The Island School — page 354: what you’re looking at

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

Be abt ant cnly Waller remained. . | | ‘a Me «Did: you notice anything peculiar about some of ih the dead ?” asked Jim. ene : Ay + & T did,” replied Morse. | : What was it ?” “They had the Sp bea tae of having ae ee to “death.” marks of fingers on the throat. a i RS. -“ How came they there ?” | 2 ; SMe mexoula only shake his head by way. of reply. Ss was past his comprehension, he finally said. save them.-from falling into our hands.” -.. “That won’t do,” rejoined Jim. “There’s another - solution of the mystery.” . _ And there was, destined to be afterwards made clear ae them. . Later in the day poor Waller was carried below, and they laid him in his rough coffin upon a shelf above a huge stone sarcophagus, elaborately carved, and evidently the last home of some man of importance. “Things might have been worse,” said Jim. “Some present, but it was hard to lose one of us.’ There were not many dry eyes when they left the vault; but great grief 1s happily transient, and before _--the day was gone some of its deepest shadow was Wifted up. There was so much to do, and in occupation the boys found relief from their gloom. tai CHAPTER CLXIII. LUCIA DI VALO’S LAST CARD.—TO DO OR TO DIE. HEN the full measure of defeat was known to Lucia di Valo she _ re- treated to the Nae aN Piss Gait aN awaited the coming of In the last rush from the victorious youngsters’ fire and peck divided during F ss : ‘the hours of darkness. | q ; is the grey lighs of the morning Lucia di Valo stood by her tent Hike Vamos. Hard by, engaged in raking ip ccet er materials for the fires, were about twenty men. These, up to that time, were all that she had SE een after the defeat and rout. ; Bi Th ere et be sy more ward she said to ee | Ne hye ea iE ‘ hs iy) i vy a Ae AH uti: F. ’ ha Ys)! ni; jot Hey a) BF wi") tS } a) Yer hn we ar ee bey! ‘ Vd sv te Kees a Hii sos aia A’. D. Ve (LOS LA sT A ale te cain the aati man was taken | “I have lost many good men, but not so mee as this e + Just so. I distinetly, in fived. or four cases, saw “Unless,” he added, “ their friends killed them to : ‘people would think we have got lightly on up to the chine, and there > herfollowerswhosurvived.. the men had scattered, i Ny ri My y O Vadis Pye bt ane a i / 7 i f CARD. | scattered band would show.” ‘More will return, doubtless,” gloomily replied ers lieutenant. “But it was a terrible slaughter, seeing that. we made no return.” i “Tt was a series of surprises,” rejoined Lucia, 7 “ either wonderfully well planned, or the result of.a — series of fortuitous accidents.” . “What will you do now ?” asked Vamos. | ~“DoP Why, collect our forces, and seek a better opportunity to destroy the cubs of the castle.” ‘“‘The-men may not be disposed to fight.” “They must. Do you know what will be said of — 4 them, if they return like whipped dogs with their tails | : down ?” Nea a “They will be treated with opin & perhaps. But, they are not responsible for defeat.” iN, “ Who is ?” | ce She asked the question curtly, with her’ eyes angrily Mi fixed upon him. a | ‘““t had no faith in approaching the castle by the cave,” he said. “ Had we taken time, and posted our remaining cannon in the rear, where we could shield ourselves from attack by the wood, we could speedily have battered down the wall. After that the time to enter would have been our choice.” 4 f “You would put the blame on me, you dog!” o. “Senorita, I am no dog.” ; ; oH “ Hark you!” said Lucia. “TI will have no reheHioual conduct from you. Your duty is to obey me, and see — that the men are faithful. If you forget your duty, and lead them to neglect theirs, I will charge you before Don Carlos ESE aLdS with having sold the | expedition to the enemy.” “ “You would never do that, surely,” he said, with perspiration breaking out upon his brows. “T would,” was thie cool reply, “and come to see you through the garrote. You know me, and can judge if I will keep my word.” VN She turned from. him, and, entering her tent, shut. herself in. He wiped the dew from his forehead, an¢ walked slowly edunitds the nearest fire. “And she would do it, curse her!” he miitbereed “and to think that I joined this unlucky venture to win her love. Love! She knows nothing of it. But for me there is no going back. While "se stays: si must remain. Better die here from a bullet or a knife than have to suffer the garrote.” ie The arrival of three more men, looking as if they e had been wandering all night, distracted his atten-— ; tion from his own troubles. On the principle of easing off the insults or wrongs by one too strong to — show resentment to, by pouring out the vials of anger on a weaker vessel, he asked them angrily where they had been. | pn yt “Somewhere by the sea,” they answered, and] iy) , wah Mat pity , shy "I rh ~“comicbooks.cor ity VA AS t alo 70} e mat) ji} " ms C MY oe SP MR | oA Ye fd. Y" i's Ay th, ry \ ‘ yee ae : a bate : 2 me Re wi My