Roger T. Finlay

“ This statement that he was not the Great White Chief was another piece of news that he could not understand.
"And now, I want to know where you have the captives?"
He hesitated. He looked at Muro and Uraso in a different manner this time. Uraso quietly spoke to him: "You cannot escape the vigilance of the white man. The wonderful fire guns can kill all of your people. You do not know what you are doing in trying to resist him. If you do not tell him he will find them, and then I cannot plead for you."
The chief, turning to one of the sub-chiefs, said: "Sama will take you to them." ”

“ The enormity of this punishment to a chief by whipping is the most disgraceful thing that can happen. The person of a chief must not be defiled by a rod, which is intended only for children and for offenses committed by the unruly members of a tribe.
The procession filed out, and John hurriedly called Uraso and Muro to his side, explaining in a whisper that they should intercede to prevent the punishment.
The excitement of the surrounded warriors was intense, as the word was circulated that their great chief had judgment pronounced against him, and was to be publicly whipped. ”

“ When they were within hailing distance, John and Ralsea suddenly appeared in front of their concealed column, and the latter, at the instigation of Blakely, addressed them as follows:
"The white men do not want war, but peace. They have come only to rescue their own people. You must give them up, or there can be no peace. The white chief tells me that if you injure or kill the white men you now have he will hold you responsible, because he is powerful, and is now ready to destroy you and your wives and children, but he does not want to do that. ”

“ Do you think that man would be my enemy? When he tells his friends what I have done, will they be my enemy?"
"These things are all so new to me. There will be no more Tuolos, or Osagas, or Berees."
"Yes; there will be the same tribes always. In the white man's country there are still the same tribes in the different countries. They love to think of their own country and their own people, even though they may live with the other tribes, and when a man goes from one tribe to live with another, the people protect him just the same as though he was one of them." ”

“ Addressing the chief, John said: "Here are your wise men. The Great Spirit is not there. They have lied to you."
It was now apparent from the actions of the chief why he was considered such a power and a terror to his own people and to the tribes. He was every inch a chief. He strode forward, and would have crushed them with his own hands, but John interposed.
"We shall take care of them. They will never again lie to the great chief Oroto." And so saying they were ordered bound, and Uraso instructed to take them to the village and carefully guard them. ”

“ John continued: "When this speaks," he said, pointing to his gun, "all of the fire guns about your village will speak."
"How shall we know you will keep your word?"
Muro held up his hand, as he spoke: "Ask the Kurabus whether the White Chief keeps his word."
Before he could reply, John added: "The White Chief keeps his word. He believes the people here will keep their word if they know the others will do so. He has armed the tribes who have allied themselves with him, because he believes in them, and we do not want to make you captives, or offer sacrifices of your brave men." ”

“ He comes when it rains, and we can see him and hear him. We can feel the wind that he blows, and we can see the great light which he makes every day, and the smaller lights at his villages every night. ”

“ We do not know why the Great Spirit should want the bodies of our great warriors and good men. We cannot understand it."
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"The white man believes that if you do good to your fellow-man it will please the Great Spirit."
"That may be; but I do not see why. There is no reason why he should care how I treat my people. That is not what he is up there for. What good will it do him? How will it help him? I do not believe many of the things I have been told by the wise men, and I have never sacrificed the captives I have taken, although my father before me did. ”

“ John smiled, as he saw with what satisfaction Uraso gave him this parting shot. Still he hesitated.
Uraso went up to him, and he started back. "You need not fear me because we will keep our word. Say to your chiefs that Uraso tells them they are fools. The Illyas cannot succeed. They will be crushed and their villages taken. Your village is surrounded, and you cannot get aid from your other villages. Go and tell them that we shall not again ask them to treat with us."
This address assured him and he first marched along carefully, and soon made his way with celerity to the village. ”

