The Island School — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

> & 1 eel ad = * : . = = xe 7 = : at a Ws = A MAN OF names, we must leave the reader to infer whom he was referring to. : Although there was not the real head of the house on the island, things relating to the domestic life of the school went on as well, and even better, without him. Mr. Groby was a good administrator, and saw that the proper hours for meals were kept, and that they were well served. Prior to taking advantage of the holidays, Rainstone and Dawson, with their assistants, gotin a good stock of fruit and vegetables, and Jim’s party completed their preparations for the trip into the wood. Five rifles were brought out of the armoury, cleaned, and put into thorough order, in a quiet nook out of the way of observation of the rest of the school. Morse got the gunpowder ready, and Jim cast leaden pellets of various sizes. A store of gun-caps was also secured. Jim did not propose to take a change of clothing beyond a little linen and an extra pair of socks for each, barring Romeo, who had no change at all. He was instructed to put together a few light cook- ing utensils, and to carry the tent up to the castle. This was done on the eve of departure, and at the last moment Romeo was told to be up before dawn, ready to start. Several other minor expeditions were being planned among the boys, but with them we have nothing to do. They did notin any way bear upon the leading thread of our story. So well had Jim and his frends managed their preparations, that, outside the Council of Ten, nobody was supposed to know anything of what was going on. Kven the fact that Romeo was going away was a secret. Neither Macbeth nor Hamlet had the least inkling of it. On the night before the proposed start, Romeo spent the evening with his father and grandfather, and dutifully placed the spell to the ghosts, to keep them out of their room, in the usual place. Whatever Mr. Groby might have suspected, he said nothing. Nor did he in the least degree do anything to thwart their purpose. To all appearance he wasa good fellow, and so he was in many respects. But he was human, and he had a selfish purpose in allowing Jim to go on what was undoubtedly a somewhat dangerous expedition. Tent, provisions, guns, and ammunition were all ready in the castle, and there was nothing to do but to rise early in the morning and steal silently away. PEACE. 6T CHAPTER XXXII. A MAN OF PHACHE. a jyf HEN Macbeth awoke on the te: following morning and saw that the bed of Romeo was empty, he was completely overcome with astonish- ment. Never in the whole course of his life at the school had he known him to rise without being called. J But he was gone, and he aroused Hamlet to call his attention to the fact. ‘Dat boy am improbing,” he said; “he got up dis mornin’ wifout being roused up and cussed at.” “’Spect he improbing in him all round morals,” suggested Hamlet. So satisfied were they that Romeo had arisen and gone forth, or rather downstairs, to perform the labours of the morning, that they turned over in their beds, and lying awhile ‘‘ to think,” fell asleep again. From dreams of floating down the stream of some far-off land they were aroused by the voice of Mr. Groby, angrily demanding if they were going to get up that day ? The deputy master was at the door in his dressing- gown, and there were sounds of moving life all over the house. ) “Nearly eight o'clock,” he cried, “ and not one of you stirring.” “Scrumptious Willyum!” eried Macbeth, as he tumbled out of bed. “ All right, Massa Groby, we ‘bout to come down. Hamlet !” Hamlet was awake, and as Mr. Groby retired mutter- ing anathemas on the laziness of niggers, the pair bestowed some strong adjectives on Romeo. ‘ You bet your larse dollar,” said Macbeth, “dathe done dis a-puppose. He nebber easy in his mind onless he lowering us in de eyes ob our s’periors.” When they went down they found that it wanted little more than half an hour to breakfast-time, and nothing had been done. No fire lighted in the kitchen, no cleaning-up—nothing to show that Romeo had made any attempt to perform his regular duties. Luckily there was very little to do, for the masters were going to have cold meat for their breakfast. A number of the smallest boys always assisted in laying out the tables, and they now came trooping into the kitchen for the requisite crockery. Mr. Groby also sent in Chorker and Waffle to bear a hand. “A nice thing,’ growled Chorker, ‘“ when men like me have got to do menial work. Where’s that ’ere warmint Romeo P” 00 (GO) (GE CS co