Chapter XXIII: The Chief of Rarihue

Before dawn of the next morning the party were all on deck ready for a start as soon as it was light enough to see their way through the woods. Hardly had they assembled, however, when there came one of those sudden terrific storms which are so frequent in the southern seas. The downpour lasted about a half hour to the regret of Jo and Tom, who had hoped to readily strike and follow the trail of Jim and his captors. Some other plan would now be necessary.

"I think," said the professor, who, in the absence of Jim, had tacitly assumed the leadership, "that we had better go prepared for an overnight stay."

"Why do you think it will take us so long?" questioned Jo.

"That is something we cannot tell," responded the professor. "We don't know what we may have to contend with. We have a powerful and wily enemy in Captain Beauchamp, and we will have to accomplish our ends by strategy rather than by force."

"Have you got any plan, professor?" asked Tom.

"Only in a general way," replied the professor. "We shall have to act as seems best as things turn up."

"What is the first thing to be done?" asked Tom.

"I propose," answered the professor, "that we go to the place where you saw the column of smoke."

"What do you expect to find there that we did not?"

"Nothing, perhaps, but I think that that is the highest point on the island," explained the professor, "and from there we ought to be able to get a fair idea of the size and shape of the place and the character of the country."

"And from that we can plan our campaign," said Berwick.

"Exactly. Now, then," he went on a moment later, "if you are all ready we will get away. Be careful, boys, for it is more than likely that our movements are watched."

The first faint light of the coming day was beginning to show, and the stars were fading before the coming dawn. Away off to the right of the yacht as she swung at her anchor on the incoming tide the shore loomed heavy and black, a thick blot in the inky darkness. There was almost an unnatural stillness over the harbor, the only sound to break the quiet being the soft lap, lap, of the ever restless waves beating against the side of the vessel.

Their voices sounded so unnaturally loud when they spoke to one another that they all unconsciously dropped their tone to a whisper.

Despite his protests that he was in fit condition to accompany the others, it was decided that Juarez should remain on the yacht.

"You are really not able to travel," insisted Tom.

"And you will be in shape to-morrow when we will need you more," added Jo in an effort at consolation.

"Beside," explained the professor, "you may possibly be of more service here than if you went along. The captain might need your aid, for we cannot tell what may happen, and you are the only one beside Mr. Berwick who knows anything about the engine."

"If you really think so," reluctantly acquiesced Juarez.

"Most decidedly," affirmed the professor. "I would advise that you get up enough steam in the boiler to sound the whistle if necessary. I don't know that there will be any occasion for it, but if, for any reason, you should want to call us, you can give three blasts upon the whistle, and we will act accordingly."

During this time the boys had been silently taking their positions in the small boat; Tom, by direction of the professor, in the bow, while Jo and Berwick took the oars.

"You need to keep a sharp lookout ahead," advised the professor when they started. "We are liable to run into almost anything, and we don't want to be caught unawares."

"All right," responded Tom. "I've got my eyes and ears wide open."

As silently as a spectral boat, the little craft slipped through the darkness, the rowers dipping their oars almost without a creak or jar. Nevertheless they advanced rapidly toward the shore that loomed up grim and forbidden like a wall of impenetrable darkness.

It was but a few minutes before the boat was run up on the beach at the foot of the cliffs and the party disembarked. The boat was then carried a sufficient distance on to the shore and hidden in the heavy underbrush.

"Now, boys," began the professor when they had completed their preparations, "you are our scouts and we have to depend upon you to thwart our enemies, if they are about. Tom, you had better take the lead, and Jo will cover the rear. Instead of the long way around that you took when you last sought the smoke signal, I think we will adopt the direct and more rugged climb, as less liable to ambush. When you are ready, go ahead."

Without making any reply, Tom, with his rifle in his hand ready for immediate use, slipped away among the bushes. Berwick followed, then the professor and Jo last. It was light enough at this time for Tom to make his way among the rocks, which at this point were piled up in great masses, covering the ground just as they had fallen from the cliffs above.

There was a semblance of a path or way through the rocky defile which led with many turns and twists along the course of what, in the wet season was apparently the bed of a stream, but although this roadway was less difficult to negotiate, Tom ignored it and kept to the more rugged way, skirting the bed of the water course.

Pushing on energetically, Tom opened up a gap between himself and the others for whom the professor set the pace, a less rapid one. Glancing ahead they saw that Tom had halted and was signaling for a cautious advance.

A little farther on the hum of voices broke upon their ears. They were approaching the sulphur spring, and from that direction the sound emanated. There was a babble of tongues, jabbering in some unfamiliar language.

"A party of natives at the spring," concluded the professor.

