The Island School — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

188 CHAPTER CII. EMPTYING THE “ ORSINI.”—SOME OTHER THINGS COME TO LIGHT. FTER a jolly evening, followed by a night of peaceful repose, the boys were up with the sun and ready for breakfast, which they all helped im_ pre- paring. The deck, with its piled- up masses of goods, was a sight worthy of an unlading in the London docks, and from the forehold a quantity ot planking had been brought up which Jim intended to fashion into a raft to convey the goods ashore. Jim had found a good ship’s telescope, which he used at once to scan the shore in search of Chorker. He was some time in discovering him, but eventually made out the well-known figure of the old fraud, seatedona distant rock with hisnose between his knees, in an uneasy sleep. “Take him some grub,” said Jim to Joe Ganthony, “and tell him to go further away. It will be as well to hide from him where we store the cargo.” Ganthony executed his very congenial task with all speed, and Chorker vanished out of sight. By that time the rest of the boys had finished breakfast and the raft was begun. It was not necessary to make it very strong. A dozen planks lashed well together sufficed, for only the goods would be placed upon it and conveyed to the shore by boys wading and pushing their crude conveyance. Jim having learnt many valuable lessons of late, did not neglect the obvious duty of keeping a good look- out for strangers who might intrude upon them, Three boys armed like military sentries were sent to different points ashore, and a watch was kept upon the sea. Then, with coats and waistcoats off, the main body went to work in a style that would have shamed ordinary unlading gangs, unless the men were on piece- work. There was a lot to do, and the dinner-hour arigwed with still half the hold to empty. Then the heat of the day set in, and they took two hours’ rest. After it to work again, drawing up the boxes and bales and conveying them ashore on the raft, until there was sufficient for the boys for six months. Jim, ashore, thoughtfully walked among the piles of goods, and realised how utterly impossible it would be to convey the lot to the eastle under a week’s time, unless the whole school could be pressed into the labour, LHE ISLAND SCHOOL. He expressed this view to Martin, who coincided withit, and then came the question, What was to be done ? “Tf we could find some place handy for storage,” said Martin, thoughtfully, “and take back with us a few things that we want pressingly, it would be all right. Later on we could. get the things up yonder by degrees.” ‘‘ A cave might help us,” said Jim, his eyes ranging along the shore; “but this seems hardly the kind of coast for one that would serve us.” “ Shall I look ahead, sir P” “Well, you might.” Martin went on his errand, and Jim hastened on the boys, for he felt a presentinient that they might ere long be interrupted. He argued to himself also that, anyway, 1t was essential he and his assistants should get back to the castle as soon as possible, where their return would be naturally anny watched for. The voice of Ganthony, who was superintending the clearing of the hold, aroused him from a train of thought, and looking across the narrow span of water between the shore and the ship, he saw him beckoning for Jim to come on board. “ Anything the matter ?” he cried. “We've get all our goods out,” replied Ganthony. “That’s all right. Then come ashore and give us a hand.” “The hold isn’t empty,” said Ganthony; “ there’s another cargo under ours. I want you to look at it before we hoist it up.” Jim, wondering what the other portion of the cargo could consist of, waded through the water and climbed on board. Waffle and the other men who had been doing the hauling up were squatted round the entrance to the hold, smoking their pipes. “How do you know the goods don’t belong to us ?” asked Jim. | “Well, sir,” said Waffle, “everything we have hoisted up at present have got ‘N. F” on ’em. The other goods have ‘G. T. H.’ and different crosses and signs.” | Jim dropped into the hold and took a look at the rest of the stores. He saw ata glance that the things were not intended for the school. “Whatever they may be they are worth saving,” he said, “‘ especially as we must be here for another night. We can run them ashore, and should an owner turn up he can have his property on paying salvage money. If no Sales: comes to light we can consider the things ours.’ The majority of the packages were smaller than those for the school, and in most cases the contents were very light. It was certain that there was no bullion among them. of @ @) ( { @ ) mic ‘Ss CoO i