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Chapter XIII

The Exciting Hunt In The Forest


They returned to their home with conflicting emotions. It had been an eventful day. They had a glimpse of the outside world, and an experience below the surface of the earth. Both were unsatisfying. They could explain the one far away on the sea; but the other, close at hand, was a mystery.

"How do you account for the water being so far away from the mouth of the cave?" was George's inquiry after the evening meal.

"Haven't you noticed that we have had no rain for the past five weeks?"

Such was, indeed, the case. The boys had not been observant, like the Professor.

"Evidently the water is supplied from rains, and the floor of the cave permits more or less of the water to leak through, so that, in time, if we had no rains, the cave would be entirely free of water."

"But how about the animal in there; if it is a water animal, how did it get in; and if the water ever dries up, how can it live there?"

"There may not be any subterranean connection directly with the sea, and the animal has been trapped there; or it may be able to reach the sea in the cave at any time, by some underground channel."

"How far do you think the cave goes in?"

"That is one of the impossible things to say. It may extend for miles. Like yourselves, I am curious to know all about it, as soon as we can make further investigations. In the meantime, don't forget about the flag."

"I had forgotten that. I am willing to start on it in the morning. How large should it be made?"

"We should make it a regulation flag, by all means."

"Let me see; how many stripes must we have?" said Harry.

"I know; thirteen."

"Yes; and they must be red and white."

"That is correct," responded the Professor; "but do you remember how many of each?"

The boys were silent.

"The top and the bottom stripes are red, and the intervening ones white. What do these stripes represent?"

"The original States."

"I see you have a pretty good recollection. I remember a class of over forty boys, on one occasion, which had only three boys who recalled that. Then we must have a field of another color, up in the corner."

"That is the blue field, with stars on it."

"Yes; but how many stars?"

"A star for each State."

"And how many States are there now?"

There was no response to this. How many boys or men, even, can tell offhand the number at the present time?

"There were 48 before we sailed. How many, if any, were added since I do not know."

The next day the boys were anxious to set to work on the flag. There was plenty of the ramie cloth at hand, but it was quite yellow. George noticed this, and said: "It seems to me we shall have to be content with making the flag red, yellow and blue, that is, if we can get the red and the blue."

"No," was the Professor's rejoinder; "we must make it red, white and blue."

"But how can we make the ramie cloth white?"

"By bleaching it."

That was a new idea; to make white cloth.

"How can we do it?"

"Wet it and put it in the sun. If we want to hurry it up we can use some chloride of lime."

"But where is the chloride of lime?"

"Do you remember that black ore we have in the laboratory, which is called manganese? If we put some of the sulphuric acid on that a gas will be formed, called chlorine, one of the most powerful bleaching compounds known. We can use it in that form, or subject some of our lime to the gases, and in that case make chloride of lime."

The decision was to make the flag sixteen feet long and nine feet nine inches wide, so that each stripe would be nine inches wide. The blue field would be five feet wide and seven feet long.

This was certainly a task, and the boys were directed to prepare four strips of red and three strips of white, each nine feet long, and also three strips of white and three strips of red sixteen feet long. Four of the short strips and three of the long strips were then laid aside to be dyed red. The other strips were put out to bleach.

When all this was prepared George was troubled about the colors.

"Professor, I do not see what we can use to make the blue and red colors."

"I think we are fortunate in having one of the varieties of the madder plant all about here."

"Is that a good dye plant?"

"It is a plant that is more extensively used for dyeing than any other in the world. For many years, until the products from petroleum began to come in, it was the only source for the red colors, because of its permanence. The dye is so powerful that it will turn the bones of animals red, if they are fed on it, and it also colors the claws and beaks of birds."

"Have you seen any of it here?"

"There is plenty of it growing here. You cannot mistake it. It is the plant with the elongated, smooth-edged leaf, which grows on the main stem, from which the small, thin stems branch out that carry the little red flowers."

"I know what you mean; let me get some of them at once." And George was off after the plant.

Meanwhile Harry was busily at work cutting out the double set of stars required for the blue field.

Several days before this George had prepared the roots of the chicory plant, as will be remembered, and it had been dried, and was ready to be ground up. At the noon meal he served the first cup of "coffee," to the delight of Harry, who was completely taken by surprise, and afforded much amusement for George and the Professor.

"It seems to be rather strong," was Harry's only comment, "and even if it isn't real coffee, it is good enough, I assure you."

"Wouldn't it be injurious to take too much of it?"

