The Wonder Island Boys: Exploring the Island Part 19

It was, undoubtedly, another boat; but there was no name or number on any of the pieces by means of which it could be identified.

"I believe it was a part of the _Investigator's_ equipment," was the Professor's final conclusion. "Have you recovered all the parts from the debris?"

"I don't think we can find anything else. While Harry was away I hunted all along the point in the hope that some more pieces might have been found."

The most minute examination was made for some mark of identification, but nothing was found which would give the least clue.

"Let us gather all these pieces and keep them for further observation, particularly for the reason that other parts may be found eventually, and identification will then be easier."

"Shouldn't we take the remnant of our life-boat to the Cataract?" asked George.

"By all means. It has just occurred to me that we might use that as part of the new boat we are building."

That was an idea which had not occurred to either of the boys.

Considering that the portion recovered was the stern, and by far the largest part of the vessel, and that it had the double hull construction, made the suggestion a most acceptable one.

After all parts of the wreckage had been a.s.sembled, the Professor, accompanied by the boys, made another tour, much to the left, and on returning to the boat, the Professor's eye caught a white object lying partially hidden behind a rock.

"What is that by the rock to the right?" Without waiting for a further suggestion from the Professor, Harry made his way up, and when the object was reached, threw up his hands, without uttering a word. George had followed, and before the Professor had time to reach the spot, he cried: "A skull!"

"There is more than that," said the Professor. "Remove the debris."

The boys saw portions of the skeleton plainly now. It was such a shock to them that they could scarcely speak.

"Probably that solves the mystery of the wreckage we found."

"Undoubtedly," was the Professor's only comment.

The boys were now absolutely unnerved, but the Professor, without noticing their agitated state, carefully removed the seaweed and other acc.u.mulation, and found the skeleton largely disjointed, excepting the torso, or upper portion of the frame.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 28. HUMAN SKULL_]

When the entire skeleton had been taken out and arranged, the Professor said: "It seems we are to have one mystery after the other."

"How long do you suppose this body has been here?"

"Probably ten months or more."

The boys looked at each other. "Ten months? That is as long as we have been here."

"That is one of the reasons why I said ten months."

The boys knew what that meant. This was, very likely, one of the _Investigator's_ boats, and the skeleton the remains of one of their s.h.i.+pmates.

"Probably it was one of the boys," was George's inquiry.

"I do not think so," said the Professor. "The skeleton shows that of an individual past middle age."

"Why do you think so?"

"Princ.i.p.ally, from my examination, so far, on account of the condition of the skull. You see, these saw teeth lines, which cross the top portion. These are called the sutures, and in infancy they are not joined. Before the third period of life these joints grow together, so as to form an undivided skull. But wait; here is another indication. The teeth seem to be greatly worn, showing that the person must have been close to the sixth period of life."

This discovery was the cause of very conflicting emotions in the boys.

They reverently gathered the bones, and at Harry's suggestion the boys went to the Cataract for the team. The Professor volunteered to remain.

We may well imagine the feelings of the boys as they went on their mission. Here was mute evidence that others of the ill-fated s.h.i.+p had met disaster. They had often speculated on the fate of their companions.

How many had been left to tell the tale!

The yaks were yoked, and taking with them a rude box, which had been put together, as the Professor suggested, they shortly returned.

"Have you found anything new?" was George's first question.

"The poor fellow was undoubtedly killed when he landed, and I think he was a sailor."

"Have you found anything which makes you think so?"

"Nothing but what you see before you. That break in the skull was, in my opinion, made by contact with a rock; furthermore, several of the bones were broken, as you see, at the time he met with his calamity; and one of the legs shows where it was broken before his death, and had mended."

It was a remarkable funeral cortege which wended its way slowly back over the hills to their home. They felt it was paying a tribute to a friend and companion. All doubts on their part had been dispelled. He had been one of their companions on that terrible night when the explosion had sent their s.h.i.+p to the bottom, and had cast them adrift on a sea which welcomed them in raging fury.

"What shall we do with the skeleton?"

The Professor was silent a long time before he answered. "I do not know what to advise. Perhaps, in the future fate may be kind enough to restore us to our homes and friends, and if it should be that we are the only ones so rescued, the skeleton would be a positive means of enabling us to ascertain whether or not he was one of our companions, and also to advise his friends."

A stone sarcophagus was built, in which the remains were deposited after a funeral service at which the Professor presided.

This event had a most depressing influence on the boys, as well it might, during the entire day, and it was the princ.i.p.al topic of their conversation while together. During the two days following only brief references were made to the Professor, but the second evening George's inquisitive nature could not hold in any longer.

"When we were on the rocks examining the skeleton, you referred to the fourth and the sixth ages of man."

"Yes; in point of growth man has seven ages. The first is infancy, which ends at the second year; second, the age which ends at the seventh year; third, at the end of fourteen years; fourth, at the end of twenty-two years; fifth, at the end of forty-seven years; sixth, at the end of sixty-five years; and seventh, which ends at death. These divisions vary somewhat between males and females, and I have given you merely the average between the two s.e.xes."

"I can't help feeling sad, when I think of the things that have happened, and at the thought that all our friends may have been lost."

"Sadness is a natural feeling under the circ.u.mstances, but after all, why should it be so? Why should the sight of the skeleton bring sorrow to you? Probably the Egyptians had the right idea when they always had a skeleton at the feast."

"Skeleton at the feast? What was that for?"

"As a reminder of death?"

"There is one thing I could never make myself understand. Why is death necessary? Why couldn't man have been made so he could live always?" was Harry's query.

"You have asked a very broad question. It is one which has a great many answers. At this time I shall give only one of the reasons. The earth would not be big enough to hold the people. I do not know the population of the globe to-day. It is about 1,000,000,000; and if we take the age of the earth at only 5,000 years, we should have in that time 125 generations, counting each generation as 40 years. Do you know what that would mean in population at this time? You could not comprehend the figures. Let us take the United States alone, as an example. a.s.suming that the population is 90,000,000 at the present time, and that the natural rate of increase is only double in each forty years. This is how it figures out: In forty years we would have 270,000,000; in eighty years, 810,000,000; in one hundred and twenty years, 2,430,000,000; and in one hundred and sixty years, 7,290,000,000. At that rate New York City would have 480,000,000 of people and its boundaries would take in the whole of the State of New Jersey and nearly half of the entire State of New York, as thickly settled as that city now is."

CHAPTER XII