The Wonder Island Boys: Exploring the Island Part 12

"Do you think there is any danger from the bite?"

"Some animals have a species of rabies, like those possessed by mad dogs, and cats have been known to be infected. I do not think we need to have any fear from that source. The wound should, however, be cleansed."

CHAPTER VIII

THE BULL FIGHT

As the boys grew more and more familiar with the island the greater was its store of abundance shown to them. Each journey to the interior brought some surprise in the way of fruit, flower or vegetable. Some were of species well known to them; others unknown, and most of such came to them under names of chemicals only.

"There is one plant, at any rate," said Harry, "that makes this seem like home, and that is the thistle."

"Yes, and it is the one common enemy of man in every part of the world.

It is the most successful business plant, in this particular, that it is equipped to resist attacks from other plants and from animals as well."

"But donkeys and some cattle will eat them."

"For the reason that nature has given such animals the proper coating and linings of mouth and stomach that the thorns do not affect them.

There is hardly a plant which is as nutritious as the thistle. In England, the thistle leaves, in early days, were used as salads."

Harry was an ardent admirer of flowers, and was constantly bringing in some specimen for examination. "Here is a very pretty flower which is differently colored from any that I have seen before. It looks like the wood sorrel."

"It is the sorrel, but if you should be in Ireland, the people there would call it the shamrock. St. Patrick taught the people that it typifies the trinity with its three leaves. The plant has some very peculiar qualities. It actually goes to sleep at night. It folds up its leaves. It is so sensitive to light that it has at least four different methods by which it can adjust itself with the greatest nicety to the amount of light which it receives."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 21. Fruit and Flower of Vanilla._]

"I think I have found vanilla; or it is something that smells like it, but I did not know that the vanilla was a climber."

"You have found the wild vanilla, the flowers of which have, as you see, disappeared and the bean is the product."

"I have often wondered why it is that we are able to smell or to recognize different odors."

"Smell, like everything else in nature, is produced by vibrations. So is sound, and light, and taste. Each odor has its particular rate of vibration. They resemble very much the notes of a musical instrument, and, as in music, odors can be harmonized, or they may be so mixed together as to produce discord. Some perfumes, when used on the handkerchief, and are about to fade away, have a sickly and disagreeable odor. This is due to the admixture of the wrong or discordant tones.

Thus, heliotrope, vanilla, orange blossom and almond blend together; citron, lemon, vervain and orange peel belong together, but they produce a stronger impression on the sense of smell, and are of a higher octave; and so with a still higher cla.s.s, as patchouly, sandal-wood and vitavert."

"But what is it in the flowers or essences which make them smell as they do?"

"Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is one of the most remarkable things in nature that many of the odors in plants are formed by the combination of only carbon and hydrogen, and the wonderful thing about it is, that while turpentine is composed of 88 parts of carbon and 12 parts of hydrogen, the odors of oils of lemon, orange and juniper and rosemary have the exact proportions of those elements."

It was one of the duties of the colony to preserve the seeds of different vegetables and grain, because the Professor intended to put out for their use, as soon as spring came, a garden, which would avoid the necessity of constantly putting them on the alert to hunt the different foods. Sometimes it was necessary to go considerable distances to get the various foods. As long as they were on the island it was the part of prudence to act like sensible business men, and prepare for the future.

"We haven't a very big variety of vegetables, and I wish we could find some real good sweet potatoes and peas; and tomatoes would come in handy."

"Of course, variety, or the wish for different kinds, is largely a matter of desire. It is not a necessity."

"But does not the desire for different kinds grow out of the need of man to get the different substances which vegetables have?"

"To a certain extent, yes; but it is a singular thing that the world over there seems to be a natural instinct to combine two or three vegetables, and those vegetables, although they may be different in different countries, make chemical combinations, when eaten, which are almost identically similar. Thus, the Irishman mixes cabbages with his potatoes; the Englishman bacon with his beans, and the Italian rich cheese with macaroni."

One morning the boys were surprised to find a startling increase in their herd of yaks. When the Professor arose and went out for his regular morning stroll he noticed the unusual number, and was not slow in informing the boys.

"I suppose," said the Professor, "that they are coming to board with us for the season."

