be had its own
distinctive dress. But later on we learned which tribe it was."

The Professor drew up the mattress and brought out two different
articles of headgear that had been taken four days before. "Do you
recognize either of these?"

The boys started. "Yes; this belongs to the tribe that first captured
us. See that row of shells, and this colored band. That is the principal
distinguishing feature aside from the hair. This hair is a dark brown,
and all of the tribe wear that kind because their bitterest enemies have
that kind of hair, and they seem to take a delight in slaying an enemy
solely for the purpose of getting the hair necessary to make up the head
ornament with."

"I noticed that the hair of the people who are around us now is very
black and curly."

"Yes; this other headdress is made principally from the hair of our
enemies outside. Where did you get it?"

"We captured it," answered the Professor, "in one of the fights we had
several days ago."

"At the time you captured the chief here?"

"Yes. And while we are on the subject, I wish you would see if you
recognize the headdress of the chief we have here."

Ralph looked it over, and to the surprise of all announced that he had
never seen that kind before.

"How many tribes do you think are on the island?" was George's question.

"Probably a half dozen or more. Our means for learning these things were
very limited, although we have had a close acquaintance with them for
the past six months."

"Before you go on with your story I want to ask a question or two," said
the Professor, as he glanced at John. "Did you ever come across a large
river, like this one, and which flowed in a different direction, say, to
the east?"

Neither of the boys remembered such a stream.

"Have you ever been near the range of mountains which we can see to the
east of us?"

"Oh, yes; we were taken way down west of those mountains. After seeing
the captors a safe distance away, we started in an opposite direction,
and found ourselves on a little stream of water, and picked out a
resting place on one shore among the bush where a little overhanging
hill offered some shelter. Before night both of us became very ill, and
had taken to vomiting, and then imagined that the berries had poisoned
us. For two days we lay there, almost too weak to move, and afraid to
venture out, on account of the savages. We found nuts and ate sparingly
at first, as our stomachs were too we