I was not allowed on deck till we had sunk theFarallones and the last pilot boat. I appreciated thisforethought on the part of my father and made it a pointto thank him heartily， in my bluff seaman’s manner. Icould not suspect that he had his own ends in view， in thuskeeping my presence secret to all save the crew. He toldme briefly of my rescue by his sailors， assuring me thatthe obligation was on his side， as my appearance had beenmost opportune. He had constructed the apparatus forthe vindication of a theory concerning certain biologicalphenomena， and had been waiting for an opportunity touse it.
“You have proved it beyond all doubt，” he said； thenadded with a sigh， “But only in the small matter ofdrowning.” But， to take a reef in my yarn—he offeredme an advance of two pounds on my previous wages tosail with him， and this I considered handsome， for hereally did not need me. Contrary to my expectations， Idid not join the sailor’ mess， for’ard， being assigned to acomfortable stateroom and eating at the captain’s table.
He had perceived that I was no common sailor， and Iresolved to take this chance for reinstating myself inhis good graces. I wove a fictitious past to account formy education and present position， and did my best tocome in touch with him. I was not long in disclosing apredilection for scientific pursuits， nor he in appreciatingmy aptitude. I became his assistant， with a correspondingincrease in wages， and before long， as he grew confidentialand expounded his theories， I was as enthusiastic ashimself.
The days flew quickly by， for I was deeply interestedin my new studies， passing my waking hours in his wellstockedlibrary， or listening to his plans and aiding him inhis laboratory work. But we were forced to forego manyenticing experiments， a rolling ship not being exactly theproper place for delicate or intricate work. He promisedme， however， many delightful hours in the magnificentlaboratory for which we were bound. He had takenpossession of an uncharted South Sea island， as he said，and turned it into a scientific paradise.
We had not been on the island long， before I discoveredto horrible mare’s nest I had fallen into. But before Idescribe the strange things which came to pass， I mustbriefly outline the causes which culminated in as startlingan experience as ever fell to the lot of man.
Late in life， my father had abandoned the musty charmsof antiquity and succumbed to the more fascinating onesembraced under the general head of biology. Havingbeen thoroughly grounded during his youth in thefundamentals， he rapidly explored all the higher branchesas far as the scientific world had gone， and found himselfon the no man’s land of the unknowable. It was hisintention to pre-empt some of this unclaimed territory，and it was at this stage of his investigations that we hadbeen thrown together. Having a good brain， though I sayit myself， I had mastered his speculations and methodsof reasoning， becoming almost as mad as himself. But Ishould not say this. The marvellous results we afterwardsobtained can only go to prove his sanity. I can but saythat he was the most abnormal specimen of cold-bloodedcruelty I have ever seen.
After having penetrated the dual mysteries of physiologyand psychology， his thought had led him to the vergeof a great field， for which， the better to explore， hebegan studies in higher organic chemistry， pathology，toxicology and other sciences and sub-sciences renderedkindred as accessories to his speculative hypotheses.
Starting from the proposition that the direct cause ofthe temporary and permanent arrest of vitality was dueto the coagulation of certain elements and compoundsin the protoplasm， he had isolated and subjected thesevarious substances to innumerable experiments. Sincethe temporary arrest of vitality in an organism broughtcoma， and a permanent arrest death， he held that byartificial means this coagulation of the protoplasm couldbe retarded， prevented， and even overcome in the extremestates of solidification. Or， to do away with the technicalnomenclature， he argued that death， when not violentand in which none of the organs had suffered injury， wasmerely suspended vitality； and that， in such instances，life could be induced to resume its functions by the useof proper methods. This， then， was his idea： To discoverthe method—and by practical experimentation provethe possibility—of renewing vitality in a structure fromwhich life had seemingly fled. Of course， he recognisedthe futility of such endeavour after decomposition had setin； he must have organisms which but the moment， thehour， or the day before， had been quick with life. Withme， in a crude way， he had proved this theory. I was reallydrowned， really dead， when picked from the water of SanFrancisco bay—but the vital spark had been renewed bymeans of his aerotherapeutical apparatus， as he called it.
Now to his dark purpose concerning me. He firstshowed me how completely I was in his power. He hadsent the yacht away for a year， retaining only his twoblackies， who were utterly devoted to him. He thenmade an exhaustive review of his theory and outlined themethod of proof he had adopted， concluding with thestartling announcement that I was to be his subject.
I had faced death and weighed my chances in many adesperate venture， but never in one of this nature. I canswear I am no coward， yet this proposition of journeyingback and forth across the borderland of death put theyellow fear upon me. I asked for time， which he granted，at the same time assuring me that but the one course wasopen—I must submit. Escape from the Island was out ofthe question； escape by suicide was not to be entertained，though really preferable to what it seemed I mustundergo； my only hope was to destroy my captors. But thislatter was frustrated through the precautions taken by myfather. I was subjected to a constant surveillance， even inmy sleep being guarded by one or the other of the blacks.