The Island School — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

io & MORSE IS MYSTERIOUS. until he had travelled some eae when it suddenly fiashed upon him. “T think,” he muttered, “* that I’ve gone right orf my head to-night.” He was in a state of tremor, and groaned aloud. “ Ain’t there nobody to help me?” he asked, in a miserable way. ‘I wouldn’t care if it was——” He pulled up short and checked the word that rose to his lips. His eyes bulged out of his head, for there directly before him was a faint spark of fire. It was like an eye fixed on him in the dark, and it made him shiver. He was hot and.cold half a dozen times in as many seconds. He tried to speak, but his tongue clove to hismouth. Faint and overcome. he leant against the wall. A moment later there was another spark, a little lower down than the rest. He stared at them in increased wonderment and terror. Suddenly both sparks blazed up, and one took the form of a face of the most ghastly hue. represented a bony hand. No other portions of a body were visible. The hand beckoned to him to follow, the face a The other | grinned malevolently, and, with a loud cry, he threw | up his arms and fainted away. CHAPTER CXLVII. MORSE IS MYSTERIOUS.—COMING DANGER, 4 aK morning, the 4 | it UW second after the A © ate / pre - ‘ ! f a a failure of ; the Ne 44 eit assault upon the castle. The boys lounging about in_ the bright sunshine, she- Itered in the courtyard from the somewhat keen breeze that was 4 Mp IZ WE? ae’ = _ " = “ -——| RA blowing. Jim, having gone his rounds, now had a look about back and front of the castle, then he came. into the dining-hall, and found Morse there alone, laugh- ing quietly, but in a way that showed he was much amused at something. Morse stopped on seeing Jim, and asked him how his arm was getting on. “You asked me that an hour ago,” answered Jim, “and I told you it was doing famously. Healing up by clockwork. I shall drop the sling to-night.” That’s all right,” said Morse. “ Nothing stirring ?” “Nothing, Shall we go out to the yard 7’ \ NOTHER = quiet | 269 ‘“‘May as well. Nothing like the open air.” ““ By the way, Morse, what were you grinning at just now P” “T never grin, that I know of.” “Fudge!” (they were in the courtyard now, and. Morse was smiling again), “you have some joke on.” “1 have,” answered Morse. And then he went off again. Jim stared, and some of the other boys—Terry,. Peskett, and Trimmer—also regarde Morse in won: derment. It was rarely that Morse exhibited jovial propensi-- ties, and here he was doubled up with laughter. ‘‘ ixcuse me, dear boys,” he said, wiping his eyes,. * but I can’t help it.” ‘“‘ Look here, old fellow,” said Jim, very seriously, “this is quite out of your line, and it won't do.” “Why shouldn't I laugh if [ve a mind to?” demanded Morse. ie “Yeu don’t as a rule curl yourself up with it,” sug: gested Trimmer. “Well,” said Morse, “ I’ve a reason for doing it now, and I shall curl myself up if I like, and be blowed to you.” He went off singing, and vanished under the gate- way. His friends he left behind look at each other with unwonted gravity. “ He sticks too close to those blessed figures,” Jim. | ‘Tt seems to me,’ said Terry, “that he has gone: wrong another way. The success of his experiments. has upset him.” ‘The HORS thing he will be doing, will be blowing himself up.” ‘When he does that,” said Jim, mournfully, “ we shall go with him.” There was little doubt about that. They all knew well enough that it would be so, and more than once- troublesome thoughts had come to them in turn. Everybody knows that the cleverest fellows some- times make a mistake, and if Morse did so, it would: be a mistake that could never be rectified. Jim thought it better to go after him, in a quiet, casual sort of way, but first he slipped back to see if the key was in the door of the laboratory. Morse generally left it there during the daytime, knowing. that no living being in the place would have the temerity to enter there, unless accompanied by him. But the key was not there. Jim tried the door, Iv was fast. More and more troubled, he hastened after Morse,, found he was not in the passage by the maim gates, and stole up to the ramparts. Waller was there on sentry duty. Morsa was leaning on the rampart wall, still laughing. On seemg Jim he deliberately cut a caper. It was the first Jim said (60) aa Gi 00 cS (@{ @) N