The Island School — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

ay cana i) ee Ay pet aston that it was. discovered they had no stamps. e 7 The whole stock had perished in the fire at ne et aces | Ree a8 “They must go without them,” said Terry. is Bays i “But will the Spanish post take the letters 2” “eo “We can wa them,” said Tee “but it will be a walle ae whole bagful of unstamped letters !” OSs Mr. Farrell had no correspondence. He said there v was absolutely nothing of importance for him to write about. He announced this in his most airy | manner, and was promptly voted to be a bigger some- Dea aking than ever. / | _ There was only one living thing in the castle be- 4 fore which Mr. Farrell catice: and that was Charley. | The sagacious animal was allowed full liberty, for ‘ crvonc felt convinced that he was harmless when i let alone. He treated Mr. Farrell with lofty con- a) tenipt,” passing him by when they met with the air Gr iy | of an aristocrat cutting an Ee crihg plebeian. | a Fle had ereceied in his mind a hundred Gane of sbi, ; ipuiting an end to Charley’s existence, but there ) was always some hitch in the carrying out. Some- . _ thing could not be got, or the schoolmaster’s courage . hating and fearing the tamest bear that ever lived | among men. ee ine The mail was made up, and early on the following ~ iy ; “morning Jim, Lal Brodie, and Stiff departed with it. _ They took their rifles with them, against the orders of Mr. Farrell, who, seeing he was disobeyed, devoutly "hoped they would shoot themselves or each other. aD OR CHAPTER . OXIV. 4 DOUBLE MAIL,—JIM IS ENTRUSTED WITH A cogs > | WARNING. ’ (PY was a late autumn day, and a breeze of was rufilme the sea. Jim had, by sidering he date, come to the conclusion that not onlysending letters ies Pp leased—to tell I everything, in fact, if they desired ites liad rare. than nee o . ieee “was a Suis evening, writing the letters for ny tone, and it was not until more than half were |. an accident, at’ Minorca, and enced Ba i would not be driven away. - oth sea. Jim ran the felucca out about six oy and BS | them, wondering what brought them to that lonely ii But . men seemed to be particularly astonished when ey * : failed him, as it did in most cases, and he lived on, | - more than usual power con- there was! a chance of | off, Bots a _ getting a Ba TAI | retreat, | and bade his friends get ee rifles ready i in "But the Spanish boats were nevey certain to a aay, Ls case Sane should be me Rn a i ity al ets pee sr, . three He running, and twice e ‘the ae pai ‘ as eae i? Cals next returning boat. Anyway, Jim was not « obi ing a < “back all day unless he had the good fortune toc cate o] ho fe both mails early 3 intheday. © ° ip He | oan They went off in the original boat, Al: in then spin ts, u although Jim had to fight against a feeling of g soa st He could not account for it, but it was there, and Le ie Ly The days were not so hot as they hae been, ‘bp eo: ap the sun when it was getting high shone warmly ¢ on the then tacked to and fro with shortened sail. ve eae snes Lal Brodie and Stiff amused themselves be fishing, A running a line out with several hooks baited with pieces of red cloth. They caught several fish of thes! cod species, which they intended for browne when they g cot home. rales He Ae Two sailing vessels passed by the chou and the } a sailors on bead hailed the boys as they stared at part of the sea. They were English vessels, and the — were answered in the English tongue. - | “'Where’s yet, ship F’”’ roared one old mariner. Som és ea one,” cried Lal Brodie; ; “we are out for ae a spree.” ae oe Na “Shall I stand by and take yout ups o was the next iN Se question. | “ Thank yous no,’ > roared Lal; “you're a jolly ola cock, but we’re all ee 3 | FN oe - Ire The old man, who seemed to be a mate of the Wey , aK ‘ with a era look on his face, that ea the boys laughing long after he was out ofhearing. = re! A “T wonder what he will make of us ina yarn now! gy: said Lal. Sanka Sie ae . “ He will swear we are the ghosts of shipwrecked boys,” replied Jim. “ Of course it fogs him, oe us Ff ss to be inhabited by a ne ae gipsies.” Pat ae i The hours passed away and the afternoon arrived. ON Jim was beginning to think that neither of ‘the mai il ¢ : boats would arrive, when his attention was at- sc 3 ay tracted towards a small boat that was sailing down ae towards theme. Herecognised it as one of the fae miliar boats that had a little time before been at the island with a band. of men who had been practically . annihilated. fy Ge a ie Tt came towards them, but he would ‘not ‘beat a a Mp ae oe Aas toe ance