The Wonder Island Boys: Conquest of the Savages | Page 9

watched them push it in place, and
then the sawmill was started. The process of turning out lumber with
the saw was marvelous. Every part of the shop was filled, as the boys

set the grindstone, the lathe, and the gristmill into motion.
When a log was finally secured to be cut into shafts for spears, and they
saw the wood-turning lathe make the shaft round and true, their
enthusiasm knew no bounds.
"Tell them, Muro, that is what we want them to do," said John, and
they opened their eyes at the possibilities.
There was still quite an amount of barley which had not been ground,
and the willing warriors helped the boys bring a lot to the mill and the
production of the flour before their eyes was such an amazing thing that
they could not even give vent to their expressions.
Early in the day one of the bullocks had been killed by John's order,
and a roasting pit dug out, and this was now being prepared for the
principal meal of the day, and many of them were interested in this new
way of roasting an entire carcass.
A quantity of vegetables had also been gathered by the parties detailed
for the purpose, and George was the busiest of the lot, as he personally
attended to the cooking of the various dishes. He had most willing
helpers, each one trying to lend a hand, so that he did little more than
direct.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. George's Old Dutch Oven.]
But he was determined to have bread, and it did not take long to
improvise an old Dutch oven with the firebrick, and in this a fire was
built, so that the bricks were heated up intensely, and the fire then
withdrawn, and a cover put over the chimney. The heated brick,
therefore, did the baking. Loaf after loaf was put in, and while the
dough had not risen as it should have done, owing to lack of time, still
the bread produced was something so unlike anything the natives had
ever seen, that the making of it in their presence was a joy, to say
nothing of the eating of it when the meal was served.
It was not only a picnic; it was a feast. None there, excepting Uraso and

Stut, had ever tasted such things before. They knew what honey was,
but sugar was a novelty, and this was supplied without stint. George
had no opportunity to make any delicacies in the form of cakes, but he
made a barley pudding in which was a bountiful supply of sago.
After the meal, John called the boys together and said: "Before
dismantling the place here it has occurred to me that there are some
things which we ought to make, because it will take some time to set up
the parts, even after we get them in the new locality. I believe we still
have quite a quantity of the cast-steel bars, from which we intended
making gun barrels."
"In looking over the stock to-day," said Harry, "I find we have
sufficient to make at least fifty barrels, and I have prepared the lathe to
do just what you have suggested."
"Good boy," responded John. "You and Tom keep at that, and don't
mind about anything else. If we can once get the barrels bored out, and
the fittings made, we can put them together without having the shop in
running order."
"In talking with Harry yesterday," said Tom, "we made up the scheme
of putting a small bench in the wagon, with the vise, so that we can put
together some of the guns on our way."
"All that is in the right direction. And now, another thing. The wagon
we have is not at all adequate for what we have to take with us, but we
have plenty of people to carry things, and they will be glad to do it, but
some things are very inconvenient to carry, so that it will be of material
assistance if we build another wagon."
The boys looked at John, merrily laughing at the suggestion.
"Just the thing," said Ralph, "and it is easily done. We still have the old
wheels that were used before we built the last set."
"Quite true; I had entirely forgotten about that. Uraso will help, and
will be just the fellow to direct his men. Now let us start at this with

vigor. We must return as early as possible. The hostiles may attack the
Professor at any time, and the weapons are necessary articles."
As they were about to separate, Harry remarked: "We have a quantity
of the iron which we made, and instead of carrying it along in the
wagon, it occurred to me that we ought to forge out some