After they came back to the island, Retlaw rapidly recovered, and was frequently found wandering around the town. On several occasions he called on the Professor. To the surprise of all he appeared at this time, surprised to find John and the boys present, and appeared to be terribly startled on seeing the two skulls.

The moment he saw the paralytic, he became agitated, and started for the door. John barred the way, and said: "Do you know that man?"

In a hesitating voice, he answered: "Yes; I know him well. Where did you find him?" and notwithstanding he saw the quiet figure he drew back with an expression of fear and hesitancy.

George slyly drew forth the Walter note, referred to in the previous volume, "Adventures on Strange Islands," and handed it to John. The latter seized it and said: "Did you ever see this?"

He grasped the paper, and answered: "Where did you get this? Did he have it?"

"No," replied the Professor; "we found it in a recess at the end of a seat in our boat,--the one we made on this island, three years ago."

"I do not know how it could have gotten there. It was written to Clifford,--"

"John B. Clifford?" asked Harry in excitement.

Retlaw turned, when he heard Harry. "Yes," was the hesitating answer.

"Do you know Walter?" asked John.

He did not reply, but glanced at all of them, and while doing so Harry came forward, and said: "Isn't your name Walter?"

The man started back and held up his hand: "What makes you think so?" he asked in alarm.

"Because _Retlaw_ reversed, spells Walter," answered Harry.

It was time for the Professor to show surprise at the acuteness of Harry's conclusions. John took the cue at once. "Why are you trying to deceive us?"

He dropped his eyes, and was silent, and then he slowly turned to the quiet man.

John noticed the movement. "Who was the man tied to the vessel and wrecked on the island to the south of us?"

This question by John produced an added agitation in the deportment of the man. He was visibly affected by the question, but there was no reply.

"As you do not feel disposed to answer our questions we must detain or keep you in custody until Clifford recovers," said John, and motioning to the boys, they gathered around him, and called in the attendants and ordered the men to take charge of him.

As they were about to pa.s.s out the door, Ephraim ascended the steps and was about to pa.s.s into the open door. He caught sight of the curious group, and when his eye alighted on the figure on the couch, he drew back for a moment, while his gaze remained fixed.

Then he calmly moved forward, slowly shaking his head from side to side, and muttered: "That looks like Clifford, my companion on the ship, and the one who aided me to gain a foothold on the spar. How did he come here?"

"That is the man we found at Hutoton," said John. "But do you know this man?" he asked, pointing to Walter.

Ephraim turned, and scrutinized his face. "No, I have never seen him, to my knowledge."

Walter moved back with a sigh of relief, while John and the Professor looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

"Then the man we found tied to the boat was not Clifford!" exclaimed George.

John looked at Walter, and he saw him grow pale.

"Who was the man," he asked, in a threatening tone, as he approached Walter. The latter hesitated. "We are determined to ferret out this matter, and it will be to your advantage to tell us the whole story, for we shall find it out sooner or later."

"I must have time to think," he answered, as he put his hands to his head, and turned to Clifford.

"You may have until to-morrow, but in the meantime, we shall see to it that you are kept within our sight," responded John, as he motioned to the men to take him away.

As he left the door Harry said: "Why do you suppose he wanted time?"

John looked at Clifford for a moment, and answered: "Evidently, he had hopes that Clifford would not survive."

CHAPTER XVII

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES

At the suggestion of the Professor, Clifford was left in quiet, while John and the boys deferred their further attempts to explore the mysterious occurrences that were looming up.

They canva.s.sed every phase of the situation, in the hope that some explanation might be offered. What could have been the relations of Walter and Clifford, and who was the man that met his death in the boat at Venture Island?

Why had the sight of the copper box and the skulls so agitated Walter?

The latter, apparently, knew of the missive, which was, evidently, written by him, but why did he not give an outright answer concerning it when John asked him point blank?

It did not take the boys long to inform Sutoto of the development and the mystery concerning the two men. The old Chief, Beralsea, was taken over to see Walter, in order to identify him if possible, and then Harry suggested that Ta Babeda might know something of his early history, as Walter was found a prisoner at his village when John and the boys arrived there.

Beralsea had never seen nor heard of him, and Ta Babeda gave the following account of his capture: "About three years previously several men, of whom Walter was one, arrived at the island, on a small boat, something like the one carried by the _Pioneer_, and which was used at the landing."

(It should be stated that one of the boats, and probably, the one referred to, was the identical lifeboat, No. 3, which the boys had fitted up for use on the _Pioneer_.)

"This boat was kept by them at the inlet directly east of the cave where the Korinos were lodged. I did not know anything of this for some time, but the Korinos learned of the presence of the men, and my warriors were set to watch the men. A few days afterwards, another boat, much smaller, appeared with two men, but from all appearances they were a different party, and after they had a conference, it appeared as though there was trouble between the different parties."

"We were about to close in on them, when at the height of their quarrel, but they caught sight of us, and joined in resisting the attack against us. With the guns they had we were no match for them, so we had to retire to the village.

"The next morning we learned that they had gone, and on searching the sh.o.r.e found something with marks on, it, that had no meaning to us so it was destroyed."

"Was it something like this?" asked Harry, handing him a sketch.

The Chief studied it for a few moments, and answered: "It seems to me it was like that. The marks were something like these," and he pointed to the crosses.

Harry had made the identical marking which were on the two skulls, which, it will be remembered, showed the characters + V, and below these three X X X, followed by a star.

"I suspected as much," said John. "They were, quite possibly, on the same quest. But where did they get the information?" And he turned to the Professor for a possible explanation.

The latter was now thoroughly interested. "Unless Walter chooses to tell, the matter may not be solved, unless Clifford recovers, and even though he should regain his physical powers, the mind may have relapsed into its late condition."

By agreement John and the boys remained at the Professor's home that night, awaiting symptoms of the patient's disease, and during the night they recounted over and over again the adventures they had undergone, and the experiences with the natives.