The Island School — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

eo 4 = . pe a AC LIVI: A oe ics eerie ue ee on yee ‘eye sua va « It was cual Yy, OU first pat | ae running Wears : a only there was no door to leave by. Wasn't it so, Turner?” a, -“T don’t know,” ea Turner, miserably. a § don’t know anything. I am getting light-headed.” “ Oh, cursed fate!” muttered Mr. Farrell, “ wherever I go [ find nobody but knaves and—and cowards!” . “Coward yourself!” said Storeby, passionately. You dare——” i. a3 i “Don’t quarrel, you pane pleaded Turner; “ I can’t stand it. In my belief, it is all a trick of the boys, _ and in the morning they will come for us again. I can see the blankets. Let us try to get some sleep.” “Tf we have been made fools of, they shall suffer,” said Mr, Farrell between his teeth, “ when—when the island is clear of that gang of ruffians!” Seeing that the other two had taken up their _ blankets, and were lying down out of the draught, he followed their example, and, notwithstanding their fears, the three deserters, as they may rightfully be called, yielded to fatigue, and fell asleep, CHAPTER CXXXVI. ACTIVITY OF THE ENEMY.—SHARPSHOOTING. © \N_ the morrow, when 4 =the three men were missing, there was something approach- ing an outcry, and” much speculation as to the manner of their going. Mrs. Farrell and Eveline said nothing, but accepted the de- parture of the schoolmaster with resignation. Miss Elegan- tine hoped that she would one day be able to give them a % 1606 a d es ~~ ~ See N > ee, ee" Ss ~ ee » * a) << > SN ees’ _ acs ~~ ~~ . SM, Ss AN <a =e: aa Se = ox Sz Sos SO leS < sc. =~ Se . SS = eo a Dees SON SO S 2S ‘e. = > SS S << —S_ Lol, z She > 3? ener ose. ‘fe 2 > ae , we) => oF. > a See 3S = = xs i “ = pS =e 7 bit of her mind. “I knew they were up to something, whispering together,” she said. “'The cowards, to run away! I have often wished I had been a man, but I am glad I am not if there was an atom of a chance of being one of their pattern.” Chorker was of an opinion that they had squeezed themselves through the iron-work of the portcullis, © _and he was left to enjoy his view of it, although every- one knew that it was a practical impossibility. Romeo was certain that they had dropped out of one of the high windows, most likely that in his room, where he ty had shot the wild man. _ He ventured to give the idea to his sable progeni- tors, who scouted it. | HV 1 fust see a chap. gittin? in, ’ said Macheth,, nee i) ait iti Np i sty Ne 1, uh i sh dts i HM v4. that he should stand up in his bed, and Hamlet. climb: wee 7, re ¥/ “A at ; 4 as - . { ae ° Witten > ‘oS Aha a“ Wf > ‘ ; : ap tt < and | now you tall ob tree oh dem deonpict out. ‘You "getting a bit wrorg in your capacelties.” : sy “Tf dey drop out dere,” said Hamlet, nentontinaeil “dey dere now, for sure. “No man fall dat height wifout breakin’ him legs. Wie 4 To test the possible correctness of Romeo ideal they all went up to the room, and Macbeth suggested. upon his shoulders to leok out. The result of this ‘ movement was, that as soon as Hamlet had, after Di many failures, succeeded in getting upon the old man’s shoulders, and was on the point of looking out, the bed gave way, and they were precipitated to the floor with a violence that shook every bene in their bodies. OM ‘Dat what me ’spec’ to happen,” said the elated thy Romeo. “Ita judgmink on you for doubtin’ de only one ob de famly dat eber speak de trufe.” aM cf Owing to this calamity, the version of the affair put. forward by Romeo remained in doubt, but he insisted. on its being accepted as a fact. es i He even went so BE as to declare that in the middle of the night, “when he was in de way © sleepin’ and a he see sumfin’ going out « ae winder.” At Having all the truth of the family in him, this assertion ought to have carried more weight with | it than it did. But while the abrasions and bumps remained on the persons who had fallen, | he was stig- matised as a liar who had lured his elders on to chaiha up to the window, knowing that the bed would break ital ‘ Pee 5 * die x a down. But all these speculations were of no interest to the. chief actors in the more serious part of our story, for matters of great moment engaged their attention. — Ais It was Martin who first discovered a movement i the direction of the enemy. There was a gap or rent | between the castle and a projecting cliff, half-hidden by the mass of wood and bramble, and on this projec- tion the blacksmith saw that something was moving "8 about among the undergrowth. = oe He reported it to Jim, who, with the dnatheule par of the leading boys, the members of the Council of Ten, ascended to the summit of the tower, which, wit! its closed side rooms, was still a matter for much ‘ speculation. i They were cautious in their movements, stooping low when they reached the summit, so as not to be seen. ; | \ fi Jim peered over, and was just in time to see a tal pine-tree fall. The crash of it was in a measure soft- ened by the undergrowth, but it could be distinotly heard. There was no wind to account for it, and a puzzled all when Jim reported the fact. ae It was Terry who hit upon the solution ot the truth. i yA Ng TAOS eR NGO Re Nt EM A } a f OAND,, tpi A iV > i, he Us Perey