The Island School — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

30 THE ISLAND SCHOOL. broken ground with a free and fearless step, until she | vanished below. “A beautiful fairy,” he muttered, “ with a spice of mischief in her. Have I done right to let hergo? . Yes, because I very much doubt [if I could have detained her, She wanted to see Eveline. I believe she did. But why? Darker and deeper grows the mystery of things that are happening here.” Partly because he felt he was wrong in letting the fascinating stranger go without learning more about her, and partly because he could not see what good would come of mentioning the meeting to anyone, he thought he would say nothing about her—at least not yet awhile. The voices of the other members of the council broke in upon his troubled reverie, and assuming his usual nonchalant air, he awaited their coming. They?were all together, with Terry at their head. He gaily asked why they were summoned. “JT want to plan some forts hereabouts,” said Jim, for fun, you know. But we will make them good enough for serious work.” “Why don’t you speak out, Gordon ?” said Morse. "The truth must be spoken at one time or another.” ‘As youplease,” said Jim. ‘Boys, we may have ere long to defend ourselves from a foe, to fight like men, and the forts are to defend the schoolhouse. Sit down and I will tell you all about it.” CHAPTER XII. ALL ABOUT IT, =x) OR the first time the mem- : bers of the council knew all that was, in Jim’s be- lief, inimical to their safety on the island. With an intellicence that would have been creditable to a man ii) shadow of coming dangers. and the full portent of the death of iophier Stebbing. ‘There is no doubt,” he said, “ that Mr. Napoleon Farrell has been carrying on the school in a state of false security. The people ousted from the island are atthe bottom of the death of our late master. They intend to clear us out, or to terrify us into leaving. But here our Napoleon comes out poorly. He made very good provision for getting upon the island, but there is absolutely none ee our getting away, in case of a sudden emergency.” ** But I suppose we shall be able to leave if it should be found necessary P” said Joe Ganthony. ; By) 7 a RY ‘Si Kes Nh si a om of years, he pointed out the Jim looked doubtful. “Only a small portion of us at a time,” he said, “What we must do is to keep together until we can all be taken off by a party of friends from home. Of course, if it were known that we are threatened, ail the assistance we need would soon be on hand.” “ You see there is so little to tell,” said Morse; “at present what sort of yarn have we to spin? They might say that the runnmg down—the attempted running down—of the mail boat was imaginary. As for the murder of poor Stebbing, that is serious enough, but may be put down to a private hatred. We all made such a big brageing business about the Island School, that our return in a body suffering from the blue funk will make us ridiculous.” “You want to stay and fight ?” said Dave Felton. “Tf it comes to that,’ replied Morse; “butif the game of the enemy is piecemeal assassination of the men first and us afterwards, the look out is a poor one.” ‘Whois the woman you tell us was here this morning Pf” asked Terry. “T should like to know,” said Jim Gordon. “I was a fool to let her go, but she had a lot of the cat in her composition, and would have clawed me had I attempted to detain her.” | “‘ She was also so very pretty,” remarked Ganthony, drily, ‘and Jim’s heart is soft.” “T did ‘not intend to say anything about her,” rejoined Jim, with a flushed face, “and if you think - her beauty has anything to do with my letting her go, you are preciously mistaken. Now what shall we do? ‘Will it be wise for the whole school to know everything ?” “‘No,” said Morse, “ there are a lot of little fellows, who ai be in a state of mortal terror; but the forts must be got ready at once. Napoleon’s leave.” Finally it was agreed to get on with that work at once, if leave could be obtained, and await further developments from the mysterious foe. Then, as it was getting near- breakfast time, they returned to the house. Among the council two had especial cause for uneasiness. They were Tim Dawson and George Rainstone. They had patches of ground some distance from the ‘school to look after, one on the eastern side, about. two miles from the sea. This was under the care of Dawson, and was known as “ The Farm.” It was in fact a market-garden, which he, as the son of a farmer, knew how to. cultivate. All the vegetables required for the house were grown there, and he had a score of the boys who acted under his directions as assistant cultivators. Twice a week they went in the afternoon to plant, or hoe, or perform some other necessary act in con- Jim had better ask