The Island School — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

z. . y , a LD Bel cae? Y Li. b Mea tay q 4 N > ry, Fe wee S it 3 Pal -0-0d-t ye air Blass you Pee a man as Diese: we Ml by me, if you didn’t quite come ne to what a ch iad a a right to expect.” | ES TS should—should—like — my—wife aad darling | ‘Byeuh e—to—be—here—but——” i | The schoolmaster was gone. _wasa blank. Chorker, being of a harder nature, still - battled with the influence of the deadly aroma. _ “Whatsoever my faults,” he murmured, “I—didn’t ie tra my wife—and child—’cause—I was—afraid. No!—P'm a poor sinful creatur’—I might ha’ done— better as a man—and not been—sich—a liar——” i. And then he in his turn yielded to the influence of the subtle vapour, and lay still. 4 Why should we make a secret of the cause Veeialt this ¥ It was Morse who worked the whole thing. He had been on the watch all the afternoon, - taking note of events occurring in the cave, and | ; "finally, acting on his own judgment, he tested the a _ value of his latest invention by reducing the school- _ master and Chorker to a state of insensibility. It will be remembered by the reader that he had “GEE compound in its preliminary stage when he first _ visited the cave alone. Since then he had finished _ the manufacture of it, and the result was completely pe tislactory: Cea _ Keeping out of the sphere of its influence, he gave. ib time to allow for the evaporation of its power, and then crept up to the two victims he had experimented Ffpen: x They were wrapt in a peculiarly heavy slumber, and snoring like a pair of grampuses.. * _ Morse, with an amused smile upon his face, calmly | ’ cut their bonds and left them. _ Some hours later Chorker awoke from his state of lethargy, and sat up. He felt a little weary about the row, but otherwise his head was in thinking order. pee Mr. Farrell,” he said. “What is it, and who are you?” asked a feeble ice. “ To ean the worlds | “4 4 dl It’s me—Chorker I've lost the ropes as was about 2 = “© And I am free, too, Chorker. What does it mean ! ? ‘ “ “ Sperrits !” Re all Chorker, solemnly. ‘ Inter- ntions of a suppernatural order to help two poor | redtrs as was unjustly in trouble.” “Tt is horribly dark, Chorker,” ister. “ Which is the way out ?”” “ ‘Give me your hand, sir,” said Chorker, “Tl help u along to the best of my ability. Itisa wonderful terwention “we've had. As a eel man I don’t ; pk I desarve it. Hi can 4 ‘we Mg all we deserved, Chorker, who would pping ge a than Meare ih ly ey fe ge wh ‘as la} Oi | -gaid the school- i AT Val nti ihe ¢ rat early: ie ua, To naraie fhe ‘ath, the pair of ang were ina ae. of bewildered humility, not knowing what to make of | | their strange release from captivity, and both were Bi inclined to put it down to supernatural involuntary aid. om Hand in hand the Soa pair groped their way an f ee the mouth of the cave, where they found the chine flooded with moonlight. oe What the hour was neither could ‘tell. Choro “ah having made a ental calculation of the time the Ra moon ought to rise, was of opinion that it was about Ri two in the morning, and it says much for his know= | ledge of such matters, when it is known that he was “ash only three hours out. i Gat an As a matter of fact, it was nearly five o'clock, nine HF: the dawn was nigh. Both men felt very sick and aah having been so long without food, and it became the question between ‘mn them as to what was to be done. fy a “TT” said Mr. Farrell, “ willreturn home and resume “my position at the rand of my establishment.” ies “Then all I can say is,’ replied Chorker, ‘ ill you’ve got a cheek bale your own. J can go — back, not having done no more than obey orders from Rs aman who puts himself up as ae superior ie He - “Chorker, Z am your superior.” | : “Putting aside that p’int for the future,” said Chorker, “Til give you a bit of friendly adwiee. ‘ Don't go home.” | Fi “Why not?” ie “For werry shame keep away ontil I’ve kind \ oy ae helped things to blow over. Suppose you stop in the cave 4 | “Til risk anythmg—endure anything, cael rather than stay another hour in that accursed place. — Tt is clear to me that those scoundrels have left oa island, and I’m again master here. Whatever I have done Em answerable to nobody but myself forit, and To : shall resume my position. You will please fall back ti ie to the place of a dependent.” | “ All right, brother sinner,” said Clee se drily, + only don’t come it too stiff with me, or——”. be: x Mr. Farrell was already hastening down the slope bo. wy the bottom of the chine, and arriving there, he stalked Bee: towards the beach. See ‘They turned out of the mouth of the chine, master and man, afew feet apart, and sulkily silent. | Outside moonlight lit up the sands, and there, to the © horror of the schoolmaster, he beheld the figure of a man crawling slowly along on all-fours, and stopping — every pace or so to groan, No wonder Mr. Farrell staggered back and soi Chorker by the arm, while that fraudulent mariner in his turn was utterly flabbergasted. | i Chorker, what new horror is this! f ry ARRELL. as va a se Mi - We wie ~—) } = bb ” | cl Sea we Ha: nm an bi | aaa 'S x We , 4 ee) iM * fo ast es sie en va: Wh a Sah svi ¥ | iy “4 } i) 18 A Ny iN nh Gv i Mi arith an rae au if in MP , ; Cor I eal