The Island School — page 349: what you’re looking at

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

a y id Pee ar 1 4 CHAPTER CLX. | THE RETREAT TO THE GATES.—TURNED TO MADMEN.— . RETREAT. withstanding the smokethat seemingly dimmed it, those who saw it had never before beheld. It fixed itself upon the brain like a flash of Heotine on a dark night. There was the horror ofit, too, ior these young- sters were no lovers of 4 bloodshed for its own sake. The carnage they a wrought» had been compelled by self- aurcuce, It _ was for them to slay or be slain. Jim was appalled, but he kept his head clear. Much _ashad been done, there was still an overwhelming force to contend ve It would be madness to stay - there. sta _ totherear. Then the second emptied their weapons a into the hall. — | A‘sputtering fire of pistols answered, and Waller fell i heavily against Ganthony, who threw his arm around aa him. “Are you hurt, old fellow ©” he asked. _ There was no reply. So, as he retreated in his turn, _he dragged the still form of the boy with him. The despairing yells and cries of rage in the hall reached the height of riotous sounds. Back the boys retreated. Three times they fired ere they gathered under the covered way by the gates which were thrown open. , “ Away you go, there!” cried Jim to the negroes, and each took up a big bundle and they went stagger- __ ing down the shattered pathway. “ Better if it had not been broken up now, Morse,” oy iy , » 4 Py u , ; ¥ : ~~ F 5S J. Ka ae Ved A P “a said Jim, grimly. S ‘* Perhaps not,” was the quiet response. — Waller is hurt!” sang out Ganthony, “and I can- not bring him round.” ‘Pass him into the open air,” said Jim. He had his own work to perform, and that duty was done by Whiffer, Ganthony, and Felton. 3 They carried out the lad and laid him down upon the ground, to the left of the bridge. “Shot through the forehead ! !” cried Felton, aehaat “He is dead!” _“ What is that ?” sang out a score of voices. “ Waller is falledt Y | ‘ . e: r ‘ 5 ve . 7) ‘. nN 5 oe, > ue poe Sn ae ppd eh. Faas iy y. v4 vw! Wels ene He gave the word, and the first rifle-party retreated — ISLAND SCH OOL. eo me / + PON 5! x ty eee Ad ae phy ie REN) ~ Tigre . ran ty 5a ui mip ne Ty SO arg. is x +9 / A great cry went up from the ae nae the: ness of the battle-field, roused in the soldier’ FY ‘head _as if fire had suddenly swept over their heads, heating, i as he sees his comrades fall, came upon them. It} was. their blood. Until then they had hardly realised what. 4O vivid a picture, not- | — | a friends. ee his euieth, viel one feels:in warfare. cries of “ Let us get at them !” but Jim stemmed the: torrent. , “ What are you doing ! om he cried. “ Back! ands | stand out of the line of fire!” ; There was a rush forward, with. @ They heard his voice, and it stopped the rashness oF | the moment. Then a dreadful stillness came upon Bs them,’and it brought out the voices of their foes, who. oH were still i in the hall. - Above all they could hear Lucia ah Valo rallying, ‘ her men. “You came out to ficht, 7 yee heard hoe say. ‘ je “Surely if one falls there is no need for all to fly!’ ‘ And whither would you fly ? lead you to victory.” “No; Iam the leader now,” said Vamos. Follow me, ‘and I will | “Tt es not fitting that a woman lead the way. Comrades,.. ¥ the boys have fired their last shot and fled. If we- hesitate they will get away, one shall we not avenge: our dead comrades ?” is) i ’ Rs 0 There was a pause, and then a responsive cry in the- 2s affirmative, and then the men came pouring out into. the courtyard. Again they were deceived. could not see the ial at the postern gate, and were’ not prepared for it. The tactics adopted before were repeated. Morse Tha “ fired the cannon, and the first lot of rifles were dis-- 3 charged. Then, according to Jim’s original plan, they ~ ought to have retreated, for it must of necessity be a: backward running fight until’ the enemy was 50 re=- duced as to be practically powerless. ¥ L. ‘. 5 : - 1% But a sudden inspiration came upon him as he- \" heard the words of Lucia di Valo and the threatening cries of the foe. like the ravings of madmén than aught else, and it seemed asif they had completely lost their heads, for instead of rushing forward to force the position of the- boys, they ran to and fro in the courtyard without any apparent aim or purpose. Then it was that the idea of a stealthy movement AS came to Jim. His followers were again quiet,’ and rapidly the command was softly passed poe x “To the ramparts, but make no noise.” It was as dark as the depths of a cavern by the. portcullis, owing to the might and the smoke that’ hovered about; but all knew the way, and rapidly they mounted up the stairs. Whateverlittlenoisethey — could not avoid making was ote weee by the fierce: cries of their antagonists. , ‘ Jim waited until all were. gone, and then follow. co were all so } boc ain mu) Bh The sounds they uttered were more- : iy ie = “y s~% ? ri *