
"These two men I have with me," said John, pointing to Uraso and Muro,
"are Chiefs of two powerful tribes, who live on a neighboring island,
and they are real friends I found there when these two boys and I were
shipwrecked there several years ago."
"I am, indeed, glad to welcome them. I see that they have adopted the
white man's clothing."
"Yes; and their people who are wonderfully interesting are engaged in
farming, and manufacturing."
Then John told him briefly the history of their experiences, and how the
people on Wonder Island were working out their salvation.
John's tale impressed him most forcefully. "You have made good use of
your talents. Unfortunately, for me, and for the natives here, I was not
able wholly to bring out the people from their low condition, as you
will be able to understand more fully when the story is told." He said
this sorrowfully, and with apparent regret.
After the meal, he continued his narrative: "I was a poor boy, a native
of the State of Massachusetts, and was bound to a whaler as a helper,
when less than fifteen years of age. It was a hard life, as you may
know. I had no education, and I learned the life of misery and sorrow
when I should have been at school.
"But during that and the second year I became hardened, and my
unfortunate physical condition made me the butt of my companions, and
one day, in a fit of resentment, I struck down one of my tormentors,
while in the harbor of Bedford, after which I escaped and made my way to
Boston.
"There, the next day, I found employment on an outgoing ship, that was
in the China service, and two days later, I was gratified to learn that
it would sail that night. I had a much easier berth, and now I found
that among those men I was considered better than a mere brute, and I
became acquainted with a young man who taught me to read.
"This was such a delight to me that I could hardly wait until my daily
duties were over, before the books were brought out, and by the time we
put into Shanghai, I could read and write, as well as perform many
examples in arithmetic.
"I knew nothing of geography, or of any other of the necessary parts of
education. Our outward trip was unexciting, but on the first return
trip, we met one of the dangerous monsoons, and the ship was wrecked.
One of my shipmates was the sole occupant of a spar, and he aided me in
my attempt to grasp it, and together we floated about the great sea for
several days, without a thing to eat or to drink, until I lost
consciousness, and knew no more until I opened my eyes, and saw the
vilest looking savages standing about me.
"When I saw them they appeared like a horrid dream. I had read in one of
the books about the terrible visions that men dream of, and when they
tried to make me eat something, I began to feel that it was a reality.
"But the men were naked, and I saw the bones of human beings about me,
and everything had the appearance of a feast. I soon saw that they were
cannibals, and as I had heard of their practices their faces grew more
and more repulsive to me.
"I recovered slowly, and now began the terror in my mind. Each day I
expected would be my last. But day after day passed by, and I soon began
to become reconciled to my fate. An incident soon changed the entire
aspect of affairs for me. I had been treated with the utmost deference.
I was furnished with an abundance of food, but I had previously learned
that it was the custom of those people to fatten their victims, and this
was not welcome knowledge.
"I became desperate. One day, while they were bringing me the finest
roasts, I rebelled, and taking a club, scattered the food, swinging the
club at them and shouting defiance, because human nature began to rebel,
and I could not stand the suspense any longer.
"To my surprise they scattered, and fell on their faces. Among them was
the head man, whom I had always regarded as the Chief. Finally he came
up timidly, and fell on his knees before me. I was so astounded that I
did not know what to do. I went to the Chief and raised him up, because
I was in a quandary, and could not understand them.
"This seemed to reassure him, and he told me to follow him. I had been
here long enough to understand most of their jargon. I was surprised
when he led me to his own hut, and brought out his daughter, who knelt
before me. Then I began to understand. I was no longer the expected
victim, but the prospective son-in-law. This was better than
anticipating death daily.
"I accepted the situation. The daughter became my wife. It was she who
welcomed you when we came in. When her father died I became Chief, but
long before his death, I controlled the people, as I knew so much more,
and had superior wisdom, judged by their standard, that they obeyed me
in everything.
"But much as I abhorred, and tried to prevent it, as I did on many
occasions, they practiced their rites, and had their Korinos, the real
offenders, who taught them the necessity of sacrifices.
"But when I became Chief, I sternly refused to permit them to kill their
captives, and cannibalism was practiced only by stealth. I succeeded in
stamping out the practice only by putting the Korinos to death, and in
shutting up their caves."
The boys, as well as John were riveted to their seats during this entire
recital, until he referred to the caves, when they relaxed, and
indicated their pleasure and anxiety. That meant still further quests in
that direction.
The Chief noticed their movement, and continued: "I am tiring you, but
permit me to add only a few things. I have endeavored to better the
condition of these people, and have succeeded. To the south of us was a
powerful tribe. My first care was to make ourselves secure against them.
"Like my people they, too, were cannibals. They were ruled over by a
Chief who was cruel, and whenever any of their people escaped I took
them in and cared for them, and there are now many of those living with
us who could not be induced to go back. For more than forty years no one
has been killed and eaten by my people."