Chapter XIII

The Exciting Hunt In The Forest

They returned to their home with conflicting emotions. It had been an eventful day. They had a glimpse of the outside world, and an experience below the surface of the earth. Both were unsatisfying. They could explain the one far away on the sea; but the other, close at hand, was a mystery.

"How do you account for the water being so far away from the mouth of the cave?" was George's inquiry after the evening meal.

"Haven't you noticed that we have had no rain for the past five weeks?"

Such was, indeed, the case. The boys had not been observant, like the Professor.

"Evidently the water is supplied from rains, and the floor of the cave permits more or less of the water to leak through, so that, in time, if we had no rains, the cave would be entirely free of water."

"But how about the animal in there; if it is a water animal, how did it get in; and if the water ever dries up, how can it live there?"

"There may not be any subterranean connection directly with the sea, and the animal has been trapped there; or it may be able to reach the sea in the cave at any time, by some underground channel."

"How far do you think the cave goes in?"

"That is one of the impossible things to say. It may extend for miles. Like yourselves, I am curious to know all about it, as soon as we can make further investigations. In the meantime, don't forget about the flag."

"I had forgotten that. I am willing to start on it in the morning. How large should it be made?"

"We should make it a regulation flag, by all means."

"Let me see; how many stripes must we have?" said Harry.

"I know; thirteen."

"Yes; and they must be red and white."

"That is correct," responded the Professor; "but do you remember how many of each?"

The boys were silent.

"The top and the bottom stripes are red, and the intervening ones white. What do these stripes represent?"

"The original States."

"I see you have a pretty good recollection. I remember a class of over forty boys, on one occasion, which had only three boys who recalled that. Then we must have a field of another color, up in the corner."

"That is the blue field, with stars on it."

"Yes; but how many stars?"

"A star for each State."

"And how many States are there now?"

There was no response to this. How many boys or men, even, can tell offhand the number at the present time?

"There were 48 before we sailed. How many, if any, were added since I do not know."

The next day the boys were anxious to set to work on the flag. There was plenty of the ramie cloth at hand, but it was quite yellow. George noticed this, and said: "It seems to me we shall have to be content with making the flag red, yellow and blue, that is, if we can get the red and the blue."

"No," was the Professor's rejoinder; "we must make it red, white and blue."

"But how can we make the ramie cloth white?"

"By bleaching it."

That was a new idea; to make white cloth.

"How can we do it?"

"Wet it and put it in the sun. If we want to hurry it up we can use some chloride of lime."

"But where is the chloride of lime?"

"Do you remember that black ore we have in the laboratory, which is called manganese? If we put some of the sulphuric acid on that a gas will be formed, called chlorine, one of the most powerful bleaching compounds known. We can use it in that form, or subject some of our lime to the gases, and in that case make chloride of lime."

The decision was to make the flag sixteen feet long and nine feet nine inches wide, so that each stripe would be nine inches wide. The blue field would be five feet wide and seven feet long.

This was certainly a task, and the boys were directed to prepare four strips of red and three strips of white, each nine feet long, and also three strips of white and three strips of red sixteen feet long. Four of the short strips and three of the long strips were then laid aside to be dyed red. The other strips were put out to bleach.

When all this was prepared George was troubled about the colors.

"Professor, I do not see what we can use to make the blue and red colors."

"I think we are fortunate in having one of the varieties of the madder plant all about here."

"Is that a good dye plant?"

"It is a plant that is more extensively used for dyeing than any other in the world. For many years, until the products from petroleum began to come in, it was the only source for the red colors, because of its permanence. The dye is so powerful that it will turn the bones of animals red, if they are fed on it, and it also colors the claws and beaks of birds."

"Have you seen any of it here?"

"There is plenty of it growing here. You cannot mistake it. It is the plant with the elongated, smooth-edged leaf, which grows on the main stem, from which the small, thin stems branch out that carry the little red flowers."

"I know what you mean; let me get some of them at once." And George was off after the plant.

Meanwhile Harry was busily at work cutting out the double set of stars required for the blue field.

Several days before this George had prepared the roots of the chicory plant, as will be remembered, and it had been dried, and was ready to be ground up. At the noon meal he served the first cup of "coffee," to the delight of Harry, who was completely taken by surprise, and afforded much amusement for George and the Professor.

"It seems to be rather strong," was Harry's only comment, "and even if it isn't real coffee, it is good enough, I assure you."

"Wouldn't it be injurious to take too much of it?"