The Island School — page 328: what you’re looking at

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

be ie Wh 3, Ve: oe ‘ook , fae) a ~ “Who had done this while he slept, or had he never beer been really bound? He remembered that on finding ne _ himself corded up he had made no strenuous effort to Be vet free. | “TI bet a penny,” he growled, “that the whole BS ae is a sell.” 4 He got upon his feet with the biscuit in his hand. Putting it to his nose, he smelt it, gingerly. There a was not the slightest suspicion of sulphur about it- Then he bit off a piece of it. The flavour was, as usual, pS only improved by his hunger. Satisfied he had nothing to fear, heate it all, and then waited internal sulphuric ig symptoms. Nothing of the sort transpired. It was a good, wholesome biscuit, and he felt all the better for it. _ “Tt was a game right through,” he muttered, “and _ [ll be even with ’em for it—when I get out of this’ ere hole.” | _ Yes—when he got out of it! But which way was he to. go? While partaking of the biscuit he had, as some people do when eating standing, moved this be way and that, turning half-round at times and back again. The movement was merely mechanical, but it had thrown him out as to his position. - Could he have known where to resume his seat, he would have known the way to take. The voices he | had recently heard would have been his guide. But now, without light, he must trust to chance, and, as it would never do to remain there doing nothing, he _made his choice of road, and started, “_ ge ee ee ; f. pt = > so i CHAPTER CXLIX. LUCIA AND THE PRISONERS.—THE TRAITOR RENEWS 4 HIS TREACHERY. UCIA DI VALO had shifted her camp, her object being to get a =. time of rest, so as to enable her followers to recover from their defeat. It had given them a shaking, and could they have retreated without discovery and subsequent | shame, the majority of them a aa _ would have vanished. ye But they were held to their posts by two things— A tHe influence of the woman leader, and the fear of Social ostracism at Minorca. When they left there with the fiery Lucia, quite a public affair had been nade of its Mah were going with her to oon ane a Woe wi mS ap eae 14. i 9) ¥ : 6 UCIA AND THE PRISONERS. ‘no more an a long time. “al moods at times, but took great care that her men © Spain as a starting-point from which again oa run over Europe. t One .Giuseppo, 2 well-known smuggler, had laughed at the expedition, which, he declared, was going against a lot of boys—who would thrashthem; buthe ~~ was hooted and pelted by the populace as a drunken fool. Bs The puissant governor, Don Carlos Spartola, publicly — i reproved him for his conduct, and talked of having Sl him cited to the Government as a traitor to his country. BAe, | Happily he did not i so far, and Giuseppo one morning disappeared in his boat, and was seen “a It was supposed that he had gone to erieaitae where some devoutly hoped he would be captured i while smuggling, and sent to prison. It would serve fe a him right for deriding the valiant band sent out an against the plotters of Fermentera Island. So they ie, dismissed Giuseppo, but wemayhearmoreofhimanon. __ It was late in the afternoon when Lucia, hearing a it commotion in the camp, came out of her tent, where she had been brooding. She had her melancholy Rie should see naught of them. been most demoralising. The cause of the hubbub was the arrivalofthethrea prisoners, whom she recognised as having seen about — with the boys, and Mr. Farrell she knew by nameand sight. ih “ How now 2” she inquired. “Where did you find _ these noble specimens of their breed ?” ee “Yonder,” said one of the men, pointing up the me > Mer, “\ The effect would have chine. . ; The answer surprised few for she naturally believed Ri ui them to have come direct from the castle. Turning its. + to Mr. Farrell, she looked him through and through. = “ How is your daughter P” she abruptly asked. “T have not seen her for days,” he replied. _ “ How so? Explain.” The schoolmaster, speaking with parched lips, be- _ thought himself of a lie, and gave it out by way of ia reply : ys, “T am turned adrift because I will have nothing to do with the wild, lawless acts of the mad boys I have | taken as pupils.” Lucia laughed, dryly, sarcastically. i) i “Where did you get such a precious collection of cubs P” was her next query. Re Another lie wasready. Cowardice made him fertile — in them. fi “They were placed under my takers by the aa 4 He aN for reformation,” he aes cay _ Lucia looked nOnD EG for a moment, and then a i {