The Island School — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

AS Li Fe nside. Pree | it in es his ie ooh the trap-door, and descended. ae «I am only oing to the bottom, of the flight, ” he “said, “to placé it there. My idea is just to pop the _ things down below, and while I am gone you may _start bringing in the rifles.” - These weapons were stored in one of he passages he i ; near the kitchen, being simply stood against the walls in regular order. Jim took a second na with him Ph. _to this place, and began his work. He had brought _ two armfuls of rifles and laid them on the floor of the laboratory ere Morse returned. _ , many things I would rather carry down myself. A Se 4 - especial work. By the time he had conveyed all the af _shp might create a disturbance, and I am better acquainted with the peculiarity of the steps.” Jim knew he did not make this proposition without _ there being a sound reason for it, and resumed his _ rifles to the laboratory Morse had race cleared the place. “There is this old j jar, ” he said, enh one of his dry smiles, “which I will leave for the benefit of that blessed Don. It has a very agreeable smell, Jim, but don’t you be induced to sniff it.” 7 : 7 ne’ cf on Jim said he wasn’t curious, and no great lover of scents, and, with his companion, began the trans- _ porting of the’ weapons below. They were stacked at __ the foot of the stairs, and d by one in the morning’ the work was done. Morse had a, piece of ald carpet ready, which he _ placed over the trap-door, and the table upon it. _ Unless a person was suspicious, he would not ee of _ a trap-door being there. — “A good thing well done,” ae Mionwe: as he locked i e the laboratory door. ig 4 » Ten minutes later they were in pad and sound any ut asleep. ae my In Salita to the boys, the men had also been Brena It was supposed that Chorker had made an attempt to get taken away and had failed. He had _ no money wherewith to pay his passage. _ He was being continually worried by the two under- , Seaicibrs about the property he had obtained from them - for food under most discreditable circumstances, and all his assurances that he knew nothing about where 4 ‘it was they flatly refused to credit. _. He was in the happy posit? on of not having a friend ‘ in the place. Not. even the Spanish soldiers would have anything to do with him. As for the trio of niggers, they kept as much out of ‘the sight of Don Algua as possible, having a notion that Spain still dealt in slaves, and that he might take into his head to carry them off for sale. | “And Ea he did it 2’ remarked. Romeo on one 1en Bi! Mae iso nea the faabters in ee bie roe, + at "7 aie oe > Oe AM AEF R : r : ay | ’ 2 f i ’ ; a? Ae F ft . OK [OL - « *q (>> — “Go on with that work, J me he said, “‘ as there are ~ _trio entered. : oe ay vent to the most violent of nasal sounds. gas ¥ re oe 8 “if, e st ies pad ee 4 fi i ors, i Pac ¥. sine ele “y ~ C : * : z . sae aie me Tt break my heart to tink what a miserable, price you two ole niggers fetch.” oy: This raised a rumpus on the question of their . relative market-values, which ended in a rolling-pin oy being thrown at Romeo’s head, and a water-jug on the dresser was broken. In the morning, with a strangely-thinned company In appearance, the sixty elder boys sat down to break- fast, favoured with the company of the Don. a zy men partook of the meal in the courtyard, bivouac a fashion. he on The Don sat silent and haughty at the table, at : endeavouring now and then to stop the chatter of the he | boys with a look. He had been doing something to i | his face that in a measure hid the handiwork of Mis$ — _Elegantine, and as he sat in shadow, or as much as he Says i: could get, his injuries were scarcely noticed. 4 Immediately after breakfast he called in a file of men, and announced that he was about to search the x, i castle through. He did not say what for, and nobody — seemed at all interested in his going. ih) Y | “T will take this room first,” he said, hoe © 2 towards the laboratory door. “Who has the key 2? he Morse handed it out, saying quietly that there was a , nothing beyond a lot of old rubbish inthe room. = “We shall see,” said the Don, significantly. 3 He passed the key to one of the men, and by a sign bade him unlock the door. It wassoon done, and the ' ~ 4 “pes Saal Na i There was nothing but a few odds and ends of me 5 rubbish and a jar or two; but Don Algua, in po % * of his intention, proceeded to thoroughly investigate i. the room. ee One of the men with him took up the jar that Morse _ | had shown to Jim the previous night and sniffed it. a : An expression of pleasure crossed his features. There were watchful eyes from the hall, the “ tip? of something coming having been passed round. \/aae The second man, too, sniffed, and was caught by his a be Sie officer in the act. i af 4 Hs | “Dog !” cried the Don, “ what have you there ! on ie ag ‘An agreeable perfume,” replied the man. . uy The Don crossed the room, took a sniff, and yet another. He smiled, and regaled himself with a third. vs 4 “Tt is delicious !” he said. i a he Then, without an instant’s notice, he gave Bn, to: a Res terrific sneeze. | Bi This set the two men off, and they sneezed likewise. : ‘A very fair start,” whispered Morse. ‘“ Now watch — them.” . It was worth watching, for the way they srieéredll and capered about was unhke anything they had ever N seen before. The boys screamed with laughter. The trio danced and threw up their arms, giving | They leapt, pane, and coleed fe cenine Eape other, and before an dh, =a i ’ / M, rey ry * . 4 ka ew fy y. i 1s Ave . 4 Ss ‘ti 1 ey Ava ya’ /~ | P ~,