The Island School — page 122: what you’re looking at

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THE RETURN OF MORSE, the boys who knew how to act under the circumstances. | Nor was there one of the men who could move in the matter, unless it was Martin, and what could he do, alone ? , Macbeth visited the prisoner just as it was getting dark. He brought supper, and a candle wherewith to light the barren place. ~ “Bring your bed ’reckly, Massa Gordon,” he said ; “but, loramassy! what t’ings coming to, dat we hab *stablished a prison "bout here ?” “Tt is all right, Mac,” said Jim; “we shall come out of this trouble by-and-by.” “What is whispered ‘bout consarning Massa Morse ?” asked Macbeth, lowering his voice. “Dey say dat he and de oder young Se oe and our Romeo got chawed up by a lot of p’isonous smugglers on de oder side ob de island.” “Wait a bit before you make sure of that,” said Jim, with assumed cheerfulness. His heart was, alas heavy enough at that moment. “We do dat, sure,’ said Macbeth; “but my son Hamlet am a bit cut up ’bout his boy, and, pussinally, it’s a serus ting for me to lese him, he habin’ de gift ob cireomwentling all de ghostesses.” Macbeth laid out Jim’s supper on the counter, and it was soon done, for it consisted of nothing more than bread and cheese, and water. “Massa Groby say dat no beer lowed to prisoners, explained Macbeth. “Very good,” dryly rephed Jim; “I daresay we 9) shall be able to even things for him, one day.” ‘“May dat time come to-morrow!” said Macbeth, fervently. ‘’Pears to me dat durin’ de larse few days dat pusson kinder got orf him feet and took to standin’ on him head.” With a nod full of meaning, Macbeth left the post- office, and Jim fell upon his supper. The fare was humble, but he was hungry, and he partook of it with relish. Before he had finished, Macbeth and Hamlet came in together, the latter carrying a quantity of bed-linen, and the former bearing a light, iron bed- stead. They fitted them up in a corner of the sorting- foom, and having asked Jim if they could do any- thing more for him, and received a negative reply, deft him to repose. Jim lost no time in getting into bed, and as think- dng just then could no good to hice or others, he exercised the power he had of going to sleep with the teast possible delay, ee ee = a — i ~ ST ee Se a a ry y Be 40 JY CHAPTER XLIX. THE RETURN OF MORSE, N the cold grey light of the early morning, Morse and brought back from the City of the Dead descended the path leading from the castle to the school. It was the morning fol- AUS SG sowing the conan eeneae of Jim by the aust Groby, an event of which Morse had, of course, no cognisance. The journey through the wood had not been per- formed without its anxieties and sufferings. In the first place they had run short of food, and had to eke it out with such edible berries and roots as they could find. Charley, the bear, of course, flourished on such pro- vender, but it was hardly suitable to his human com- panions, and they had become rather worn and thin. Then again, for a whole day they had been without water, which, in the close, muggy atmosphere, was very trying. But whatever their difficulties and dangers and sufferings might be, they had come safely through all, and were within hail of the place they called “ home.” ‘““'We have to consider,” said Morse, as they neared the bottom of the path, ‘ what is to be done with Charley. He can hardly be received in the house as a pupil.” “We must build a house for him,” Terry suggested. ‘“‘And for an hour or two,” said Ganthony, “we might stable the dear old boy in the post-office.” ‘A good idea,” said Morse. It was a well-known thing that, save when the letters were being sorted, the post-office was left unlocked, and none of them remembered, if they ever knew, that a portion of it, the outer office, was used as a store-room for vegetables and fruit. Still less did they think that there was a prisoner on parole asleep in the sorting-room. Morse opened the door, and on seeing the things packed up at one end, exclaimed : “This won’t do for Charley. He would gorge him- self to death.” ‘“‘'Who’s there P” cried a voice from the inner room. “Jim, by Jingo!” exclaimed Terry. Jim came to the door in his night-shirt, and stared a moment at the assembled company as if he could hardly believe his eyes. “IT hope it is you all right,” he said, dubiously. ‘Yes,’ replied Morse, as he went forward. ‘We are here, right as a trivet. But,in’ the name of all hi ie S)) ij those whom he had safely mn Cc 00 ES co co