The Island School — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

* \ An . the ¥ % Hehe! 4 Jay ‘y' c Me oe, BANS: ay f } ; ‘ " ms ys " wn ae Pe a kgs! ’ wes ? yor A ray seit ¥ a & ye ( Ru a b on ” 3 - Morse was away on one of his many SSUES ES ; duties. f Be Jim got more and more anxious,'and as soon ashe > - could leave the table without exciting undue attention he didso. Prior to going in search of Morse, he thought he would visit the ramparts and see if all was right there. ‘Trimmer was on sentry at the gate, and he pore all well. t ye beastly draught through the portcullis. The wind has hifted to the aT ibheewost: f “ “Rain coming, perhaps,” said Jim, peering through Vike yiron bars. ‘“ The sky looks cloudy.” \ a A | ee fe io have been visible. But he could see none of them. : "The Se of it among the trees had a most "mourn elfect upon the nerves. am although not iy it. : a “ But how horribly mournful!” he said ; “ jast ikea _ dirge for the dead we read of.” “Good gracious!” exclaimed Trimmer; “ not for ve sare here, I ee _ “Can't say,” said dim, as he turned away and ascended to the ramparts. ise ay CHAPTER CLIV. _ HE INTRICACIES OF THE CAVE.—A DISCOVERY. ANY a time of late, both by day and night, had Jim looked down upon _ the scene below the _ castle walls. Of its beauty by day there could be no two opinions, and by night, as a rule, the soft shim- uA mering of the sea could be seen, na mer’ ~—s lying below like a pool of metal LU that had recently been red-hot, and had now lost almost all its glow. Then above there were the stars, from whose spark- fe ling the waters heaving below gathered additional _ light, and the trees could be seen in sombre outline, their delicate foiiage traced against the semi-illumined ricy But now there were none of these sweet adjuncts of the night. Above and below all was gloom. Not a star visible, the area of the sea a blank, the trees blotted out. Jim knew this would not be for long, because the — mocn would soon rise, and however thick the clouds, iy eG OEE , IStAND SCHOOL. Cana eae | paced to and fro, with rifle on shoulder, ears and _ The only thing that comes along,” he said, “is a ie 8 was quite dark by that time, and the stars ought | ._ id im ( f f rh 7 ‘ AvP figs j t “ey s% . ’ i‘ " 4 . 1% ~ aiiee a Ai Yuet Yat i ey ‘ y” % chi Cais Bes ; i +X: iy Bit be a ry ae ‘J fey Sy 8 <p ann Ul te pha we wnt wh ca ai ie) eee rm ay 4 mee, |e ; bene was ca +, a Lay: some of her light saa pees ‘through then ok ss For all that, he felt as if the funeral pall overhead — “3 had some : deep «significance, and his heart. became ¢ & | heavy in his breast. a He stayed there for a time, unheeding Felton, who eyes on the watch, and all the time wondering what. | : > te ailed his young chief. ah “You have heard nothing ?” said Jim, anadene | The abrupt manner of breaking the silence had 2 s J startling effect upon Felton. open a “No,” he answered. “ Hardly expect it, do you 2” Bea “No,” said Jim, dreamily; “and-yet I fancied a BA moment ago that I heard something—very faint— <3 ge from the wood behind us.” | ne ae “T heard nothing,” asserted Felton, “and I was ta listening, too.” . . ae Jim put it down to fancy, and left the ramparts. | Passing Trimmer, he bade him be on the alert. It was more of the casual way of speaking commanders. have when passing a subordinate—a mechanical | warning, rather than an utterancearising fromthe need of it. All who watched in the castle knew that on them the safety and lives of all might one day de- pend. ‘Therefore, when on duty, they were ever watchful and wakeful. Terry, acting on instructions previously given hira, had smuggled a lantern into the laboratory, and was there awaiting Jim’s coming. “T believe it will burn six hatte? he said, holding it up. Ae 4 The lantern was an old one, and Jim iGaed at it a dubiously. . | ae, ‘‘ Say four, at the outside,” he replied. “Wemust Et not be longer below.” They locked the door inside, leaving the key in. the lock, and descended into the cave. Terry hat " been there before, but knew very little about it, A beyond that there had been a straight passage to the ‘4 mouth of it, and on the.way two or three branches. _ a As they walked along, Jim told Terry of the scare he and Morse had given Chorker, which made Terry laugh aloud. But the sound of his voice raised such a number of uncanny echoes, that Jim beepee of him not to laugh again. ie “T wasn't troubled that way before,” he said. ; “The mouth being blocked up may have somothing to do with it,” suggested Terry. “T hope so,” said Jim; “but Iam as nervous a8 &® kitten to-night. Now, here we are. This is the | passage down which Chorker spent a few unhappy hours, and this way Morse naturally came in search ’ ~ - . Ol aes - of him.” “Suppose you try your luck by cones to him by | and-by,” hinted Terry. “ Well, I don’t mind u I ae replied Jim, a ae i ea ee Awe = 8 | ; * that Dh Oe NON a lee — comicbooks.cc ‘ vt a we Sees By ‘ F a ald ty ss