The Island School — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER MISSING MAN. “Done the scullery,” he said, “(and now, by the leave of you gentlemen, Ill take a few minutes’ rest.” No objection was raised to this suggestion, as it was the hour when the three niggers partook of luncheon. Chorker, to their surprise, refused to partake of any. “Thi jest ste out,” he said, “and git a mouthful of fresh air.” “He clean gone—dementled,’ said Macbeth, as Chorker vanished. But Chorker was as sane and sensible as ever. He had a set purpose in his mind, and, by hastening to finish the ordinary morning’s work, he had a most convenient hour to carry it out. Chorker was going to clear away. He had his clothing ready, and package of food and the rope, also a short, stout stick wherewith to secure that rope to the window. With the trio of niggers safe in the fiteted at Inmcheon, he was able to convey all these things up to their bedroom. There he was so far, and now arose the ee how was he to get up tothe window? - There was Macbeth’s bed, and three boxes containing the odds and ends of property belonging to the occupants of the room. By piling these on the bed he thought he could do it, Yes, they sufficed. He could from the summit of the boxes just get his head above the window-sill. His first care was to drop his bundle of clothes and package of food out. That done, he made an efiort to raise himself up so as to get out of the window, and descend. The rope was lowered and the stick placed across the open window. “Strong enough to bear a hoss,” he muttered. His next move was to spring up, and in the attempt he shot the three boxes down. They fell with a thunderous roar upon the ground. Alarmed, he loosened his hold upon the window- sill and followed them tothe floor; there he lay, with the sensation of having his head split, and his eyes giving out small volcanic eruptions. But the chief feeling on him, however, was the terror of discovery. Had the owners of those boxes heard the uproar? In case they had, he crept under | Macbeth’s bed, and lay there quaking for a quarter of an hour. Nobody coming, he stole out again, and once more placed the boxesin position. But the fall had shaken him up, and he did it nervously. Using the greatest precaution, he eventually got upon the window-sill, and grasping the rope, lowered himself out, feeling uncommonly quaky as he thought | of the forty feet below. But now that he was out he tried to nerve himself, and began the descent, going very carefully, and ne ty 4 } my hy ty \ , ' 7 N\ tablet Mads FAY by “Ay RHE 1, ran A Ra Le bee t 299 descending inch by inch, scraping his feet against the wall to act as a brake. Suddenly it occurred to him that the rope was moving without his aid. Looking up, he beheld a sight that turned him cold. It was the face of Romeo at the window, and the hands of that grin- ning personage were shaking it. “ What yer doing ?” cried Chorker. “So you run away, too,” said Romeo. “ How slow you go! Look out! Me going to help you to get to de bottom quicker.” One of his hands disappeared and_ speedily reappeared, grasping a knife. The eyes of Chorker seemed to turn right round in his head with terror. “For mercy’s sake,” he gasped, “don’t cut !” ‘Bound todo it,” coolly responded Romeo. “ What bisness you got to bolt P” “Tl come back again!” groaned Chorker. “No, you won't,” replied Romeo. “If you do, me see dat- you get a tanning for it. Mobe a lilly bit quicker dere.” “Ym agoing!” moaned Chorker, as he began to slide down at a rate that threatened to skin the palms of his hands. He was within about ten feet of the ground, when he felt himself rushing down. A cry rose to his lips, but ere he could utter it he came, with a fearful bump, to the ground, and it ended in nothing more than a gasping “Oh!” the rope falling upon him. “You blamed fool!” he roared, a moment later, “what did yer cut the rope for ?” “Fun !” said Romeo, as he detached the stick from the window and threw it down. “Clar off, or it be de wuss for you. Hear me talking, does you?” “You are a ijiotic skunk!’ growled Chorker, “All right,” returned Romeo, “me gib you an answer to dat when we meet agin. Jf you hb to return alibe.” Romeo’s face disappeared, and Chorker, now doubt- ful if he had taken a wise step, heard him move the boxes back to their original position. “'Tere’s no goin’ back,” he muttered, “unless I can git up some yarn about havin’ been out to scout the henemy. But even with that I durstn’t show for a day or two.” Discontented, and filled with many throes of fear, he strode away into the wood, his departure signalised by a firing from the summit of the tower. Inspecting the spot where Morse had sent his rockets the previous evening, Jim discovered many infallible signs of the completeness of the work. The bulging portion of the cliff had vanished, and much of the undergrowth further in was destroyed. The trees cut down had disappeared, and so had the hoisting apparatus, as the reader has already been informed. Eom 00 ES (E @) a mn