The Island School — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

he set yy « ; 5 ra = * a od ae ef 2 f. iy ~ 4 » * A 3s ot AS, . rg , “ua Oru: fas si Prornee ite i ~ ) Vag boi © nd te, © an =F 1, ¥ * - te * . 1 ie ie Rt Pe an iat Le £4 ; - ¥ ei Nake no noise,” he said; “ but be as smart as you 4) ean. CHAPTER CLVI. WHY THE LABORATORY WAS CLEARED. ORS furthermore assured them that there was nothing to be feared from the front of the castle, and that sentry work could be abandored for the night, He added that when the laboratory was cleared there would be more work to do. They entered the laboratory, ina he Lee the removal of everything. Some small packages he put in his pocket, others he carried outside and laid upon the hall dining-table. “ By-and-by,” he zemarked, “I will put them ina place of safety.” Several times -while the work was going on he stooped by the trap-door and listened. Why he did this he did not explain. When he had removed all his more dangerous material, he bade them close the door. “It is pretty strong,” he said; will go through it.” “ What do you mean?” asked Jim, bewildered. “ Martin,” said Morse, “how long will it take yon to cover it with sheet-iron ?” ‘¢ An hour or two,” replied Martin. “You have the material ?” “ Yes; among the stores.” “Go to work, then. Changeling, look up some bits of timber while he is doing it. The door must also be barricaded.” Changeling went off for the timber, and Martin Jeparted to get the sheet-iron and his tools. Jim asked Morse what it all meant. “Tn the first place,’ said Morse, “ f went in search of Chorker, and he doesn’t know it yet, but I am aware that he has gone over to the enemy, and to- night or to-morrow he will bring them through the cave to force an entrance by the laboratory. If the fools had attempted it without my finding it out, _ they would have blown shemiselves and all in the % _ castle sky high.” , ae “ But, I don ae went, as I say, to the cave to look for Chorker, thinking z the old man had sah asite enough of it, and u se. Sele +, ery en ~*, *Fts gn. © “but a mfle-bullet 4 A could not find him at ae pee eters Fae NS aoe | Ae ye iy big hr a ‘ yy ae , * WH Y THE ‘LABORA TOR Y WAS CLEARED. -done the job he got upon his feet, and hopped away occurred to me that he could get away. CNG) don t bere to ee a song of ae crept u 1p a ‘a Pe ip j pf alt vy 4 " us H J 2 ‘am ; ; * ws a ‘< —— Pe tee, ? 7? 4 , .S - » ” x 7. -—T <4 Gel se d a 4 ¥ tee ee re ¥ CA a , . / a ‘ab aa & £9 ad aa” i] - aa . 7 a x) * +4 ery J he fh 1 ; — , > 7s © ré as . “ “ But you have seen him, of course ?” ) “Ttell youso. Well,it must have been sometime early in the afternoon, when I heard a shot fired. It sounded a long way off.” “Yes,” said Jim, getting oes interested ; long way off, in the open air.” “I imagined so, but could not be sure. I hurried on, and presently came to a long slope with a pin- hole of daylight at the summit of it. I immediately turned off my lantern, anc then I saw aman rolling down the slope ae on to the calf of his leg, and swearing most bitterly. 1 recognised in the oathand tone of voice the Chorker I was seeking.” “T think I know who hit him,” said Jim. ‘ “ Well, whoever it was seemed to have temporarily _ foiled him in a job he had on hand,” continued Morse “‘ When he stopped rolling he sat up ee his ml and anathematising the shooter. ‘Jes’ as I was agoing off to blow on them ’ere young warmints,’ oe heard him mutter. Then it flashed on me that Chorker had discovered a way out of the cave, = was about going to seek Lucia di Valo to betray A when somebody aimed a shot at him, and hit — in the calf of the leg.” : “It was Dawson,” said Jim. “ But I will tell you how that came about by-and-by.” a “T thought I had better hold back,” resumed 7 et Morse, “and I kept quite still watching him as he ~ bound up the wound, which appeared to be nothing very serious, if highly inconvenient. When he up the slope again. I followed to see if he would be 5 able to do anything more than limp and swear. i! a “ Now, in not making myself known,” said Morse, — “Terred miserably. Seeing that he was lame, it never a He left the ei cave by a mere hole, and I soon afterwards peeped out. He was nowhere to be seen. Thenl became | alarmed, and went forth i _ search of him. Lame as a he was he got clear away.” | if i ‘“‘T wish we had known who it was,” muttered Sim ; he “but even Dawson could not tell. He saw somethir ee protruding from the cave and fired at it. Afterwardy he heard a sound which he declared emanated froma _— human being. Ganthony and myself, like the pair a . fools we are, refused to believe init. We set down the noise to the grunting of a wild hog.” fy: a “T set out to find him,” said Morse, “and ‘suuee that he had gone along by a.trail which I assume you and the others made. But I was so far behind — him that I did not overtake him for a long time. When I eventually sighted him it was too late. E ‘‘He had reached the top of the chine,” contin Morse, “ and was standing there in conversation with % . some of those Spanish rascals, At the risk of my Ms ra.’ 5 * fey iach i 4! peas os, Or) 900k: ond ihe As - , et igh Me “. “a ; Cc Oo m oF