The Island School — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

| ial : | “Tknow what it is, cried Dibble, eae: «6 “1 M 4 Peeced I knew him as he ea ‘past us. It’s _ Farrell!” Ra oN Leia * said Trimmer. “ a “Tt is—T'll bet you my dinner. Hear them !” ‘i There could be no peril in going where laughter i ‘ a was, so they went i in, and found about two-score boys i oe convulsions. th _ answer the questions they put, Ubey. learnt that it was i ft the schoolmaster. « . * “Allin tatters,” laughed Terry, “and floured like a twelfth-cake. Where has he been, and what has he | the story of the coming of the wild man, which some. ie what sobered down the jubilant spirits of the listeners. ‘ 4 - Mr. Farrell, it seemed, had bolted away upstairs. and they must await his return, clothed in his right mind, ere they would get the full particulars of his eae He made the relation a matter of dramatic display, calling the school together in the courtyard imme- 3 WY ciately after tea. To give due effect to his address, he brought out a chair and mounted upon it. | ATE his wife nor daughter graced the mee a “ih i. the trio, who had seen more than. this, told ‘ Vy u non erin. “Boys,” said Mr. Farrell, “after a series of appall- ing adventures I have ranted to you safe and : Seana, and, considering all things, in fair bodily health.” ‘He paused, with the hope of getting a sympathetic _eheer, but none was offered him. With a slight _ frown on his brow, he proceeded : | “IT watched your memorable combat with those a illamous Spaniards, and I must say that you did more than justice to the training os have received a” under my care.’ “Oh! oh! oh!” chorused the ou “You may ‘oh’ as much as you like,’ he said, a tartly ; “but if I have not trained you, who has 2” _ There was a perfect yell of “Jim Gordon and e Morse,’ which seemed to so much exasperate him _ that he was obliged to relieve his feelings by dancing ah the goose-step for a time. But as oo was re- ae ~ stored, he went on. | ©The fight was just over when I went forth to see - a I could be of any assistance to the wounded. A | ay glance inside the fort showed me that I was not _- required, so I sauntered up behind it, and for a pak time contemplated the scene : ~My contemplations | ec ~ “ - 4 4 - wa ld *% peep s f s*4 y > : ae ) + P ef — 7 a wn chy ol ~ %. ‘ ~ Ps - ar" sa le Pa) eT orf toe " eis; P , rc) SF a a - ee yew 4 a _ As soon as they could get EanGne in a condition to | Mae were Pode ie by my receivin ge a blow on th En © head that completely scattered my wit s.”? se 5 in ae By | ‘A very little blow would do. that,” A ‘muttered Tey and then there, was | a general titter. i me 3 sed Re found myself chained to a tree in the anon e Tt by the same chain which I believe was on one oc , ee vi | a ‘i used to keep the bear, which, gx le my wishes, y« (0) at still keep in the school.” ae poe It was impossible to help. it. They ae laugh of again, including the .men. ‘There was “something _ 4 peculiarly humorous, and at the same time » a eratifying, in contemplating the schoolmaster chained Pai by the leg toatree. It was, as Trimmer oe so much like shackling a lamb. ‘. ee 4 “Tt may be funny,” pursued Mr. Farrell, “ ‘atm position was serious. At the outset nobody > was near me, ‘but in about an hour—it might have been Hs 2 ) less, for time lagged with me—there appeared before e me a monster in the shape of a man. . He was clothed i in a suit of clothes made out of leaves and iv = what-not, and his face, begrimed with dirt,. was: the aoe most ferocious I ever wenelih ‘He flourished : a club A 4 q \ rr before my eyes, and ~ ee is gh ) - “ wr. He stopped short, and put his hand to his side, if the subject pained him. The boys did not laug again, for they were getting deeply interested. a full minute élapsed ere the schoolmaster resumed : t “ He demanded”—here he spoke very slowly, 3 with ip a pause between each word—“ eo ae Fe daughter —in—marriage !” 7 | =e Amazement sat on every face, expected to hear, this was the last. e blood rush to his face, and a ray of curious Mee HS : leaped into the eyes of Morse. uf an “ Naturally,” pursued Mr- Farrell, se T. was more | “a than indignant. I told the monster that ‘such | a a thought vould not be entertained by me for one oan -moment. He then gave me time to think the matter 4 i over. . » Ke “For two nights and a day cud: a ‘half, m EL Mr. — | » ea ria ‘3 et Me ms Pigs Farrell, with emotion, “I was chained to that tree, ea hourly chteatened with death, and defying the mon-_ E ‘ ster. He did not starve me, but gave me some awful — . ve rs sort of bread to eat, which I partook of with the idea Ah ‘that, sooner or later, I might have to struggle for m my life. ‘The night before last he left me all to myself, a and I heard none of him till the day was well on. | INE | Then he came back with a sack of flour on his back, DP pi n= mixed some paste, and made some damper-cakes by a | . baking—and I may say burning—them i in we one of | : a wood fire.” + Ape eret Sie oe Meaning glances were exchan ged by the fe ‘The ‘ er was accounted | i mystery of the pyersunaed pyramid s ty rae f + ia ae) 3 A ‘ ‘ Nag for. ; “ ‘He led nie to believe, a ‘resumed j * . the sch: sete iu Yee 4 fe tage ee 7 Jae FT,