A cautious approach brought the islanders under observation, though the professor and his party were hidden from the others. There may have been a dozen of the tribe men grouped about the spring. The one, most impressive appearing of the lot, had evidently but just completed a bath and just resumed his scanty garments which he was then adjusting. This person was not as dark of skin as those about him, and from the servilent actions of the others it could readily be assumed that he was their king or chief. None of the party were armed.

The professor viewed the scene for a brief interval, then, without hesitation stepped from behind the barrier of leaves. Instantly the islanders were alert and calls and exclamations filled the air. All were, however, silenced by the chief, who turned now for the first time and faced the visitors. To the latter's great astonishment the chief immediately sprang forward, advancing toward the professor. Jo and Tom quickly raised their rifles, but as quickly lowered them again, when they saw that the approach was without menace.

The onlookers' astonishment was greater still when they heard the chief in the best of English say, "My dear friend, what are you doing here?"

"Rather, may I say," was the prompt reply, "what are you doing here, my dear Jranvin? What in all reason brought you to this end of the world?"

Thus saluted, and with further manifestations of regard, esteem and affection the two men grasped hands, and with the other hand upon each other's shoulders, stood thus for a full minute.

It was the professor who first bethought himself of the surroundings, and with a recognition that they were not alone upon the scene, he cried:

"Here, boys, and Berwick. Here is my old and well regarded friend. Let me make you acquainted, Jranvin, with Jo Darlington and his brother Tom and Mr. Berwick."

Greetings were exchanged, the islanders indifferently looking on, and the professor undertook to hastily satisfy the curiosity of his friends. There was little he could say, however, and explanations had to come naturally from the chief, for such he announced himself to be.

"It's not a long story," he said, "my being here, and very briefly, in a nutshell, it is this----"

"Why," broke in the professor, "when I last saw you in London, you were ill, had been ill for a long time, and in truth I may say, I never thought to see you again on this earth."

"That's the starting point," said Mr. Jranvin. "I was condemned, given up to die, by slow and harrowing processes, but chance, if there ever be such a thing in this world, started me on a voyage to Japan. That's some years ago. To Japan I never got."

"Shipwrecked?" questioned the professor.

"You hit it. Shipwrecked, and right upon this island. And over here on our island of Rarihue we have lived ever since. My health is restored and my life is lived among my friends here, who made me their chief," and he waved his hand to the party of islanders grouped about. "My friends they are, and as true as steel."

"Then do you never intend to go back to your home and country?" ventured Jo.

"Home I have none, nor country. This is my world and none other am I likely to seek."

"You do not live then on this island?"

"No, but now and then I send here or come for a supply of the waters of this wonderful mineral spring. It possesses health-giving properties that would be recognizable by any expert. Here is a chance for you, my dear friend, to make a fortune," he said, laughing. "By the way, you have not told me yet what brought you to this far off quarter. Going to settle down and live a life that's worth while?"

"We are looking for a fortune, and a mineral one, but not a mineral spring."

Mr. Jranvin, or the chief, as they soon learned to call him, glanced quickly at the party and for a moment studied each face.

"All willing to jeopardize your lives for gold, and when gotten what do you do with it?"

"Why, live in comfort," laughed the professor, "as you do."

"Yes, as I do _without_ it," returned the other, smilingly.

"Perhaps, though, you can help us in our search, since having no need, we cannot be robbing you."

"You will find no treasure on this island," was the firm response. And then he again looked intently into each of the three faces before him, ignoring only that of the professor.

"You have looked for the treasure yourself," questioned the professor, "and there was none here?"

"There _was_," replied the chief. "But _it is gone_."

"The fortunes of war," said the professor lightly. "Really, though, while we have been talking we may have been devoting to you time we owe to one of our party, for our expedition this morning is one of search of a missing member of our company."

The chief was then told of Jim's probable capture by the captain of the Marjorie.

"Beauchamp, eh? So he is around again. Well, we on Rarihue concern ourselves but little with the outside world. Rarihue has no harbor and only small boats can effect a landing. Excepting for Bohoola the island we are on, and one other uninhabited island, there is no other land within two hundred miles. We are not a fighting people, and have no real need to be. I've taught them to fight only for their homes. But if I can help you in any way, be assured of my willingness."

The professor told of his own ship, and the harbor where it was anchored. The "North" harbor, the chief recognized it to be. Could information be given as to the probable anchorage of the Marjorie?

"Surely. In the South harbor, which is less than a half dozen miles away, on the other side of the island. Wait a moment," added the chief. "I will speak with my men." This he did, and promptly reported. "Yes, there is a ship at anchor there. It is quite certainly your objective point."

Censuring himself for the long delay, the professor now gave the order to press on. The two old time friends, thus oddly thrown together, grasped hands and made promises to meet once more before the great oceans should separate them again.

"Tell Beauchamp," the chief cried after them, "if you see him, that he too is too late. The treasure is gone."