“ This was carrying out the very line of conduct which Muro had advised John would be the case, and in concert they had mapped out a course of action.
"Tell me, Muro, have any of your people the same fear of these Krishnos as the others possess in the various tribes?"
"It is the universal belief in the various tribes that to offend them means death. The only ones who are supreme are the chiefs, who often imprison them, but even the chiefs dare not kill them." ”

“ John and Muro advanced without halting, and as they neared each other the chief, in the most haughty manner, addressed Muro as follows:
"Why do you come to make war on my people?"
Muro, taking his cue from John's previous attitude, rose to his full height and replied: "You have always been the aggressor against the other people, and you have within the last moon killed and taken two Brabos in captivity, and we demand their return." ”

“ During the evening the coins were shown around and admired, and John said: "We have plenty of silver, when the time comes, which can be worked up in the same way."
This idea had not occurred to the boys. "But how," asked Will, "shall we use these? The natives won't give anything for them?"
"That is what we are trying to teach them. They are of no value except as a medium of exchange. Money is of no value, except as it enables us to buy something with it. When you have a five-cent piece and a taro root before you, and are hungry, which will you take?" ”

“ Yes; nature speaks to us only in the form of motion, or vibrations of some sort. Light, heat, electricity, are merely different forms of motion. Taste and smell, as well as sound, are merely modes of motion. The beating heart; the winking of the eyelids; the rhythmic breathing of the body; the swinging of the pendulum; the movement of the sap in trees and the unfolding of the leaves ”

“ There was no act of hostility apparent, still they could not understand why there were no Illyas present except Sama.
"Take us direct to the captives," commanded Stut.
Sama knew where they were. A typical native hut, but much larger than the others, stood behind the main homes of the village. To that the wagon was directed.
The warriors on Stut's command lined up behind the wagon, and the boys, accompanied by Lolo, rushed for the door. It was but the work of a moment to wrench the bars away, and without waiting for any ceremony George and Harry were inside. ”

“ You may tell your chief that we do not want war, but peace and friendship, and that we will not injure him or his people and that if we desired bloodshed we would have killed the warriors we took three days ago, and also would have destroyed your villages and taken your women and children captive. ”

“ We want to show you how to do this, but before we can start we must all be like one family. We do not ask the Berees to give up their customs and become Saboros, nor do we want the Brabos to do as the Osagas do. We do not care what you believe about this or that, or how you shall dress, or what language you shall speak. The only thing we should be careful to do alike is to so work that we shall not injure each other. ”

“ John looked at him with a smile, as he answered: "People who wear few clothes want something with which to decorate themselves. The idea always was and always will be, to improve on nature. That is one of the reasons. ”

“ Suros, the chief of the Berees, was the most impressed by the scene, and could not express himself too forcibly at the wonderful effect which the principle would have on the tribes in their dealings with each other. He was really an intelligent native, far ahead of the others in his comprehension of the duties of one to the other. ”

“ To do that you must not fight each other. I have heard that you do not believe in sacrificing captives, as the Tuolos and the Illyas and the Kurabus do, and I am glad of it.
"I am told that you all know Suros, the great, father of the Berees, and that he is wise. He is my friend, and he must be present at our councils, but we cannot go to him now, because we must protect our friends, the Brabos, against the warring tribes.
"But we must also be prepared to meet those enemies, and where we live, we have the workshop by which we can make all the wonderful thingsp. ”

“ Thus far no bands from the warring tribes had molested either the Saboros, who were nearest on one side, or the Brabos on the other side.
Their silence after a peace message was sent them could only be interpreted to mean one thing, on the part of the Tuolos.
"The Illyas will not dare to injure the captives they have with such a warning as we gave them, and if they intended to destroy them it is possible that has been done already. Under the circumstances a little patience on our part may show them that we mean business." ”

