The Island School — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

64 He and Hamlet are growling about Romeo taking _ things so easy.” “‘ He has the upper hand of them with the spirits, suid Jim, laughing. ‘“ As for Chorker, I can’t suppose anything serious has happened to him. The old beggar may be sulking somewhere.” They started off for the castle, Terry making one of the company, and Morse led his friends into his room, enjoining them to walk quietly. “‘T have some stuff fermenting there, and I don’t want it to be disturbed.” ‘¢ What would be the result °” asked Terry. “ A flare up, perhaps,” answered Morse, coolly, “ but I can't exactly say.” : The “stuff” he referred to was a small quantity of a whitish liquid in an old jam-jar. There was a froth -on the top of it. _ They walked across the room lightly enough, and Morse pointed out the trap-door lately just under the table, as it originally stood. Hehad shifted the table aside, so as to get at a ring attached to it. It wasa strong ring, and the door was about a yard square. The hinges were greasy with the oil recently applied by Morse. He raised the trap and carefully turned it right back, exposing the darkness and the steps below. They stood quiet for a moment, listening, but all was stil below. , “Leads.to some underground vaults, I guess,” said Jim, as he held the lantern aloft and led the way 99 - down. The air, they found, was wonderfully pure, and it rather discounted the theory of the steps leading to vaults. Indeed, Jim, ere long, abandoned the idea, and being unable to form another that was feasible. pursued his way, followed by the other two. . All were silent, and they trod softly, with ears on the stretch for sounds, and eyes peering ahead to detect anything that might be dangerous. But there was nothing but steps, and, strange to say, they went straight down, and not winding, as they expected to find them. Fully a hundred were descended ere they came to level ground in az arched cavern twenty feet wide. Ahead of them lay an impenetrable darkness, showing that the cave was not limited in extent. “Having come straight down so far,” said Jim, “it naturally follows that we are now outside the region of the castle.” “Tt is a secret means of communication with the outside. Not secret as far as the castle is concerned, but at the other end. We had better go on. There is no chance of losing our way so long as the passage is 2 single one.” They had not proceeded far, however, ere they came to where it divided, one division bearing to the right THE ISLAND SCHOOL. and the other to the left, They stopped to consider which way they should go. ‘Shall we try the right?” said Jim. “I’ve a fancy for the left,” said Morse. ‘Toss for it,” suggested Terry. The light laugh with which this proposal was re- ceived was suddenly checked by a moan that came from the left. : They stared at each other, feeling a bit creepy. ‘“ Wa-as it the wind, do you think ?” asked Terry, with all his jocularity shaken out of him. “No,” replied Jim; “the wind sighs and moans under certain conditions, but notin that jerky fashion. Now, we must go on or cut it. Which shall it be 2” “ On,” briefly replied Morse. Terry nodded assent, and Jim with the light resumed his way. For a time there was nothing but darkness ahead» and the silence was impressive. Then Morse, who, being just behiud Jim, conld see better than Jim him- self, as he was free of the glare of the light, clutched his leaier by the arm. “Stop! he gasped. “ There is a man lying yonder I? They could all see him now, propped up against the wall, slowly rocking his head to and fro. For a moment they stared at him, wild-eyed and eh"led, and then with one voice they cried out: ** Chorker !” | Aud Chorker it was, in a state of semi-stupefaction, territied to the verge of idiocy, by long hours of loneuness spent in the dark. “ Hold the light,” cried Jim, handing the lantern to Morse. Then, running up to Chorker, he knelt down beside him. ‘‘Chorker,” he said, “here we are. right now.” . Chorker turned his head towards them, staring, and slowiy the light of recognition came into his eyes. . ‘‘ Gordon f” he said, in a cracked voice. “Yes, it is Gordon,” was the answer. ‘“ How came you here °” | “T suppose,” said Chorker, “ that you came in as I did, by the mouth of the cave?” ‘No, we did not,” said Jim. ‘Never mind how we yot here; be thankful that we have turned up to save you.” “Have you brought me anything to eat?” asked Chorker, huskily. 3 “No. How should we, not knowing whom or what we should find here ?” ‘¢ And naught to drink ?” SONOS 5.) “Well, I’m blowed!” Chorker got up slowly and painfully, regarding his rescuers with the bitterest expression of face. You are all g 900 of @ ) aan CS EO Nl