The Island School — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

oe han fakes | “What iattersd an explosion? Se should have kept your wits about you.” Aa An we me “We are not all so blessed as the senorita,” mut- he ie - tered the man. | By) She was further told that the hia at had (: a a“ “ And what of the men above?” she asked. “Vamos, has nothing been heard of him ?” iA ie et Ae Nothing,” the man said. In his fright he had not ity s ae heard the cries of those who fled after the is “back ae her tent, said : 6 Whenhe returns send him into me.” ae “Will he ever return?” was the question the men vi a Picked themselves. me But Vamos was not yet dead. In something over | ny an hour he presented himself before Lucia, bedraggled, " te soil-stained, weary, and distraught. ) _. He signalised_ his arrival outside by calling to her i by name. v “Senorita Lucia.” Be! “Enter,” she said, and he obeyed, coming just ‘en within the tent, and phere halting. ) ) a ‘‘ What has happened ?” she asked, sharply. red ce Pah #4) _ The young fiends,” he answered, “ fired some huge oh! rocket from the castle, and it exploded in the midst iy) of us.” Av a What loss ®” was her next query. | ra ad 768 “Iwo that were ves me, and two that were being Us $65 ag i « CAN aed’ ie me ; - Lucia was silent for a moment, sitting with her Nae 4 thand veiling her eyes. Vamos stood quietly, waiting a a a for her to speak again. Presently she looked up. vag _ Any other loss ?” _ ©The apparatus is wrecked.” — “Yes ; what more? You have something else to Bee with the avalanche, and lies buried, for aught I know, fifty feet deep.” _ “Anda simple explosion did all this 2” said Lucia, _ half-incredulously. “Tt was an explosion that split the ground,” ce Vamos replied, “and happening somewhat near the edge of the cliff, the earth bulged out and fell.” “How did you get here 2” We had to travel as far as the edge of the chine oo my dress !” -“T see,” she said, carelessly. gan must be found.” ” TER as ELS is ISLAND D scH00 0 i. 34) AN, Maron We senorita.” , head. Sl Me _ yonder, and there we slid down as best we could. 3 ‘To-morrow the ee the kitchen with a broom, now ‘reappeared with if, ihe th penne? and Me pp aaa vacate at a “ ase, sonal Pa whet Vame 11001 DOM EMUen Waltuley EXEL NO 9 “Dig it out.” | Bastian. Hi ne ae ie TANNED “ Senorita, we have no apace Bie oth tise iets mec Bi “ Scratch it out, then!’ she anew “ What men you are to let such trifles daunt yout “1 A tenth of our men lost, and not a blow : : uc. J “If I,” cried Lucia, springing to hort feet: 6 <n o mn all that is left of us, I would then not budge, but, ie hold on to the last! A handful of boys is all ‘you ie have to contend with. The master is a booby 5 - ‘tt ey other men children.” | Vamos bowed mechanically. ‘The will of the senorita is law.” “A law that must be obeyed,” she ‘rejoines Ay sharply. “If there are any malcontents bring ther na | fini tome. They grumble, I suppose ?” By s Ag “They say we have come upon an errand that will end in disaster.” Se: stg wat “Go and get some rest,” gata Lucia. “ “And let all. the men muster early in the morning, when T wil bi speak to them.” i CHAPTER CXLL | (27 as ANOTHER MISSING MAN.—SHELLING THE CAMP, rT was ‘observed by _ Romeo on the following morn- ing that Chorker sr ik had never eta ; been so assiduous or brisk in his” it labours. Up to re that time he had . shown @ tendency to lag and skulk on the — ra least provocation, ii andmany a hard word — we and an occasional rage: had been ea at his ete a “, But on this especial morning he worked! like a a modern Hercules, cleaning, and dusting, and rushing i about as if doing domestic work fora wager, aa “Whar am de marrer wif de man?” said Macbeth. shan All three noted how assiduous-'was Chorker. orks « Sumfin’ gone wrong in him head,” said Hamlet Bs significantly. _ ‘‘No man in him senses. s eber toil in rede a | es AY We tha “‘ Neber,” said Romeo. Maan Ka -Chorker, who had a minute before. ‘rushed 0 out of a