The Island School — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

Seah Pm aroay) AD Re te rn «ot CAS v LB 4 [ Q7 wy 4 oxy i t inf eh, , aoc \ Me oy Sed - A ‘we Fj \ rs retD wy ts ; ‘ ve { tO oe et ‘ai hi . wy . Jy ‘3 ya) Coie ae OWS Ais ong % oe te : o CHAPTER CXXXIV. : LEERY had the piat- form ready by ten Oo ‘clock, and the two small guns were aa placed upon it. His | suggestion that he should fix something to prevent their running back when fired, was of course, agreed to, and he spent the rest of the morning in making buffers with a spring similar to those, only o on a smaller scale, we see at railway- stations. _ & You won’t be able to repeat your old performance, 4 _ Terry,” said Jim to that most original of artillerists, ti who was watching Sleery at work. a -_ “Tam not eager to do it,” said Terry. a _ thought I had brought the Hite down.” Pe “Jim—Jim !” sang out someone from the court- yard. “Here!” replied Jim. It was Dibble, who came 2 hurrying i in mark @ grin on his face. “‘ Nap wants you,” he said; “if not too muchtrouble, y will you go up to his room ?” «Did he put it so politely °” ah _ “He did. More than that, he said thatif you were very busy he could wait.” y “Yl go at once,” said Jim. ‘ What on earth is in a 1 fhe wind now?” — ; - They turned back together, Dibble showing by his 4 manner than he had something more to say. fe 4 Auntie,” he said, suddenly, “ wants to know if she can have a rifle ?” eg oe “T think not,” answered Jim, “unless she knows “he ae ‘ ‘o how to handle it.” “T really a. fl ‘ _ better let her have one for all that. She also wants some cartridges, to be ready for the blackguards below ; when they come this way.” BY. “Very well,” said Jim, “ tell her I will attend to it e _ by-and-by. She had better have a ae instruction ; in the management of the weapon.” Dibble hastened away with the glad tidings to his aunt. She would be immensely gratified by Jim’s eeonting to her proposal. There was a warlike spirit | her destined Me bear fruit in the near by-and- eed ee arrell was in his ‘room, pacing up ee) down s; Wt 4 ie r nye pat " ’ ae’ ' » vs, ‘* Sve f ieee. a ey Saba © | i “Which she doesn’t,” said Dibble, “but you had ey > eo 4 F SR ated 17a wr on ya f ert tnt y bis i ey A a Ue 8, dea a 4 ¥, ny A sb | Sth tan \ ") W025 4 ‘ WA ttA V5 ¢ yng! i> pe * a ee 4 Le MJ ,. ; 5.) It ia fey “yt a ty) “ahs aie ‘ Ont ; *i) d R te ; Ti t 4 aa) Amend pi vn 5) Wythe HAL! te Ohh A Op olay Pea ‘pha are SNELON TER CSTR OR) sien 247 ues the restlessness of a ateorhed man, He we le omer Jim by holding out both his hands. Jim, not. _knowing what else to do, took them, and the school-. master worked them up and down half a dozen times,. as if they were old friends who had met after a long separation. “Gordon,” he said, “you never bear animosity, do. % é Not that I am aware a8 sir,” replied Jim. “There have been times when I have been—been— ahem !— somewhat eccentric In my conduct towards. you.” “TI can’t deny it, sir.” Sti ; “They have been times of irritation and excite— ment.” “Yes, I admit it.” <- as tak will therefore overlook eal I have said a _ done ?” “T have thought little or nothing of it.” a —Mr. Farrell hesitated a moment— __ “Very good” “then Jet me come to the point.” He stopped again, and stared at Jim in an embarrassed way. “The fact is, I have been talking with Mr. Storeby and Turner, — and our united opinion is that we are at the present juncture—in—in the way.” | Here was something else Jim could hardly deny. They were three useless encumbrances in the i castle. , “You need not apologise for that, sir,” said Jim. 17 “We can’t all be on a footing with regard to usefule _ el of 2 ay ness.” | -. “You admit we are encumbrances, then 2” eee ‘In a sense I do, sir.” | “Then,” said Mr. Farrell, quite briskly, * why nct get rid of us ?” | Jim was utterly taken aback by this question. i He wondered at a proposition that was bordering ona u suggestion for him to take the lives of the precious. 4 trio. Atleast, that was the way he looked at it. gi Ie “ Get rid of you, sir ?” he exclaimed. aes. : “ Yes, and nothing more easy, I should say. You + i. ‘ oh : A BB? remember when I was captive in the cave with that 2 ‘3 es skunk Chorker ?” | | Jim bowed. | . “Well, who rescued me ?” ‘Morse was the chief factor in it, sir.” “ Just so, and how did he get at me? Not by ‘the i ‘i chine entrance to the cave—now, did he 2” Jim was silent. He was not at all prepared to take Mr. Farrell into. his confidence with regard to the trap-door in the laboratory. mi: “He came from the castle,” said Mr. Farrell. i know it. Now, I have not sought to find out the way _ he came, because I have no desire to leave you — secretly. All I intend to do must be done openly.” Pay is ‘ : - ’ : , i j , a fy ay ok : - in : p f | Y = ~ \ TTA ES tik POL Ha Le ob Bee: hy q wr