The Island School — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

A} VD D SCHO | 3 ee i orker, a: ay Ne aps ag Storeby, and that Peccneas 1 ee 9 * a Ald ‘How 1 the deuce did they ON there ay a os ‘That's a Yoana Stop aminute. I seo a bit of ont I reckon, o on “that awfully dark night, and got Ky y LA 7 t 6 & oie? 1 ~ : _ i | Don’t you remember ! > Although not one an island, yon ridge is cut off from the main shore with a rift, a crack in the earth, at the bottom of which there are ten or twelve feet of water. Quite iy enough to daunt that lot, none of whom can swim Us worth a cent.” | Ri ‘ < ‘But suppose they are starving there ?” i, a Well, a little fasting won’t hurt them. Besides, what will be our share of the tommy after they have a one with the bag? Let them wait until we return. Ni Hac her for that rock now. We are out of the course of the dangerous reefs.” | a -“T can see a something,” said Stiff, leaning over the “side and looking ahead, “I can’t make out. I in i " eet rotted it some minutes ago: and thought it was a as “ss Ss i - Seif f pointed 3 in a southerly direction at an object okt the sea, about two miles to the south. Brodie at Bee P “ Shall I aes for He aad o «6 “Sho Has met with a white squall and come to aa (i said Brodie. s ee in nearer and see if weare i ‘abe raced near some of the rigging that hung over- » board, a tangled mass of rope and canvas, ( vy is Credit ti i oe fk a i Gs . Hii) ie “The ceils was cease ily cli m ae rd. o | A glance showed the completeness o} of the disaste : a that had befallen her. Both her masts had been Vi. broken off, “like carrots,” sald Stiff—one about four — feet from the deck, and the other a little shorter. iy ft Most of the main rigging had | Sone by the tee es a | been cut away by the crew. SU eae Though somewhatlow in the water, ) or fectly even keel, rising and falling with the swell « : the sea, and gave no idea of being waterlogged. Pu In addition to the wreckage of ropes and some of the lighter spars, the deck was strewn nae all sorts fee odds and ends. a | +4 Boxes had been opened and cast ne, hampers, rush baskets, and what not. In the forecastle there: ies were a score at least of big empty hencoops, — aaa i “ I see what has happened,” said Brodie, “ as clear as if I had been here at the time. | indie the — ny ; ship helpless, the crew resolved to donene) her and: make for the shore. Possibly a steam tug may hee if sent in search of her.” BF ea aN (ts? eM ‘“‘ She seems to me to have been plundered, : said * Stiff. “ I say, Lal, amass she has been plandory bi iis pirates ?” iW “No,” said Lal, “ there’s no blood on her aoe t The ae crew simply cleared out. Iam going below.” | ie : They stepped down the companionway and found | cy alldeserted there. They first visited the main cabin, fhe which was in a very orderly condition. Beyond the removal of what may be considered the peat effects fi ‘a of the captain, nothing had been taken away, iO On the table lay a book, which Lal said he was sae mi ys / of i y -was the log. Opening it, he found that it was so. On | the top of the first page was writing to that effect oe Spanish, - i by is ) “Log of the ‘Orsini’, ; said Brodie, translating the pas paragraph. Lt “The ‘ Orsini’ !” exclaimed Stiff. “ Why, that is he! . ie fs vessel Jim was speaking of expected with fresh stores if for the school, you know.” ah ane They stared at each other in broatilaes astomiclle - ment fora few moments. Without any delay they had come upon the vessel they were in search of, but _ under very peculiar and unfortunate circumstances. a ‘ “Come on deck,” said Brodie. “I must have a look: Da i : round before I can decide what we ought todo.” Pes They ascended again, and from the deck ieglenae " round the sea and towards the island. The “ Orsini” . i was fully three miles from land, and the question was a Hs whether she was drifting away fromit or towards it. a - “T think she is making for it,” said Brodie, ‘ “bub “ae she is travelling precious slowly, and if ever she strikes. land at all it will be miles away from the spot Lo i : we could get toher. She has too BoE uae er beam.” uae they b had all the dey before 1 thom ‘ae Ny hae ee ee ae ae