The Island School — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

ee iw. ss GHAPTER | MAKES A PETITION. —THE: RETURN OF THE mas? _ “GUADALQUIVIR.” \ ATTERS were entirely in harmony with the warlike feel- Ky Gf) ing that for some iy ai 7 time past had been gathering Gy) streneth in the breasts of the elder boys. — Like young cubs when they have once learnt the taste of blood, they longed for more of it. Military ae i nin ne : Aan companies, feta under the command of one of the Council of Ten, while he became general oO Me ne , whole. Ma rtin was appointed as keeper of the armoury and assistant maker of ammunition, Morse, as before, ng the chief manufacturer. Sleery, Trueberry, Bas tern, Waffle, and Changeling were told off as sen- tries to Heep watch in turn upon the ramparts both i and night. Hach watch was to be of two hours’ — dur ah Sleery to be considered the captain of the D iserker, in consideration of his general incom- : pe bency and unfitness for work, found himself ap pointed as nigger’s assistant in the kitchen, with t the usual scullery work to do—washing-up, scrubbing oors, and. blacking boots. Among other things, he | oo do his share of clothes-washing. | We met e protested, but on being informed that in case of i nusubordination he would be put outside the castle rates, he yielded with the readiness of a man who of q 3 . evils was ready to put up with the least. _ There was one person in the castle who looked on . | these arrangements, made in a few hours, with aqualified amazement. That person was Miss Elecantine Dibble. : «ey ff ft had been told at home,” she said to Mrs. rrell, emphatically, “that there was a boy in the a1 ld who could have taken so much on himself, and rt edit out, my hair would have stood up in alarm.” C onsidering that the hair she wore was not her own, ! thi s may be considered a remarkable admission. Ether was no doubt that Jim, without being at 4 loggerheads with her, had made himself respected and a b a a little feared. Buti in ppronenden to her admira- bei wi flo ey ' =e At DN now a ee . Oe ———————— Se ‘Turner she took i in hand, and in a very "few objection. a a ; nedessity, eae 4 yu ‘ i bas om it vi os hb vt é “Hey aie y. But Storek @ was ano er woman’ =) propert ty. zh U1 ee G y ri mutes: ua bent them to her will. Nn, AU As it was necessary for all a eee the eat to do something, if only to keep themselves in ‘hea h she undertook the bed-making and general dormitory work. {Ne oe nae “ With those two nincompoops,” she said. hs Mrs. Farrell, thereby referring to the two undormasters,, | ‘it won’t be such heavy labour.” | | apatite Turner yielded at once. 1 ha i ig’), ‘Storeby made one fair bs feeble struggle against the arrangement ; ; it ended on ta almost as soon as it began. yee “T was engaged to teach,” he said to Miss Hlegan- 2s TAS tine, “ and not to do oiler work.” | ih : “Hi a “Sweep out all the rooms,” she said, “and if it a eh 4 isn’t done by tea-time, you get no tea.” sii ‘ Ba, “T haven’t a broom,” was his last feeble sputter of \ ‘“‘ Go into the kitchen,” was the curt Bs, and poy the niggers will give you one.” ie a a es Her manner left no more to be said, and, grinding — Wp, his teeth, the undermaster went away and was soon ms ‘ le busy. a” | Ky an ul It was well he did his aie as it ought to Pye aah 2 ne Sh: for Miss Elegantine, just before bea ae went up- fh -“ stairs and inspected the rooms. _ 3 “Tt isn’t so badly done,” she said—“ that is, rn a Ran man ; up next time you will Se go deeper into the hie Be A) corners.’ “TI suppose IT can have my tea?” sullenly py: ih Storeby. . “Yes. Wash your face and hands first, ‘pelore y vou come to table.” | “a ee It was arranged—and Mrs. Farrell had sou htnne to do with the aeons they should all take their meals together, and the first time they satdown Jim showed he could be sensible as well as firm. He did not attempt to take any other seat than that which he originally occupied. Mr. Farrell, finding oe the top of the table vacant—Mrs. Farrell sat at oe wi aie bottom—stared at it before sitting down. i “T suppose I am not taking a liberty, Gordon: et ho said, dryly. a sy “ Assuredly not, sir,” replied Jim, gravely. “ If ‘ever we should be free of annoyance from our enemies, aie hope to fall back into my old position and you to resume yours. I have nothing to do with domestic — : matters, and, if it were not necessary now, shoul, not a fen ee dream of assuming any form of authority.” i ithe “eee f ' “ Sensibly spoken,” said Mrs. Farrell. a a ae ; ee The schoolmaster said nothing, but there was a a movement in his throat as if he were swallowing some aa thing that had not been properly masticated. Sh ie a en ane is Thus was the new Opes of ‘things, ; a eae 144) Ae bee A ° Sh vos gia wy ae aay? Pe) + Nil yy. Os