The Island School — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

oN a, eo >" i “vy ’ ‘ , ext Py x o es My 1 aa? bs gers oe, heh a he is Dry gave ae signal by Brae him n the is a shoulder, and the ne beast ae growling at 2 the doer. a The Don heard Bis sound, a Reeaca no more. It To-morrow, men,” he ‘said, hastily, es Jon will rae wa | shoot that brute. I like him RBOtLE 2 eo = x Ay J-< >? Phen they were heard to go away, and Jin, = laughing quietly to himself, lay down again and ass instantly a Cae bee CHAPTER CXXIU. --—-—ss« THE DON DSFIED.—A BRIEF SPLUTTER, AND THEN a | ei 4. RN: | . yes STIR early in the ok, i; morning, Jim and erste « Morse betook them- a selves to the ram- Be parts. Charley, who had no x sreat liking for stairs, went zy ea ee off to the kitchen, to see if Meek there were any odd pieces of Bi . Se food to be obtained. | a. VT MM A survey of the ground Bee Ay below revealed the camp of the Don and his followers. With some of the charred timbers of the sehoolhouse they had made _ &res, and passed as comiontaiat a night as circum-— atances permitted. — | “T have an idea,” said Jim. “ Suppose we get ' Betsy and Bella up here, and load them with peas for shot. There is a sackful in the store-room. As Be - soon as we get these fellows near enough, we might _let fly into the brown of them. It would clear them out sharp.” Beh A. good idea,” scudMlaree.: _ Below they found Terry, Rainstone, and others, and . with their help the guns were got upon the ramparts, Peed propped up against two of the embrasures, so A that they could be Reicouely depressed to fire down _ the path. They were both loaded, and the command _ given not to SON as much as the tip of one of their a noses. ae _ It was considered that the ‘Spakiaia would most - key, with an eye to breakfast, pay an early visit to ef ‘the castle. Men who have had nothing the better part of the previous day, are invariz bly peaely for their breakfast. So it transpired. The watchers on the ramparts Xe | not long to wait. The Spaniards, c conscious of no ver, came along talking about the way they would om i 1e uate villains” for shutting them out. 3 head d of them ide shal ae Se ye As ae fe . a oes ‘ee oe vee na THE DON DEFIED. ny oF OP St ‘ oie Ne | ’ Bik Oeics a ad aN alt > 4 : Toe + me Saath 5" 5 7D re 42) os . ie : ? eee + ; , ae oe BA - Aa? Lo . 5. ; ~~ bee " ¥ i same sort of eae in his heart, but too dignineds te give it utterance in the presence of his men. : Terry was offered the post of gunner to Bella, bub he declined, so Jim took it, and Rainstone was allowed ) to take charge of the other gun. The main bod: of youngsters crouched behind the walls. Morse Kept ; stealthy watch, and, when the moment came, gave the signal to fire. me The moment the two guns belched forth thom fire every head was over the wall to see the result. ‘Alali t a dozen of the Spaniards were capering about, rub- bing their hands together, and holding their faces, in some cases, between their hands, and all shouting their loudest. \ The Don had vanished with those who had fled : at | the sound of the guns, and the rattle of retreating feet sounded clearly above the cries of pe of Ee ~“ wounded.” “They are not much hurt,” said Jim, contempt ously. “ But I know peas sting.” ee . “We may go to breakfast, I suppose: ey said ] orse. “Certainly,” replied Jim, laughing. “They won't trouble us any more—not for some hours, : anyway.” 2G Coming so soon after the first siege of the castle this affair was most comical, although, as ub subse- quently proved, there wasa serious sidetoit. if It was not until after breakfast that morning that _Jim remembered the letter Romeo had given him on the previous evening. After he had placed it i his pocket it slipped his memory entirely. a Taking advantage of his being comparatively alone: in the courtyard, he opened it as “a spoil of war,” and read the following precious effusion : 3 ‘© LOVELY even nent whose eyes are as the stars of a summer’s night, must have perceived my admiratien, my devotion. That I love thee I swear by the sword J wear never drawn yet save in the cause of honour, or fon th protection of defenceless beauty. ‘ ‘‘ Surely your present rough, sordid sur 1S ate ar hateful to one so lovely, so ethereal. Come, then, ings | when the ‘ Guadalquivir’ returns, to my home—a palace with every luxury the heart can sigh for—in Minorea There by perfumed fountains I will sing to thee of lov and make thy life one long summer’s day. oa ‘¢ Yours devotedly to the end, Cale ‘ALGUA Marpato. 3 Fe “ What twaddle!” muttered Jim, coutenptns uae ‘i “Tt is as well Eveline should never know it has been written.” So he tore it into a thousand fragments and uti them to the morning wind. By this simple disposition of the letter Eveline was spared the knowledge that | in the dandified Don she had yet another and most unwelcome lover. The firing of the two cannon had one good sia It renewed in Mr. Farrell the old terror of warfare and subdued him. He talked no more just then ° interfering with Jim’s movements, and the rescue TE was Rue acknowledged master of the castle, J fost. : 5 ih ds i ‘ Kear KG aK | oy, 1 zt i t pay ih a ‘ ery iF ALS Pet Mom <= 4 a? ~ ; @ (@.