The Island School — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

AFTER .THE BATTLE WAS OVER. oeen his,” said Giuseppo, ‘and he has lost every- thing. He was a brave fellow, as the stay-at-home Minorea men go.” The scene on the beach was one of subdued ani- mation. In the presence of so many of the dead, any Youd’ demonstratien of rejoicing would have been unseemly. Something bordering on the farcical, however, eventually transpired through Miss Elegantine. From some hole among the rocks she succeeded in unearth- ing an unhappy-Minorean who must early have taken refuge there, seeing that the rifle he carried had not been fired that morning. Miss Hlegantine hauled him out, and. holding him py the collar with one hand, belaboured him: with the other, so that his cries brought quite a little assem- blage to the spot. For a time they let her have her own way with the captive, but as he became dazed, and his cries for merey sank down to moans, Changeling interfered. “There, missus,’ he said, “I think you have done ‘your bit. Let him go. All wimen will be p/ison to him henceforth and for ever.” , “‘T feel better now,’ said Miss Elegantine, as she gave the man 2 final open-handed blow, “ butif I had mot got hold of one of ’em, I should never have slept —not even in my grave.” The question of returning to the castle was now to be settled. Mrs. Farrell and Eveline were bent upon ‘taking Lucia di Valo with them, and they asked for a boat to be brought round to the mouth of the lagoon. ‘The wound of the handsome Spaniard, they said, was very serious, and the utmost care must be exercised “in the transport. Under Mrs. Farrell’s directions, the boat, on its arrival, was prepared with the rugs they had with them, so as to make a temporary couch, and, with the greatest care, the boat was taken to the old dJanding-spot opposite the ruins of the old school. Before them nearly all the boys, and the three Britishers who had arrived with Giuseppo, were on the ‘way thither. Giuseppo remained behind to dispose ‘of the dead, but hoped to join them at the castle in the evening. : Jim Gordon, Morse, Terry, Trimmer, and Dawson remained with Sleery and Changeling to assist. Mrs. ‘Farrell and Eveline in carrying Lucia di Valo. Miss Elegantine and Charley also lingered as spectators. Martin and Trueberry were among those left in the ‘castle. Morse had insisted upon it, notwithstanding the former pressingly desiring to join the party of rescue. " It was slow work bearing the wounded woman up “the rugged way. But if the journey pained her she ‘made-no sign.-'-Her éyes were open,.and for the most part fixed on the slender form of Eveline, esif yonder- g p Dap ~ aa - | SE, pa © 3774 4 -~<* ‘ . Q 2 a Raia + . Te: } 4 1 q 3 = : N \ 4 aN a poets zi =) 4 ts ROIS 4 er -_es Li TVieparaes Laine i . ‘ ‘ Ay . U 4 . - i fans EX pe: =“) a se Hh} b Sack bbe; 4 ne U/, , unt ets, . 1 mt) y? ny f 4 aan 4 Aa a ' ‘ue iy AVA Rn Red ber f . xe vray < i 4, Vy 5 are 4 ) + z iy) ‘ ae ’ t UD ee «J A Fi 319 ing how so frail a creature could have unconsciously originated such a terrible tragedy as had been enacted on the island. CHAPTER CLXXV. AFTER THE BATTLE WAS OVER. » N the great hall there was a scene of excitement that beggars all descrip- tion. The fight was over and_ victory theirs, with so little loss that it bordered on the marvellous. It was a foregone con- clusion that Jim would 1 ¥ -receive an ovation. He tried to restrain his admirers, but it was not to be done.. They certainly kept fairly quiet until Lucia di Valo had been carried up to Mrs. Farrell’s room. Then they burst forth with a series of ringing cheers that would have split the roof of a frail building. But tha castle was built to endure, and we cannot say that it even rocked under the riot of voices. Lamentations, however, were heard. They came from Hamlet and Macbeth, who were bewailing the loss of their kitchen. Romeo suggested that for the present they should cook in the open air, and use the courtyard for the purpose. Komeo was the sifted member of the family, especially in times of emergency. Martin, who had remained with Trueberry, and a few of the boys and Chorker, to guard the, castle, set out with some assistance to cut wood for the fires. Kvery scrap of available fuel had been burnt. The place was like a hive of bees, everybody doing something, or appearing to do so. There were, how- ever, three or four—among them. Dibble—who were so bewildered in their joy, that they ran in and out of the castle like the proverbial dog in the fair. The war with the enemy was over. No more fighting and worrying. .No more being: cooped up in the narrow confines of the sombre building—nothing but freedom and peace. Unless—well; there was a possi- bility of further trouble with the sapient Governor of Minorea, or the no less wonderful Don Algua Mar- balo. | : It was in the mind of. Jim'and one or two others, and when Giuseppo, having done his work below eatlier than,expected, came up to the castle, the possi+ bility was mentioned by Morse. Mic 3,00 mn (€(0) ES (@ @)