Part 4 (1/2)
”Why do you think so?”
”You will notice that the end of the board has the marks of the folded paper, showing it must have been in its place of concealment for some time. Furthermore, the paper itself indicates that it has been there for some time, by the discoloration on its outer side.”
”How long do you think it may have been there?”
”It is impossible to say; but certainly for several months.”
”Doesn't it seem reasonable,” Harry inquired, ”to think it was some one from the _Investigator_? Otherwise, how is it that they had possession of the boat?”
”That is the problem we shall now have to find out.”
Thus, in another direction, was found an evidence that savages were on the island and that others had been wrecked and found a refuge there.
How much of a refuge it was to them they had no means of knowing. They were thankful their own lives had been preserved and had been permitted to accomplish so much during their enforced stay.
”We are now vigorous and strong and have been blessed with energy as well as health. It is our first duty to take up the task of finding our comrades, whatever the cost may be. If that is your view, we should proceed with that determination, but let us prepare for it in the best manner possible. How long will it take to finish the six guns you are now at?” said the Professor, looking at Harry.
”I will try to have them ready within another week,” was his reply.
”In the meantime, George and I will prepare a new lot of powder; and for your further information, I will state that I have been busy during the past week in making preparations to extract some lead for bullets.”
This announcement was hailed with joy. Heretofore they had to depend on the iron slugs which had been turned out, and they were not at all satisfactory, because they lacked the proper weight.
”Which is the lead?” asked George, who was examining the samples.
”It is this bluish-gray sample of galena, which, as you see, looks like lead itself, and is often mistaken for it; but it is far from being lead of the kind we can work.”
”Why not?”
”Because it is in what is called a sulphide form. Do you remember what a sulphide is?”
”Yes; it is where it is in combination with something.”
”That is a fairly good definition. More or less sulphur is found in all metals, but when found in large quant.i.ties the ore is called a sulphide.”
”How can we get rid of the sulphur?”
”We can cook it and drive it off like steam. Lead melts at a low temperature, comparatively, about 600 degrees Fahrenheit, so that with our furnaces it will be a very easy matter to get a pure lead.”
During the rest of the day all were in the laboratory, superintending the preparation for the work, and at the Professor's suggestion the boys took the team in the morning and brought in over a hundred pounds of galena to be treated.
Before noon they had forty pounds of a very fine quality lead, and the work of making molds for the bullets was begun. The Professor, however, suggested that the boys should devote their time to the construction of the boat and guns, and it was difficult to decide what was the proper thing to do first.
The Professor saw the dilemma and had a very earnest conference on the subject.
”You must not, by any means, be carried away with undue eagerness and a desire for haste. The first essential of good business is to do everything in order. It is better to plan carefully every step in advance, so that you will know just when your energies will be required for the next step. An eminent engineer, on one occasion, in answer to a question as to why he was always prepared for an emergency, laid down this rule: Whenever you have a problem to solve, work it out in more ways than one. If one fails, you can apply the other immediately.
This can be done without a moment's delay. Therein lies the answer--preparedness.”
The boys readily saw the force of the lesson. From that time on it was not necessary to direct the order of events. Each saw to it that the part allotted to him was carried out in a determined spirit.