“ We must go to the Brabos' village, to be on guard, while others must go to our village and bring back those articles, and we will make the things at your own homes, so we can compel those tribes to submit."
These words affected all the warriors, and they gathered around the chiefs and expressed their willingness to do all that the Professor had suggested.
One after the other, the chiefs assented, and the Brabos were especially pleased. Their chief, Oma, arose and said: "We have been fighting our friends, and not our enemies, but we did not know any better. We thought everyone was an enemy. ”

“ I know that the tribes are powerful enemies, and can bring a great many warriors to fight against us, but we do not want to kill, nor do we want them to kill us. Your weapons are not any better than the ones they have, and we want to make some that will enable us to overcome them, not for the purpose of killing them, but only to protect ourselves and our homes and children. ”

“ Muro's scouts had the fortune to capture onep. 146 of the Illyas, who was evidently one of the hunters, and the captive was brought in at the time when some of his own men had advanced uncautiously too far.
He was brought before John at once, who addressed him as follows:
"Why have your people started out on the warpath against us?"
"Because you killed our warriors in the last battle."
It is singular how the natives in all their interviews of like nature, always found it convenient to refer to the last and most immediate act as a particular reason for their enmity. ”

“ We believe the Great Spirit wants the different tribes to live together in peace, and not kill each other, and for that purpose he has given each one something to do. If he does that in a right way he not only helps himself, but he helps everyone else. ”

“ The hostiles may attack the Professor at any time, and the weapons are necessary articles."
As they were about to separate, Harry remarked: "We have a quantity of the iron which we made, and instead of carrying it along in the wagon, it occurred to me that we ought to forge out some spears and bolos."
"I had counted on doing that myself, but many thanks for the suggestion," answered John.
There was one thing noticeable in all the warriors, and that was the universal tattoo. This was something practiced by all. Referring to the custom, Ralph asked: "What is the cause of the tattooing habit?" ”

“ Because he is not a warrior, or was not born of some one who was a warrior, or if he does not belong to the family of a chief, makes no difference to the white man. His children may become chiefs, or great men, and if we show them that they may become like we are, it will make all of them better, and it will not injure us. ”

“ Marmo mused over these things. He saw the great cordiality that existed between his warriors and the other tribes. He was also gratified to see some of his men making things which were novel to him, as they were fascinating to the men.
The Krishnos were all about and were the personal charges of the Professor. He had them, daily in the laboratory, and all seemed to be pleased and happy. Marmo wanted to know whether they desired to go home, but all declined. ”

“ They did not conceive how their enemies could possibly make a sufficient number of guns to count against their numbers and their skill.
In the talks which John had with Uraso he learned the history of this peculiar tribe. Originally the tribe had practical sway over the entire island. They were bitter and vindictive, and this intense feeling was that which acted against them in the end.
The result was that in times past a constant tribal warfare was in evidence among the heads of the leading families. The Kurabus and the Tuolos were originally Illyas, or offshoots from this great tribe. ”

“ He was, however, at this time, one of the scouts, and when he returned later in the evening, said:
"We can reach there in two days, unless we should be met by the Illyas on the way. I do not think they will retreat without making a show of fight, as they will have all their warriors in the field, when they know we are marching against them."
At the rate they were going, the main force of the enemy would be reached during the day, unless they should retreat. The opinion of both Uraso and Muro was that they would not permit too close approach to the village before offering fight. ”

“ We do not believe them any more, but listen to the White Chief."
"He has told us the most wonderful things, and taught us how the white men live, and how different tribes live together in peace."
After the welcoming functions and the explanations were concluded, he was taken to the different works, and everything explained to him. He saw the water wheel, and how it turned the sawmill and the grindstone and lathes, and the mill for making the flour. ”

“ And John advanced and took the hand of the chief.
"In my country we become friends when we take each other's hands, and I am glad to see that you have wisdom to accept us as your friends."
At a signal from Muro, the warriors advanced from all sides, and together they marched into the village, the different ones telling the Tuolos the wonderful things the White Chief was doing, and how they were bringing all the tribes together, and making them stop war. ”