The Island School — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

ll4 “Tt is Morse, and all is well.” One by one they gathered round the trap-door, It was almost ludicrous to see the respect they showed towards the explosive materials in the laboratory, by walking on tip-toe and avoiding a collision with any- thing in the form of a bottle or jar, and the footsteps ere long became very distinct. They were of the most leisurely description, and Jim in a whisper remarked that they reminded him of the way Morse had of walking when he was in deep thought. It was Morse, but he was so long in ascending the steps that they began to think he would never arrive at the top. But he appeared at last, with his face, notwith- standing the leisurely nature of his movements, lighted up with excitement. * Stand back, boys,” he said, “and let me come up. That’s it; Plclose the door myself. I forgot to mention, when I went away, that I left a jar of stuff fermenting which I don’t think will stand the least jarring. It will not explode in the ordinary way, but just fizz up and send outa fume that will render you senselessina moment. Ganthony, you have your foot near it at this moment. For goodness’ sake don’t ~ touch it.” “YT wish you would label your precious stuff,” srumbled Ganthony ; “ put a board against them, with Keep off the explosives or you will be hoisted up to the evening star or be despatched to the constellation of Hercules,’ or something else that would give rdinary people the tip.” “Tf it had been really dangerous,” said Morse. coolly, as he lowered the trap-door, “of course I should not have forgotten it. But this composition is comparatively harmless.” “Té doesn’t blow up a party,” said Terry; “it only Knocks him down as if he has been hit with a pole- axe.” “T intend to invent something,” said Morse, “ that will shoot people sideways. It is my desire to cater for alltastes! But come along and hear something that will astound you. For myself, I must confess that once in a way I amin a state of chaos, like some- thing revolving in the air after the explosion.” “You came along leisurely enough,” said Felton “we thought you were lame or blindfolded.” “T had to collect my thoughts,” said Morse, “and after that put them in order. Some people are con- tent to just get their thoughts together, hiceledy- piggledy, anyhow, and then they begin to talk. That is not my style of doing things. I knew you boys would, as soon as you saw me, want to know what had detained me so long, and I wished to beina position to lay everything clearly before you.” “So you came along leisurely ?” THE ISLAND SCHOOL, “T did.” “Tn the dark ?” « Yes.” * Just like Morse,” murmured Jim. They returned to the banquet-hall, which, as we at &® previous time pointed out, was used as a council- chamber by the leaders of the school, and there being a goodly supper laid out, they sat down to partake of it. Charley was outside in the courtyard playing watch-dog. “We thought it better to wait for you, Morse,” said Terry. aoe “Unwise,” replied Morse, shaking his head; “sup- pose anything had happened to me? Like the good fellows you are, you would have been terribly upset, and so lost your appetites. The supper would have - been thrown away.” “Qne way of looking at it,” said Jim. “ Will you have a little fowl ?” . “T can eat anything,” replied Morse; “the air of the cave appears to me to be a fine tonic.” “Can youtalk while you eat?” “T think so. I should hardly be human if I could not,” “ Well, what have you discovered 2” “In the first place, there are a dozen men in the cave.” “Whew !” The exclamation was general. It was a piece of information that rather staggered them. “There are the men who levanted in that boat from the other side of the isiand,” pursued Morse, “and also the arch-conspirator against the peace of the school, Espardo Reonardo.” “He there !"cried Jim. “ Why, I thought he was pro- scribed.” “That is one of the reasons for his being here. He is In hiding.. But more of that anon. The smugglers brought two prisoners with them. Guess who they are.” | “Do you mean to tell us that they have got Chorker and Farrell ?” It was Jim who put the question, and. Morse answered, gleefully: “Yes; they got hold of them at sea. But let me explain, once for all, that part of what I tell you I learnt from conversation going on here and there among the fellows in the cave, and part I had to guess—to deduct, in short, from the conversation and manner of the people there.” - “You have the whole thing correct; for a million,” said Terry. “ Thanks,” returned Morse; “I believe you mean what you say, if I cannot fully believe I deserve it The launch went to sea short of oil,” he resumed, mic cs co 900