Part 26 (2/2)
After the evening meal, John walked around the village, observing the people, and he found happiness everywhere. Everything seemed to be arranged according to a system. The old man was not a chief, but was looked upon as their advisor and guide; but he was a criminal, as were all the others in that town.
That evening when all were present John had the first opportunity to talk with the venerable chief of the town.
”How long have you been here?” he was asked.
He was silent for a moment and then answered: ”Thirty years.”
It must be understood that the questions and answers had to be translated and as the natives knew nothing about the division of time in months or years it was necessary to convert the time which was given by nature into terms of years and months.
Thus, they understood what a day meant, and they could calculate time, as all savages do, by the phases of the moon, and in many cases they were able to indicate time by the position of the sun, in which they recognized three phases only, namely, when the sun was directly above them, and when it reached the extreme northern and southern points.
”Why were you sent here?”
”Because I committed a crime.”
John was almost startled at the frankness of the confession, which the old man made without the least perceptible show of feeling or shame.
”Would you like to go back again?”
”Go back where?”
”To your home.”
He looked bewildered for a moment, and then answered: ”This is my home.”
”But I mean your old home at Sasite.”
The old man shook his head vigorously, and answered: ”No! no! There is no place like Hutoton.”
”Do you know what 'Hutoton' means?”
”Yes; it means 'the place of death.'”
The boys were startled at the reply. John turned to them, when he saw their expression, and smiled. The old man, too, smiled.
”Do any of your people want to go back?”
He looked surprised at the question. ”Do they want to go back?” he repeated the query. ”No; but you should ask them. I do not know of any one who wishes to return. We love our Chief too much to wish for such a thing.”
”Do you know what the people in Sasite think of this place?”
”No; not altogether; I am curious to know.”
”They believe it is a terrible place, and that the people who are sent here never have another day of peace or happiness.”
”And have they not changed their opinions? I used to think so too, and we believed it of those who went before us; but we thought they might have changed their opinions, because we felt that people were growing better and not worse. It is a long time since they sent us real criminals, and we thought the Chief's people were growing wiser and happier.”
”When did the last criminals come here?”
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