The Island School — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

by oe arg eres: are “any with ‘the Ne coat-of-arms on “She may not be wanted for days or weeks,” said the envelope,” said the man, with a grin, “they are pote as he rose up to go, “but you will keep her ce ae for. me; or perhaps” they may be directed to Rob | ready, won’t you 2” 4 “ Certainly, if you wishes it. I take more count of you than all the rest, including Nap. I don’t. fancy hell come out too strong in a time of - Changeling, Hsquire, without the family seal.” “ All right,” said Lal Brodie, “ we'll see that you "get all that are sent to oe: Your correspondence er $a r. B Tel - generally isn’t very heavy.” emergency.” ' | i. e “Never had a letter in my life,” sighed Rob Change- “ And you won't talk about what I have been say- as ling, who was the engineer of the launch; “that’s | ing to you to anyone ?” ein on ot makes me so sad.” Here he grinned again. “1 ain’t got: no friends to bother me-with news, or to worrit me with asking for loans. Seen anything of anybody at sea ?” \ They told him of the attempt made by the stranger oot to run them down, and he looked more serious than he had hitherto done. rt - “Blowed if I don’t think we shall have some bother with these Spanish warmints. When I last took “Notme. I have got a nateral gift of conversa- _ tion”—here he grinned again— but I don’t go blab- a bing about.” sn Bh, Jim Gordon walked away towards the school with ti ie a thoughtful air. It wasin the ater nOnE of the day, : about half-past three o’clock. Ahead he could see Aas his companions of the “ Swallow” toiling along with , i) the mail-bags upon their shoulders, but Cae was | nobody else about. ! us Napoleon over to Minorca, one o’ em comes up in a As he drew near the buildings, he turned aside to if x boat right to the side of the launch. Iwas lolling | wooden hut of fair size, it may have been thirty feet i x over the side,as I am now—for I allus lolis when I gets | square, standing clear of the rest. , Into it Brodie and Ks a the chance—and this chap takes out a knife and holds ‘Stiff had by that time disappeared. 8 iY : w,) ie eet eS i —<-= en ae See es x i Ag it up tome. ‘It’s a good knife,’ I says, ‘but I ain't a There was a window on that side of it, and uaders Ne buyer to-day.’. Then he says something in his native | that the ordinary slit of a letter-box. Just below the wa ba _ gibberish, makes a Cross the air with the weppin, | roof was a long board, ‘on which was the following a and goes ashore again. | Shortly afterwards Napoleon inscription, ‘“‘Fermentera Post Office.” Hh Hs comes aboard, looking a bit white about the gills, and Jim paused by the door, and looked along the line Hy _he orders me to git up steam smart, and make for |. of buildings composing the schools and workshops. me home.” — ! From one there came the sound of blacksmiths ‘ “They don’t like our being here,” said Jim Gordon, | hammers, from another the harsh grating of a hand-— “ _ as he gently grounded the “Swallow” on the sandy | saw, and from most of them the ring of young and _ ve shore, “but then, they have to lump it, you know.” cheery voices, some singing asthey toiled. = © aD The boys ¢ sot out and lifted the sacks of letters and At the far end on the left there was another de- | me papers from the boat. Lal Brodie and Stiffeach took | tached erection, marked on the front “ Laboratory. 7 ‘3 f one upon his shoulders and went off towards the Jim made a step as if he would have gone on to it, eu school. Jim Gordon remained behind to complete | but changed his mind, and entered the post- -office, i the furling of the lateen sail and put the craft Inside was a double room, a partition dividing the — . generally in orcler. floor in two. The first part borearuggedresemblance __ He was near enough to Rob Changeling to converse | to an ordinary stamp-office, and the inner one was _ with him without raising his voice. marked “ Private.” | eal “Rob,” he said, “would you think I am at all a Jim could have raised the flap of a counter that funky fellow ?” ~ was a part of the furniture of the place, but he pre- “If Idid, I should be a fool,” grunted Rob. ferred vaulting over it, which he did with scarce an “Well, then, I may admit to you that J am in a | effort. | Gh stew. There’s mischief brewing, and Mr. Farrell ought As one who had a right there, or was expected, — to send Miss Eveline to Gibraltar, or right on to Eng- | he opened the door of the inner compartment and land, for a time.” | went in. ) “Why Miss Eveline,” asked Rob, “more’n her Five people were there already busy emptying the _ SIMOther £74) ee he letters from the bags and sorting them. Ys “I can’t exactly tell you why I think so,” said Jim, Brodie and Stiff we know. The others were the “but that is what is in my mind. In case of | schoolmaster, his wife and daughter. ise emergency, iat elt you could run the launch so Mr. Napoleon Farrell was a little man, bearing ae by | without a doubt a strong physical resemblance t¢ iy - “Yes; she’s got oil enough on board for the trip. | the great Napoleon, He increased it by wearing a i “That's the best of these yere new engines, Not | frock-coat with broad lapels, always buttoned up, re va “pibdspge 4 ne ie #1 porn | it ee TORE CIN TANS at dete ee and ranidatt await viet iy seh 3 ree