The Island School — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

, r) kee oe ~~ ie = . #9, (f it A o r gine a i Or ae , spat ae a eer 8 70 OYING. is eye } | 279 Ac scenc led at: an Meats angle into the ground, had was Seen a we are not half a minute from the chine now. — am n ic ot more than five feet in diameter. Come on!” “a | Curiosity prompted them to go ‘up and peep. into it, | ~ “TI thought so,” he added, a minute later; “here ) Dit advising his companions to look out for a rush, if we are. You remain here while I go forward, but do _ it were very shallow. | not quite lose sight of me.” ‘ : But it must have been very deep, for when they got Jim moved on, and the wood had now thinned so near they could hear the grunts of the boar far away | as to give a view of the summit of that side’ of the Bh - down in the earth, and there was, besides, that curious | chine. Beyond the wood he stooped low, and finally __ _ humming sound, cee from the air-currents, scarce | sinking to his hands and knees, crept to the verge of Be heard, yet definite, one hears in all such places. the land and peered over. ey “This is a discevery that may be useful,” said Jim. He discovered that he was almost directly. over r the s _ “Let us mark the exact spot.” ; mouth of the cave, or where it had been, and the a He drew his knife from its. leathern sheath, and camp of the foe was visible on the right. There were A notched half a.dozen trees round the hole. He reckoned | a number of men moving about, and Lucia di Valo Ae it was about a furlong from the castle in a northerly | sat by her tent reading. | ab! direction. Thus was Jim made aware that if anyone hadi passed ale Little as they thought of it, this divergence from | him—as the reader knows they had—they were but Mi their main course eraser a most untimely meeting | few in number. | Be with the scouts from the other direction. The position of Lucia di Valo was very similar to that iy ‘ | ‘While the boys were prying into the boar’s haunt | taken up by Espardo Reonardo in earlier days. Jim mes Vamos and his men passed a little lower down, and | saw that, with a comparatively small force, he could, us almost in sight of them. Nothing but a screen of | from the higher ground, play havoc with them. ei oe shut the boys out of view. Hadthey | But the attack, to be effectual, must be carried out in i. ~ ‘been discovered and taken unawares asthey knelt upon | the daytime. At night they would have to fire by the ground peering down the hollow, only one thing | guess-work, which might result in nothing but creating 4 could have resulted. Hach and all would have Oe a temporary confusion. es: shot. On the wisdom of attempting so much he decided ian But the Spaniards eee on unconsciously, smoking | to debate with his friends onhisreturn. Hewassatis- _ _ their cigarettes, and quieter than they had been | fied as to the position of the foe, and feeling he had a Ee hitherto, Vaiicos knowing they were approaching the | little leisure time on his hands, he merely wandered — eastie. a part of the way back, and then called a halt for he Jim, having’ marked the spot, shouldered his rifle, | dinner. | / a: and once more led the way. “Well, Jim,” said Ganthony, as he put out their They kept well within the wood fora Site: ils the | simple repast, picnic-fashion, ‘what do you think of Rs _ slanting rays of the morning sun for a guide; but | things ?” OM as the ground became covered with tangled bushes “Tt must be a bold attack on them during the day- Mi) and wild vines they were obliged to bear down | time,” replied ee “or wait for them to SOE a it | nearer to the cliff. There they came upon the trail | time to attack us.’ | ie | in the long coarse grass made by the men who had “Which do you suggest?” asked Dawson. Ni _ recently passed that way. “Oh! go at them,” said Jim. “I am getting tired of a _ Jim was no Indian to read a trail, nor were either | being cooped up.” ee of his friends gifted in that way. It was notin their “ Most of us are, I fancy,” said Ganthony, “but it line to tell whether it was man or beast who had | isn’t so bad as being coopered up, you know.” ia left a record of his presence a short time before. “Dry up, you fellows, for a moment,” geet ah Nor could they tell. which way the passers-by had | Dawson. a: travelled. He was standing in a listening attitude, with one Still, it was clear that something or somebody | hand raised. His companions were promptly obedient, __ had gone by, and Jim decided to follow the trail. It | and held their peace. sy as ie a3 j rn : ~ 4 led him backwards, in a sense, and it led him towards : the chine. ir Presently the truth yehed upon him. _ “Itis some of the beggars on the scout,” he cried, and they’ve gone on to the castle !” e “Not many of uBeTay suge gested Ganthony, con- a oo fee son, see. about tat repens Jim. : = rit Vea \i i, ne dan al Ce oily | m Ay “Ty yf High “ its adly yy) ‘| iy \ - 2 i a) yi A} ay A 4 | a i aN ee ee * i Fils om a WER tae rare, nits Salers " . ee tes Se AP Ry ae TAS \ _ “Yes,” said Dawson, in a low tone, “I may bea little short-sighted, but I have long ears. is coming along from the direction of the castle. can heara Sonfiaed sort of jabbering.” They had chosen a spot not far from the edge of — the cliff to rest. All round them were rocks and ferns and strong undergrowth. Twenty feet in tho com was ae wood. Aty MW PAS Somebody — | Dy al i books.cc e 7 x At Pie