ere the savages
had their homes. This meant a good supply of weapons and ammunition.

The following circumstances determined them on this course:

The Professor, addressing John, on this occasion, said: "We were
intensely interested in the review of your experiences on the island;
but there are several things which we are anxious to know about, and in
some particulars you may be able to supply the missing links. We have
not yet shown you the message which we found in the _Investigator's_
lifeboat, so that if you will get it, Harry, you may be able to tell us
something about it."

This was the little slip of paper which had on it the following
inscription: "We cannot hold out much longer. Wright and Walters were
captured yesterday. Will."

Harry handed it to him, and he looked at it for some time. "I do not
know who Wright and Will are, but Walters was one of the crew of the
sailing vessel that we took from San Francisco."

"Had you any knowledge of any of the boats of the _Investigator_ being
on the west side of the mountains during the time you were in that
neighborhood?"

"No; during my stay with the tribe to which Chief belonged I tried in
every way to ascertain something about the fate of my companions. Only
once during that time did I get any sort of knowledge on that point.
When I tried to describe the men, all denied any knowledge of them; but
pointed to the youths of the village, and I could not understand what
they meant. That is now made plain to me, as, undoubtedly, they meant
the ones referred to were boys."

"And, now, there is another thing I want to know from Ralph and Tom. Did
either of you have a photograph of some of the boys on the ship?"

George found the photograph which they had taken from one of the
warriors in the second day's fight.

Ralph and Tom both declared that it was the first time they had ever
seen the photograph, and on closer examination it was seen that while
Harry and George were shown on the picture, neither of the other boys'
features were there.

"Did either of you boys know of any of those mentioned in the message?"

"I knew a Will, but I do not remember his last name. I do not think
Wright was the name of anyone on shipboard. I am sure he was not one of
the boys," was Ralph's answer.

This information pointed to two things clearly: That there were other
boys, belonging to their ship, castaway on the island, and that at least
one of the crew of John's vessel might