The Island School — page 329: what you’re looking at

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

‘ i og lth ‘ Re’ , oat uJ 6 Ae LS { 7 oe Bik ON eb eG) Si ; . we thy i) KA eas hie Wis } A y Wy een f ’ 4.) iy ys we 21 THE ISLAND SCHOOL. ee ae Ue, ay e sent 66 Bhoy haves answered the ready impostor. | nothing. Vamos took han ‘by ‘ie arm and lea him im. ‘ae “ih his in NS 5 é a _ Where they came from and who they are I was never | P “ead ; _ why they had left the castle. “ No, no,” interposed Turner. With all his nervous- ‘ness and misery, he could not stand by and hear the boys he admired in his heart thus grossly libelled, “ Ah!” exclaimed Lucia, “you say that he lies ?” TJ do,’ answered Turner, firmly. ‘The only fault there is in the bors in his eyes, is that they are not i arrant cowards.” | na “What say you 2” demanded Lucia, turning tc | Storeby. _“T have had no share in the laste of the boys,” was his answer, “and I do not countenance them. ay if told.” . Ram ceet Mean, mean!” cried Turner, “more than mean— despicable !” “ Fool!” hissed Mr. Farrell. “Tell me your story truly,” said Lucia. “Have you mot come here to spy upon us ?” This they all denied with truth, and Turner told her They wished to be out of danger when it fell into her hands. | “ And you think it will fall ?” she asked, with glisten- _ ing eyes. | Again they were of one opinion. They were sure ef we i _ it, and she quoted their uttered words to such of her A followers’ as did not understand their language. ah She wanted to know why they should think so, and a sa na Ais oe) Pela “ge Mr. Farrell said it was impossible to hold out long. a _ ‘The question of provisions must soon become a serious one.. Then there was that of ammunition, of which he believed they were running short. “But we must be provisioned, too,” she said. “ We ‘cannot dally here for ever. How did you leave the castle ?” “We were blindfolded and led out of it,” said the schoolmaster. ‘When our bandages were removed we found ourselves in the cave.” “What cave P” He pointed up the chine, ua the men said there was a cave near the spot where they found the prisoners. Mr. Farrell here stepped forward, and in a low tone intimated that he wished to speak to Lucia di Valo ae ies alone. “Tt is possible,” “ said, * that I may show you how to take the castle by surprise.” She reflected a moment, and then ordered him to be led to her tent and left there. The other two she Rplased under the care of some of her men, with the command to see that they did not escape, on peril of their lives. _ “T only ask you, senorita,” ie porenyations. in later on.” we Farrell glared at him y Leave a gap for the truth tc be inserted oe ar EAT SNe reba said Turner as he was going away, “to listen to what that man says with ~ — RV RU On ae there i is a a way to the ex me of the explosives.” } his face wet with fear, “the cave may be intricate. | x By, ee into Lucia’s tent. Shortly after she followed. — sa "4 “You may remain,” she said to her lover. — “Now x iW Sir Schoolkeeper, what is it you propose?” Mr. Farrell entered into the details of his leavi ta) the castle, assuring her that they had come by way of of the cave, and that therefore by ches cave @ Be could va be found into the castle. | tal q “ And it must be found in the night-time? he said, Aki “when all but two or three are asleep.” — cd ag “T choose my own time,” said Lucia; “ but; your advice seems reasonable. It’s a long way from» the e ~ chine to the castle.” as he 4 « “Morse comes and goes daily” he rejoined, Ds “ Who is Morse ?” al me raph ee “A young chemist in the school—the mano “Ab? breathed Vamos ) venomously, “T should Vike os to get hold of him.” i ts ‘What is your price for betray’ ie ous friends as asked Lucia. - BAGS “YT have no friends,” -eyshieg pe schoolmaster; ie “they all act like my bitter enemies.” a “The price for betraying them, whoever they be ” iv “My life.” ; a “Cheap,” said Lucia, contemptuously ; “ it is of no- ay value to anybody but yourself.” ; He winced under the biting sarcasm, and Vamos _ A, laughed, softly. ; eae “You have a wife there,” said Lucia. ei ss : “T care not. She has forfeited the right to my ie protection,’ was the answer. “You swore to prone: and cherish her. ‘ her once ?” ate ap ay “ Perhaps; but all that is past.” ‘ “Then there is your daughter P” a “She goes with the mother and turns against me. Bir Ra You lov ed \ ‘ , Why should I consider her ?” eet is “ You may serve my turn,” said Lucia, ¢ “orl Toul } e spit upon you, base asIam. But your life shall be e spared if we get possession of the castle. You may live, if oy to realise how mame contemptible a e : t you are.’ ee Se She beckoned to Vamos, anh the two souterreae in, ; whispers for a while. When the conference ended % Lucia again addressed the schoolmaster. | can a To-night, ” she said, “we will endeavour, under | your guidance, to get possession of the castle. Should we fail, from any cause whatever, you will be shot to-morrow. I cannot have my camp encumbered with useless lumber.” “ Possibly,” said Mr. Farrell, deprecatingly, and with | nf ‘| Poa _ im ~ have never penetrated abe baw ie, ne | ad hia a ee