"Well, I am going to inform them, in a not very polite way, that we don't need company."

He was off with a club, Harry following.

"Look at that immense fellow. Wouldn't he make good sole leather? What is that on his side; that funny patch?"

Harry called to the Professor. "Did you see the peculiar mark on the side of the big bull?"

The Professor was on hand at once. "That is certainly a mark of some kind. See if you can get near enough to ascertain just what it is."

George, who had been so anxious to get rid of them, was now just as eager to hold them. The bull was a magnificent specimen. Like all this species he was a dark red, and had immense horns. All yaks, male and female, have horns, and the Texas steer has no horns to compare with the yaks in size and gracefulness of curve.

As George advanced there was no action on the part of the herd to scatter. Their own stock took no notice as he walked among them, and this, in all probability, gave the wild herd confidence. The bull paid no attention, until George was within twenty-five feet, when, with a deep-voiced roar and an ominous lowering and shaking of his s.h.a.ggy head, made a beeline for him. The Professor called out, and he and Harry both sprang forward to aid him, but the bull's rush was a fierce one, and as we have previously stated, they are very active creatures. George saw his peril, and now realized that he could not possibly reach a place of safety, so he sprang behind one of the cows, and from that point sought to find a way through the herd. The warning voice of the bull, and his mad rush, excited the entire herd, which started a stampede.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _"George saw his peril and now realized that he could not possibly reach a place of safety"_]

In the meantime they had not noticed the presence of their own bull, which was a fine animal, and was now thoroughly domesticated. The Professor was the first to notice the appearance of their bull, who, it seems, had been relegated to the background when their neighbors came to town for their holiday.

Apollo was Harry's name for the bull, and when George got mixed up in the herd, the strange bull made his charge and emitted the challenging bellow, the scene was a truly terrific one. George was carried along with the rush, and his only danger now was to escape being trampled under foot.

Harry stopped suddenly: "Look at Apollo!" He was making a charge down into the herd, and headed straight for the big bull.

"I thought it strange that we didn't hear our herd give them a welcome during the night."

"Welcome! what do you mean?"

"It is singular that Apollo didn't dispute the governors.h.i.+p of the herd when the new arrivals came, as that is one of the customs. One of them must be master."

"Just look at him! Good old Apollo!"

At that moment Apollo was within ten feet of the wild bull. He did not cease his onslaught. The wild animal saw his enemy attacking him from the right quarter, but his rush had been so impetuous that when Apollo struck him he rolled over, one of his large horns striking the earth and serving as a fulcrumed lever to turn him around in his path. He was up in an instant, and now began the battle for mastery.

"Get the guns, Harry; get the guns," and this was a sufficient reminder that neither of them had a weapon.

Harry bounded over to the house, and within a minute was back with them.

In the meantime, where was George? He did not need to be told that he must run for his life, and was wise enough to seek the security among the cows, but he could not foresee a stampede. It was fortunate that the big bull was behind the herd when the stampede began, and it was lucky that there was plenty of room for the animals, or he surely would have been trampled to death. Naturally, the noise of the rus.h.i.+ng animals drowned the roar of the fighting bulls, but the stampeded yaks gradually checked themselves, and George was the most surprised individual imaginable when he found the bull was not behind them.

And now another curious thing happened. They had run fully a quarter of a mile, and when the running stopped, the yaks leisurely turned around and slowly walked back. The movement seemed to be a concerted one.

George accompanied them. He didn't know what else to do.

When Apollo and the bull locked horns, after the latter had again gained his feet, his tremendous bulk pushed Apollo back, at the first onset; but they noticed a peculiar tactic on the part of Apollo. The latter at each forward plunge twisted his head, first to the right, and then to the left, as though he was boring his way in. This was an astonis.h.i.+ng thing to the stranger. This was done by Apollo over and over again, and now, every time they met, and the twisting motion was repeated, his enemy would be thrown back on his haunches.

For a period of twenty minutes the combat continued. Back and forth they ranged. Harry, although intensely excited, wanted to give the bull a shot, but the Professor restrained him. He felt that the youth of Apollo was enough to overbalance the strength of his enemy.