The Wonder Island Boys: The Mysteries of the Caverns

much excited and concerned at the new situation to be able to

oys: "Are you sure the yaks w

reful," answered Harry

tened, and they were in that condition when I

sary to go back and briefly relate some of the remarkable events which h

rk one year before. A terrific explosion at sea cast them adrift in mid-Pacific Ocean, and after five days of suffering they

implements and weapons were made. They constructed numerous machines, crude, at first, and gradually developed them. They succeeded in capturing yaks, a bovine species of animals, some of which were trained like oxen; wagons were built; a s

been made in order to ascertain whether or not it contained any human beings. During those trips numerous eviden

ance of a boat, which they built, and which was left at the place where the team was lost; the subsequent finding of the boat among debris on the seashore, having oars and rope i

ral; a yak with a brand on it; wreckage of a boat, which, undoubtedly, belonged to their ill-fated ship; a gruesome skeleton on the seash

to make them self-reliant. George, the elder, was of an exceedingly inquisitive turn of mind; he was a theorist, and tried to find out the reason for everything. On the other hand, Harry was practical in all his efforts; he could take the k

r either. Like the true philosopher he saw the value of th

astonishment, George was the first to spe

d, said: "I can find no evidence of any undue wrench which might show that they h

in a forest, under those conditions, is the slightly depressed tracks which the wheels make. The

made out, and this they followed. It led directly to the west, and toward the sec

suppose the tea

annot be hurried very well, as you know, and we sho

o if we find them in

f the present situation was that only the Professor had one of the pistols, the others having been left with the team. The only thing which added some comfort was the knowledge that as

een captured, and the boys educated him, as best they could, and he really developed many reasonable instincts. It was Red Angel

el for his cuteness in c

nd when no trees were in sight, would shamble along in a peculiar way, as it is diff

annot make it out, either from the leaves or the depre

lowed the route taken by the party, now turned to the right, and when George called, refused to retur

ollow him," was the P

s antics that the change i

and shouted back, gleefully. "Here ar

team, for here were the tracks. The only thing that grieved George was the abse

imb to the next, and George, who knew his antics pretty well by this time, stopped and prepared himself for some new and unexpected development in

ched off; but the yaks had disappeared. It is singular that the team had gone thus far without meeting an obstruction. As i

umbers of articles were found scattered

nds had been perturbed with this occurrence, as never be

re going at a much greater speed than at a walk when

think so?"

they reached the tree; and, secondly, the wagon pole and the wheel were strong enough

d George, as he crawled into it. He peered out and continued in a surprised tone

Yours were there at the

they have been lost with some of the ot

s the am

in the botto

out of the box. It is true other things had fallen along the way, but this

re that Angel was not only petted, but he r

rs like ours, already weary with their trudging and with the excitements of the day, it was concluded to camp in

well trained that some discouragement was felt at being compelled again to break in others. They had an ample supp

eturn during the night; but they were doomed to disappointment. Morning came, but the yaks did not, and after gatherin

for the new team; and the work of making a new pair of yokes was carried forward with energy. They we

as had not been previously visited; and it was also a part of their duty to examine the woods and the fields to find new specimens of plants, fruits a

d in it had a crude lathe adapted to work in wood or iron. It will thus be seen that each tour wa

n concerning the events of the day, or with reference to

am. "What kinds of vegetable would it be most ad

settlers would go miles inland, exposed to every sort of danger, to find land, when there was plenty nearer the seashore or close to civilization. There was a reason for that which we are only now begi

ferent countries have such

the sun among the pines, as a symptom of good land, which he knows how to cultivate. The rudest peasant in Europe knows that wheat and beans seek clay soils; the northern German knows that rye alone and the potato are best adapted for the blowing sands of that country; the Chinese peasant, that the warm sloping banks of light land are fitted for the tea plant, and stiff, wet, impervious flooded cl

thing to select in order to propagate, or make good fruit and grain out of

from the soil that it gets its food. The large and juicy carrot found at home is nothing but the woody spindle of the wild carrot, and I have found several species of it here. Cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts and a host of other