The Island School — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

125 “A tame bear!” echoed Mr. Groby. “Dat ‘so,” said Romeo. “Me wif de boys when dey foun’ him, and he mighty big fun.” “But this bear,” said Mr. Groby, speaking pain- fully and slowly, “would be very violent to a - stranger.” “’Pends on de stranger, sar,’ said Romeo, inno- cently. ‘A short time ago a pusson come up to de castle, and Charley—dat de bear, sar—gib him a pat ober de head dat make him unconkshus. Massa Gordon see him do it, and larf fit 10 Lust. But, bless you, Charley was not ’lowed to do more.” Who stopped him P” “Why, Massa Gordon, ob course. Charley un- common fond ob Miss Eveline, which show him good sense.” ‘Miss Eveline,” muttered the master. she see this animal P” “Bout an hour ago, for de larse time to-mght. She bring him somfin to eat, and he larf all cber. him face, like a Christian genelman. He ’bout de mose knowin’ of all de bears dat eberseen in dis subflunary worle.” | “T understood that Miss Eveline—was——” “Bless yer, no, sir; she all right. She was wif de boys a lilly while, and dey take care ob her like de genelmen deyam. You make you mind easy ’bout dat, sir. She all right.” “All right with her and all wrong with me,” thought Mr. Groby, as he sank back with a groan. ‘When did CHAPTER LXVI. A LULL IN THE STORM OF EVENTS. 6 HORKER,” said Changeling, as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe and pro- ceeded to refill, “don’t yer feel unkimmon small?” - “Wot for?” growled Chorker. “Well, seeing as you jined the enemy in the ) shape of Nap, and went with fe to make an ass of yourself by losmg my launch, I thinks as you ought to feel it.” “Your launch?” “Yes, mine, and if you says it wasn’t I'll punch your hoary head. Didn’t I look arter her, and if you was in my place, wouldn't you speak of her as your boat ?” They were sitting by the sea on the side of one of the small rowing-crait stranded on the sands, and they were alone; for is was as yet very early in the THE ISLAND ———————— C0 nn — — — — SCHOOL. morning, too early for any of the ordinary members of the household to be abroad. . ‘¢ Well, your launch, if you like,” muttered Chorker. “Tt don’t matter a fig now who claims her, seeing where she is.” “You are a pair of images,” said Changeling, derisively. “ What put it into yer addled heads to think as you could go to sea without somebody to take care of you ?” “We went,” arepned Chorker, “and that was enough.” “More’n enough,” remarked Changeling ; “ mighty close friends you must be with the master to chum up together that way. But I fancy ye’ve had a kind o’ disserlution of partnership, ain’t yer ?” “T don’t know,” snarled Chorker. “But I do,” said Changeling, “ Master sent you a message last night.” “By who?” “‘Me—me, Changeling, late of the late ‘Dart’ launch. He comes to me and he says, ‘ You tell that ’ere Chorker not to let me see sight of his face agen, and he ain’t to hang anywheres about the premises. If he do I shall outlaw him, so that anybody may shoot him or chuck him into the sea.” “You are a-joking, Changeling,” said Chorker. “T ain’t,” was the firm reply ; ‘ and wot is more, the words of the master have been ginerally redorsed by all in the place. You’ve got to go, and I’m here early this morning to tell you so. Take my adwice, and don’t be here when the boys come out, or you may rue it. That’s friendly.” “But what am I do ?” asked the staggered Chorker.. “Go up the chine and live like a hermit,” advised Changeling. “Master won't mind yer having a bit o” wittles. coloured countenance. He says as you jined that murderous lot and was set over him, and that you worried him like a dog.” All he wants is not to set eyes on yer highly- Chorker scratched his head, staring lugubriously at. the sea. ‘“‘ Perhaps he didn’t mean it?” he said. “T should think he did,” answered Changeling... “He looked to me like a man who had had a towelling himself, and wanted to give it onto another. Youll have to go, not being a favourite, anyways. He said as you could sartainly live in one part of ee house, if you liked.” ‘Where was that?” “With Charley, the bear.” Chorker grinned in a ghastly manner. “Td like to see him put with it,” he said; reckon he’d be made pulp on.” 66 if “Get your things together, and cut it,” said Changeling. “Ivery day I'll bring you something to: eat, and maybe a bit o’ ’bacca, and Jeave ‘em at the: 900 mn ( G0 ) cs (et @) mn