"Your work here is certainly most commendable. There is nothing which
needs apology. Under the circumstances you have done all that was
possible, and to the best of your ability. No one can do more," was
John's timely observation.
"I thank you for the compliment. I owe everything to the few books which
my comrade taught me to read. When I left the United States my heart was
bitter toward all mankind. I could not see why I should have been
treated in such a harsh manner among civilized people, but when I landed
here and saw how much worse the conditions were, I began to reflect. It
would have been an easy and a natural thing for me to be brutal to
others, as they had been to me."
"You have shown a noble spirit, and I shall try to help you in caring
for your people. Our ship is here, and we have some things for you, as
soon as they can be unloaded," rejoined John.
During the afternoon communication was established with the _Pioneer_,
and the natives were willing helpers in bringing up the packages, but it
was too late to distribute them. Before leaving John said: "You have not
told us your name."
"I was christened Ephraim Wilmar."
John seized him by the hands, as he said: "And was your father's name
William?"
"Yes," said Ephraim, as his great eyes grew still bigger. "Did you know
him?"
"I knew him well; he died about thirty years ago. He was my father's
friend."
This information established a bond of friendship between the two.
"I have forgotten to take note of time, and I may be out a year or two
in my reckoning," continued Ephraim, "but according to the best
information I have this must be the year 1911."
"You are short one year; it is now 1912."
"Then let me see! We sailed from China in January, 1860; and during that
same month the ship went down. From that time to the present I have no
idea of what has taken place."
"Then you know nothing of the four years' war between the North and the
South?"
"No; I remember there was some trouble about the slaves, or something of
that sort before we left China."
"But there are no more slaves in the United States."
"You surprise me! Then they were freed by the war?"
"Yes; and Cuba is also free, and is now a republic, and the Hawaiian
Islands belong to the United States, as also do the Philippines."
"That does not seem possible. Why, if I remember correctly Cuba and the
Philippines belonged to Spain. When did the United States purchase
them?"
"We had a war with Spain, and we took the Spanish possessions, as well
as Porto Rico. Manila was captured three days after war was declared."
"Three days after war was declared! How could our fleet, which must have
been half the way around the world, get the news that war had been
declared in that time?"
"The commander of our fleet at Hongkong, was notified by telegraph."
"How could that be done without a telegraph line? Over what part of the
earth are the lines now running?"
"Everywhere; but there are many running under the sea and are called
_cable lines_."
Ephraim looked at John for a moment, as though he doubted the meaning of
the words just uttered, and then slowly inquired: "That must be a
remarkable thing. I do not see how it would be possible to string wires
under the sea."
"They are encased in water tight coverings, and some of the lines are
four thousand miles long. But nowadays we do not need wires for
telegraphing."
The deformed figure arose, and appeared to be agitated, as he said: "Do
you mean to say that messages can be sent without wires?"
"Stations for that purpose are now in operation all over the world."
"That is as improbable to me as though you should tell me that it would
be possible to talk over a wire," he answered.
"But we do talk over wires, and it is possible to talk over distances
hundreds of miles apart, without wires even."
He glanced at those about him, and shook his head. He appeared to
hesitate about asking any more questions, and after shambling back and
forth a dozen times, or more, he stopped at the pile of debris, and
picked up a thick disk-like piece of metal, to one side of which was a
short broken tube attached.
"I have examined this many, many times. Perhaps you can tell me what it
is?" and he handed it to John.
"This is the disk of a phonograph."
"What is that?"
"An instrument which will reproduce the human voice, or any noise, or
the sound of music."
"I do not understand what you mean. If I talk to it will it talk back to
me?"
"No; it is so arranged that one form of the instrument receives the
sound of your voice, and impresses it on material in the form of a
cylinder, or a disk, and if this cylinder or disk is put into another
instrument, this little apparatus, which I hold in my hand will speak
the same words you uttered."
[Illustration: _Fig. 11. Phonograph Disk._]
"Then electricity must be a wonderful thing, to be able to be used by
men to talk to each other all over the world, and even to preserve what
they say."
"But the phonograph is not an electrical apparatus. The disk, here, with
the little stylus, or pointer on it, vibrates and gives forth the
sound."
"All this is most marvelous, and I would like to see some of those
wonderful things," he exclaimed.
"If you will come to the ship we will show you many of the things that
electricity does, as we have a phonograph there, and we have a search
light that operates by electricity, and which enables us to see many
miles," added Harry.
"Yes; I must see your ship, and I am ready to accompany you any time,
and I want my people to see those things, as well."
"But there are many other things that we now do with electricity. All
street railways are now operated by it; many boats are run by that
power; cooking is done by it, and its uses extend into almost everything
that man touches," remarked John.
"If this one branch of knowledge has improved so wonderfully within a
space of fifty years, the progress in other directions must be very
wonderful, indeed," he responded. "But you have told me so much, and I
hardly know how I can grasp its meaning. I suppose things here in this
part of the world must appear very crude to you?"