The Island School — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

‘5 ¥ £ Bye) ai ay 3 Ps . Mes Hea Tit mie ay wa Ni Oy iris eh As ay e j varents were safe, although prisoners on the launch, them, for the present at all events. a _By-and-by, as the game went on, one of the players made reference to the death of the man who had just been interred. Of his fate they knew nothing, ave that he, with others in the smugglers’ boat, landed on the previous night, having dropped anchor | shortly after sunset, and while they were looking about 2 or driftwood to make a fire later on, he was hos to ay out in the distance. _ They called back to him, but getting no response, in fear returned to the boat, where they slept the cc through. In the morning they saw him lying ON the beach, and, landing, discovered he was dead, iG ‘erushed as one squeezes an orange in the hand,” said “one of the men, but by whom or what they could But tell re ~ Some were of opinion that he had essayed to climb the cliff to obtain fuel from the wood, and falling, Ete his bones against the lower rocks. But ty _ others said it could not be, for there were no bruises. e was as one pressed to death. ‘Then they talked of hidden monsters of the cave, | “te dreaded devil-fish and huge sea serpents, looking — _ shudderingly round as they did so,'and one and all i declared they would not spend the night ashore. To this Giuseppo responded by declaring that half | their number would be expected to sail immediately to take a message from him to Reonardo. The rest would have to camp ashore, whether they willed it or - not. % _ * For behold,” he said, “there is not the room for ie 80 many pigs on board the launch. Nor will I have one 3 a there. The prisoners are secure, the dog of an engineer cH lashed to his engine, the pretty bird and her friends Te - locked in the cabin. They will be at peace by them- nx hs and I, to give you heart, will stay ashore with you. If you will it so, you shall drink yourselves a rapid so that neither devil-fish nor serpent will scare Le) Nae re you. | a “ But will they not have us at their merey if we are hanes r” asked one of the men, as he dealt the cards and carefully scanned his hand. “If we must remain Pict let us keep sober and be ready to defend our- 4 selves. They say that neither devil-fish nor sea ser- pent will come near afire. If we keep a good one __ burning we shall be safe.” | . “But who of us must remain?” asked another, 3 “Let there be no favouritism in the matter.” eee “Draw lots for it,” growled Giuseppo. ‘ ey _ The cards were cast aside, and all the men called a together. It wasplain from their manner that they - phe Wh, a were all ashore, and nobody but the prisoners on aids - _ ameh. Ram iiehs| | he a4 ee = tat iA Fale, € 7% <i ae Ar aS vet ie : a 4 Perea. ‘. : i Y " - " ARES bres Beas sy ayer ae HA C/A SORRY Dears ; what had ‘betallen his Caste. atl 1 veline and her | ym any harm at the hands of those who captured | , ane CH 1. Ly SA ie ae Hence neal icine in Spar ane hat he he done, and after some wrangling the lot was acceded to. Sn | A bag was made of one Be the eae, caps ‘ba a few of them wore, and in it were placed a, number o stones, half biack and half white. ) ae The drawers of the black ones remained on ne island, and the lucky ones who found the white stones went away in the boat. Wn iter: on a It was plain to the watchin g Jim that one and all desired to get away from thai side of the island, for | he who drew a white stone capered with j joy, andl 2 _who pulled forth a black one cursed most bitterly. ts And all the time the launch rocked idly on the | sca, © with no creature on deck. ne Plea vane Gas The prisoners were well secured ; Changeltue to his engine, and the Farrell family | Tobe in the small cabin, ali bewailing their lot, and not one entertaining the faintest hope of being rescued, OE A. “i a ty eas : aS ; et CHAPTER XUig¢ 9. ham ee ‘ eX, eo a are Ey 5 aie ¢ * en Y the time Jim had cbtained | : so much welcome informa- tion, the there, and he began to feel those peculiar pangs whick are created by a need of food. In his hurry to get nearer to the smugglers, and {eres to ascertain exactly who glee were aud what they were doing, he had forgotten. he to bring anything to eat with him. | eee But he could not go away until the mE es oak: had departed, and he learnt that it was their intention ie to set sail as soon as the afternoon breeze arrived. hoy ™Y breath of it was already to be felt on the cliff. a It was while they were waiting for it that Jim _ | learnt something more to interest him, and it may ae be so to the reader. | be Giuseppo and one of the men, desbaine in ihe pos tion of his lieutenant, sat apart from the rest, and, as on the previous occasion, conversed in French, = “Say, now,” said the lieutenant, after some lua | remarks on the smuggling trade, “how is it that you do not take your prisoners across the island? It is so mt easy. The way is ae some wood, perlape but itis ay better than the sea.’ Bret Lye ¥ a by < av afternoon — was a te “he ' oer h es | =H) of Vere ly. 4 Pe Ce “, Mh “5 Vampa,’ said Giuseppo, “‘ you are no ee ie or you would not ask such a question” = “Faith, no. I am a stranger to you. _ strange Sooke! iat eh res bate Oh ae ae os cM a: ee am one 1 the Ropes race,” ‘said Gin sep ‘ ack WINS aa FY i SNe oe iy ge , You are a Ft: —_ peek | WHEN THE NIGHT CAME DOWN. | Ae mK eet ee) | oe 5 @)