The Island School — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

ot folly has already been done in killing the old man, who was not to be terrified into playing the traitor by admitting us into the school at night. Pah! How true to what they call honour are these English, even to the meanest of them! Now, if these dogs of mine had been here, we might have bagged the three; but let them go. What are two boys and a negro?” He kept on muttering to himself until the trio were out of sight, and then, rising to his feet, climbed up to the higher land and gazed seaward. The sun was low, but there was plenty of strong daylight yet. The view wasas clear as it had been at noonday. Far away, near the horizon, in an easterly direction, was the sail of a felucca, with its prow pointed towards the island. | _ He watched it for a few minutes, as if to make sure of its identity. Having done so, he returned to the ledge below, and lighting a cigar, squatted on his haunches, smoking and wrapt in deep thought. He was a perfect type of his people—handsome, as the tiger is, showing the latent ferocity of his nature even in his quietmood. MHisdark eyes, dim withsome pleasing thought, rested on the bottom of the chine, moving slowly here and there, and yet seeing little of what he looked upon, for his thoughts ere elsewhere. So he remained for an hour or more, only shifting once or twice when he selected another cigar from a silken case he carried in the inner pecket of his short velvet jacket. By-and-by the sun sank low, dipped under the horizon, and twilight descended to the earth. Then he arose and went down to the beach, first casting a.glance in the direction of the school, which, however, was hidden from view. There was a long stretch of the beach between to look upon, but it was free of all human beings and he boldly turned his steps to Silver Bay. » He reached and crossed it, and by that time it was almost dark. ‘There were twinkling stars in the east, and the sea had lost its luminosity, looking dark and sullen as it heaved and fell. There is little or no tide in the Mediterranean, which gives it a placidity unknown to other seas. There is no contending with the wind and outgoing or incoming water. The softest of breezes was blowing, and a felucca, with its sail furled, was just then gently grounding on the beach. ar THE ISLAND SCHOOL. CHAPTER XIV. ESPARDO REONARDO AND HIS MEN. , fi had timed his coming to a nicety, and sauntering up, was received by the men in the boat with the deference due to a superior. There were six of them, and they doffed their caps as Five of their number pro- ceeded to haul up the boat, and the sixth advanced to the leader. “So you have returned alone, Matello?’” said the latter. “Senor,” w ) He ison his way to Gibraltar for a run with a cargo of Moorish goods.” c “ Curse him!” muttered the chief. “Could he not leave his smuggling for awhile at my bidding? Does he forget that I am Espardo Reonardo ?” “He could not forget it, senor, but he was looked for on the Rock. All was prepared by our friends on the mainland, and to disappoint them once might be fatal to his future trading. We may look for him in a few days—in a week at the outside.” “A week—it is too long.’ They turned away in the direction of the chine; leaving the other men to follow at their leisure. “Did you deliver my message to the Senorita Lucia ?” inquired Reonardo. “T could not, senor. The lady was not at home, but away at sea in her own felucca. She left within a few hours of your departure, and had not returned.” “ What mad trick is she up to now ?” muttered the chief. “The senor will remember that the senorita is skilful, and there is no fear of disaster. It has often been her whim to spend a few days on the open sea.” “She has too many whims,” muttered Reonardo, with a smothered oath; “they will one day grow wearisome. Surely she has no inkling of our coming here P” “Who was to inform her, senor ?” “How can I tell? JI have so many traitors and fools around me. But, Matello, it is of serious import that Giuseppe is not available with his twenty men. There must be a feeling of alarm in yonder school- house, although they know not who has struck the blow. It was my hot Spanish blood that led me to take a false step, but it need not be a fatal one.” ‘Why should we wait?” asked Matello. “A raid on the house at night, and the thing isdone. What are they leaped upon the shore. as the reply, ‘Giuseppe is from home; nN Cc 900 cS (@{@) (Gi @) nN