The Island School — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

ROMEO LETS the lagoon, started off, with Romeo close to his side, and Charley following behind with mufiled tread. _ Suddenly the bear gave a low grunt and bore away to the night. ‘Come here!” said Jim, ina repressed tone of voice. : Charley grunted again, and kept on his way, forging slightly ahead. Jim could tell where he was by his muffled tread. Jim dashed forward at the risk of colliding with something, for there were trees and boulders of rock scattered about, but a score of steps failed to bring him up with.Charley. ee “Confound him !” said Jim, “ let him go.” “Who is it?” asked a quiet voice a short distance away. ; “Morse, by jingo!” exclaimed Jim, delightedly. “¢ Here we are, old fellow !” “ Who are ‘ we’?P” “Myself, Romeo, and Charley.” Morse came towards them, and when he was close up could be dimly seen with the bear by his side. “ How is it that you are not alone, Jim ?” The inquiry was answered satisfactorily, and then Morse asked : “But what are you doing here ?” “I was going to the path to meet you, and if you were not there, to make my way up to the castle. I was afraid something had happened to you.” _“You are not far from it,” said Morse, calmly ; “and thank your lucky stars you have Charley with you.” oe Why °” “Because it was my hearing him snort that stopped me on my way to the house.” “Then we should have missed each other.” “Tt would have been a long miss, I fear,” said Morse, gravely. ‘Jim, I have laid a trap for the fore- most of our enemies who come down by the path. It _ took me some time to arrange.” “Whatisit? Have you been digging a pit ?” “IT have placed a cord across, about ten yards from the bottom.” «Somebody will have an awkward tumble.” *‘ No, he will rise in the air, Jim. At the end of . that cord—or near the end, to be more correct—there is amatch with a piece of emery-paper under it. When the cord is dragged forward—as it will be as soon as anyone thrusts his foot against it—the match will ignite. Under the match there is some fulminating powder also, and near that some of my latest inven- tion. I don’t like doing it”—his tremulous voice bore _ witness of his truth—“ hut they bring it on themselves, | and if we consider what they will do if they get into the schoolhouse 4 “Do not harass yourself with thoughts about such Davie. oo OUT CHARLEY. 155: wretches,” interposed Jim. “ They are the aggressors; in a sense, also, they are the strong and we are the weak. Will it destroy them all ?” “No,” answered Morse, “and it may be not more than two or three. It is the moral effect of the thing I look to. If they can be sufficiently Inspired. with terror they may go away and leave us in peace.” “T am not sure that any form of moral effect will suffice,” said Jim. ‘‘ What do you propose to do ?” ‘We ought to be getting back to the house. I see you have arranged for it to be in darkness.” — ‘“T thought it better so.” “Quite right.. They must have no guide in case they come another way.” “ Do you think it possible ?” Jim exclaimed, aghast. “Well,” said Morse, “you know my way of arrang- ing for contingencies. It is possible they may come by a different route. The night is beastly dark—a little darker than I want it to be.” ‘““How do you account for it.” “I cannot, unless some great atmospheric disturb- ance is pending.” Again Charley stood them in good stead. He seemed to know whither they wished to go, and his instincts or keener sight enabled him to guide them back to the schoolhouse. On arriving there they paused by the principal entrance and waited for a few moments. Inside they fanced they could hear sloht sounds of people moving to and fro, but no voices, and the com= mand to have no lights had been religiously obeyed. As waiting created a feeling of impatience in the breast of Jim, who was for strolling in the expected direction the coming foe would take, Morse as- sented to their going as far.as the end of the work- shops. “But no further,” he said, ‘‘in case we lose our way. We may be wanted here.” At the end of the row of buildings devoted to trade learning, the reader will remember, was the old labora- tory once occupied by Morse. It was now turned into a store-room for odd material, and the door was not fast. Morse pushed it open, and they took up a position near the portal, with Charley inside, and again there was a time of waiting and suspense. There we must leave them for a few moments to see what became of Chorker, and two or three other bold spirits figuring in our story. 100 q5 (@{ 0) an (E( 0) mn i @