The Island School — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

Stebbing had always been a quiet, inoffensive man, but he never had the look of a happy one. So far as he was concerned there was a probability that he had lost a life which, by some secret sorrow, was hard to bear. But that was not the point. - He had always been of a most amiable disposition, and his loss would be keenly felt. There was one burning question, ‘‘ How are we to find his murderer ?” and it ought to have been asked by Mr. Napoleon Farrell. He ought also to have attempted to solve it, but practically he had for the time abandoned the command of his own establish- ‘ 4 ~~ 7 Jee SS Ms : ors ‘; - r -~ ment. — Jim could have commented severely on his lack of nerve, but, for the sake of Eveline, he was dumb so Ma thy ae on the shores of ‘the lagoon the boys - eventually gathered together. _ With the members of the Council of Ten Jim stood erect, while the main body of the boys squatted on the ground in several lines of a semicircular form. “Tt was not my intention to say anything to you yet, boys,” he said, ‘but events have been hurrying on during the last twenty-four hours. If I had been asked yesterday morning which was the quietest spot on the earth and the happiest, I oaks have answered this island. But I cannot say it now.’ AG aes moment. Martin, with several of the other of | trades, ¢ came ty ales stood behind him. reader ; wih “ied. 5 i nn , Paes " - e ba > id ry 9 a) ahi wh 1 ia ae Spiel Scans amie } oe 3 ih "was busy oni es the ae of the assassina- ) From afar the cre absent aa of their body was s fey tion as he would a sum, turned to Jim and asked if | at work, and there came down to the shore the sound — 4 at) # he’ had heard of anyehine that more ave a clue tothe | ofa hammer as he framed the coffin for the dead man. 3 ae : murderer. “TI do not wish to alarm any of you youngsters,” Be — .“T think there are ene in It, ” ee Jim. | continued Jim, “but I know that, take you all round, Be Cao «They are strangers to us.” — you don’t want for pluck, and so I intend to speak a _“ Have you seen them: eu, freely. We have some enemy who threatens to be ie i ‘No, not on uae island, but Isaw the men I suspect | troublesome. We must show a bold front to him— a we) yesterday at sea.” that is, the elder among us must doso. There “7 a You did not hneteet them then! pn" some much. too young to take action. Now, what Ds aM ee “ How should 1°” want to do is to forma protective corps of boys who 3 a Jim felt it would be better to fence with the anid are big enough to have something of a chance with a 3 i master until something more definite was known of | maninarow. Who joins 2” iit 1 k the men, and the subject dropped. When they came Up went a little forest of hands. Tt seemed that | a: By," in sight of the school, they saw that all work had been | all, or nearly all, were ready to join with him. a a is suspended for the day. “That won’t do,” he said, with a quiet smile ; og : ; ‘Every occupant of the big house oanee to be there see I shall have to choose our men.” Nt i - awaiting the arrival of the cortege. As it drew near _ He then proceeded to call on the elders to join him, — if 4 oe _ the boys formed into two lines and allowed the sad | beginning with his brethren of the council, to each of 4 i ie ¢ procession to pass through. whom he appointed ten followers. Thus there was a a ‘ia ‘The body was borne to the room recently occupied | little more than half the school: practically on acu om ; a ee by the dead man, and an order was given by Jim to service. Me -_ Sleery, the head-carpenter, to get a coffin ready with All who were left out grumbled, but he “dacuncell Ae 4 all speed. — ) them they would have something to do ere long. vibe pe - ‘There was no actual commotion in the house, but Why do you shut us out: >” asked Martin, the a Hehe faces of the boys and the other masters wore a | blacksmith. at 7 “3 hard-set expression which. showed how deeply wey | Jim turned to him and said, “ You are men, and Bi felt this break-in upon the quietude of the island. | can form yourselves into a body of your eae Ly i should hesitate to attempt to command men.’ eh Well, I cue " \ hae “ Or tobe ordered about RY: us. you are right.” Jim had always been a favourite with the Bova and — to an extent a leader, but never until that day had he appeared as that of the school. He stepped into the — post as if he had a right of birth to it.. There vote ae no signs that he was conscious of doing anything un- ou usual, or what could be unpalatable to any others. i ‘ The vast majority accepted him without cone They fell into his guiding without a thought but that it was the right thing todo. But there were sats aad 4 y\9 oY ee : at & hee } i “~ as there would have been in any community, who ~ looked on in a grudging spirit, and secretly resented : his pushing himself forward. | i They did not, however, say sash at the time, and after a uae general address on the advisability — of their keeping cool and collected, he finished thus; — “To-day we can do nothing. Any attempt to search the island for the assassins would end in failure. It is too big for that. Nor may it be in our | power to do much to-morrow or the next day. Itis impossible to say at present what we may be called , upon .to perform. Meanwhile, until the morning, when no doubt our murdered master will be buried in some fitting spot, you will remember the solemn event of to- ae and carry yourselves in harmony Mis) it.” t ‘ rie y Wats, . oi Whe * mii peor: con ' " 4 ») a { - Nisa (ee) wiy ah iW, 7 ' : nae fy uf NG i 6 oO a i Heat fis HY, Ma cay OMS A PM Oe foe Tek Sih: ww i's ’ -