The Island School — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

154 went on to alumber-room at the side of the house. There were three windows in it, but all were protected with iron bars. The boys in the room were lounging about, chatting, in a state of suppressed excitement. He gave them a few stimulating words of encourage- ment, and left them. So he went from post to post —to the class-rooms and the dormitories—until he had visited them all, and gathering as he went that, boys though they were, they would give a good account of themselves ere they yielded to the enemy. Satisfied so far, he hastened to the hall, where he found Martin railing at the absence of Chorker, who had vanished out of the house without anyone know- ing whither he had gone. “Tl drown the old skunk like a rat, when I get hold of him,” he said. “ Don’t,” pleaded Changeling; “jest leave him to me. I can make it all right with Chorker.” “Tam going now,” said Jim, “and it has occurred to me that no lights had better be burning in the house. Please send word round to that eftect.” Martin promised to do so, and, in obedience to a sign from Jim, opened the door, and the brave lad passed out of the house into the night. “It has grown dark all of a sudden,” muttered Martin ; “ the sky is covered with cloud. It looks as if we are going to have a storm.” CHAPTER LXXXIII. ROMEO LETS OUT CHARLEY.—A CHANCE OF THWARTING THE SPANIARDS. ES, 1t was very dark. ~“ Jim was not at all ae prepared to find it : so. Half an hour before, the sky was ‘seemingly without a cloud, and now it was covered with a _ dense canopy that entirely hid the stars from view. i There was no. wind, either, which Houed that the currents that had brought the clouds were above. Accustomed though he was to still nights on the island, Jim ex- perienced the feeling that this was especially so. There was something unnatural about it. “Ti I were a poet,’ murmured Jim, “I might possibly think that all sweet Nature was breathlessly waiting the issue of the struggle to-night. But Iam not one of those people who think that my affairs are of any special interest to the elements.” “ Dat you, Marse Gordon ?” atue "oo LES Nal Pig 86 <@s1gme20 rT . ery | THE ISLAND SCHOOL. ma Glace It was Romeo, who had previously stolen out and was awaiting him in the shadow, if there was such « special thing just then, of the house. But all around was of such a common blackness that light and shade- did not apparently exist, even in a degree. “ Nuffin’ stirring yet, Marse Gordon,” up de hill.” “You have seen nothing of Morse, then ?” said Jim. ‘Tam sorry for that. We may not be able to. effect a meeting on such a night as this.” Something cold touched Jim’s hand. He started back rb alnaneraiien “It am only Charley,” said Romeo. “T did not intend him to be loose,”’ said Jim; “ he: had better be put up again.” Romeo endeavoured to lead Charley back HS his. den, but the passive resistance of the beast effectually Palle him. Charley simply sat down upon his. haunches, and he become about as movable as a well- rooted tree. Jim patted the beast, and in soothing terms desired him “to go home’; but the bear was not to be induced to stir. Nor was an angry word more effective, and finally he was allowed to have his own way. “Let him fall in behind,” said Jim, free.” Romeo took of the chain by which he had been leading Charley, and with the faithfulness of a well-- broken dog, the intelligent brute fell to the rear. He: became at once as tractable as a setter 1n the field. As time was getting on, and Jim’s anxiety about Morse deepening, they started for the path leading to- the castle; but the darkness was so intense, and with no light from the house to indicate the exact line they should take, the way was very uncertain to Jim and Romeo. Suddenly they found themselves close upon the. sea, which, like the air, was strangely still. The faint. sound of its lazily rolling in was the first indication. Jim had of its vicinity. “Hang it, Romeo!” he ete “we have come ever so far out of our way.” | “No wonder at dat,’ said Romeo. “Dis night bout de darkest me was eber able not to see bout. 99 “Set him: in. | “The question is, where are we?” said Jim. “1 should think we must be about opposite the path,. and if we walk up direct from the sea we shall come- to it.” “’Spect dat ’bout it,” said Romeo, easily. “ Anyhow,” rejoined Jim, “we cannot be far out of the road if we can keep on straight from the sea.” He wheeled about, and getting his back square to- \ said Romeo,. idling “cept fin’ lik f har: sidling up, “* cept sumfin’ like a sneeze from somewhar aahke 900 ‘Ss.coO (Si @)