The Island School — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

200 “Tf I open the gate to answer you, will you be peaceable?” | “Twill. I swear it.” Morse opened the gate, and there stood Lucia, wild-eyed and despairing. She extended her arms, and cried out: _ “My Reonardo! Where is he ?” “How can [I tell who is Reonardo?” answered Morse, evasively. ‘Some of the men fled away.” “He was not of their number,” replied Lucia, with a bitter’cry. “Istayed at the base of the path and watched. He did not come.” | _. “Do not forget,” said Morse, “that he and his men were the assailants.” | “TY forget nothing,” she said. “To you I say nothing—no. To-day there is peace between us. I swear it. Only let me see my Reonardo.” _ “You may find him there,” said Morse, pointing to the Redan. _He saw her run towards the fort, and leap over the breastwork with the agility of a deer pursued by the hounds. | A moment more and she had disappeared, to throw herself upon the body of her lover. What a piercing shriek it was that burst from her lips when she knew that he was dead! It rang out far and wide. It sent a quiver through the breast of the listener. THE ISLAND He was moved by the grief of the woman, although © it was to her race they owed so much trouble and misery. Creeping up, he peered over the side of the fort, and saw her lying prone upon the ground, her head on the breast of her lost lover. “Wake, Reonardo—awake!” she moaned. “If only for one moment, let me look upon your eyes again.” But there was no response. There could have been none if her voice had been asa hundred trumpets. suddenly she was upon her feet again with her extended arms raised a little above her head. Her fingers worked nervously. My love, I willavenge you! Alone I will do itt!” Then, without any apparent heed of the presence of Morse, she sprang upon the top of the earthwork, threw up her arms again, and leaping down, vanished as a bird on the wing, from sight. ‘All danger is not past,” thought Morse. “Ido not like the looks of her. But her anger may come to naught, and I will not speak of her coming. This should be a day of quiet rejoicing for us all.” He had not forgotten the two wounded boys, but he took a hopeful view of their case,.as Martin did. Whatever befell them they had without doubt done their duty like young heroes. Returning to the castle, he found. Jim just down from the room where Rainstone and Felton had been SCHOOL. placed, and he was glad to get a favourable report from him. “‘ Both conscious and very quiet. Almostfree from pain.” | The wounds were, it seemed, the resuit of down- ward stabs, and therefore not so deep as would have been the case if a direct horizontal blow had been delivered. *‘ Martin is as good as a surgeon,” said Jim, “ How true itis that we do not know what isin a fellow until the pinch comes !” The rest of the morning was occupied in making the graves and interring the slain. Even the man who had been hoisted in the.air by Morse’s mine was not forgotten. They hunted him up in the lower wood, and buried him near the spot where he had fallen: Jim took no share in this work. Morse super- intended it throughout. The “hero of the Redan,” as his chums dubbed him, kept a lookout from the tower Morse had opened, and towards noon he saw a felucca sailing away in the direction of Minorca. Having a field-glass with him he was able to make out Lucia di Valo and five men, all who remained of the band who had come to destroy the school and its occupants. One portion of their mission they had successfully accomplished. In the other they had failed. “Gone!’ murmured Jim. ‘ Will they ever return ? Shall we hear any more of them P” He could not tell, but if he had been aole to dip into the almost immediate future, he would have known that their troubles were to take a new form which ~— neither he nor any person in the castle dreamt of. By the afternoon all signs of the recent combat had been cleared away, and all that remained as a record of it outside the castle were the graves within the fort over which Sleeny, the carpenter, with some of his young assistants were busy fixing wooden crosses. On each and all of the men they found something— a tobacco-box, a purse, a handkerchief, or something —that gave a clue to their names as far as initials could do, so, and. these were cut upon the crosses so that in the future if any of their friends paid a visit to the — spot they might know where they were laid. “They were our foes,” said Sleeny, ‘‘and_ bitter ones. But lying here wipes out all ill-feeling. May they be forgiven their sins.as I hope to be forgiven mine !” | : To which those who werestanding around murmured a soft “ Amen.” With a day so auspiciously ended, and good news 4s to the condition of Rainstone and Felton, it is no marvel that the boys were merry in the hall. Mrs. Farrell and Eveline were there looking on, and Jim sat by them chatting and watching the 900 Mic (@{ 0) ‘Ss Co