The Island School — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

65 “ What you call him ?” demanded Hamlet, who was cutting bread with along knife preparatory to butter- ine. : “Warmint,” replied Chorker, curtly. “You keep a cibil tongue in you head,” said Hamlet, “or meybe you get sumfin’. Dern old skunk as ycu is !” “Hear, hear!” chorused a dozen of the boys who were engaged in filling two clothes-baskets with cups and saucers. Chorker, who had risen in one of his worst of humours, crossed the kitchen, and, taking advan- tage of Hamlet’s back being turned to him, bestowed upon him a kick that for a moment took his breath away. “It’s come to something,’’ said Chorker, “ when—” Hamlet wheeled round and charged him like a bull, using his head battering-ram fashion. Chorker was _ thrown into a basket of crockery, upsetting it, and some of the pieces were broken. ‘The crash and the shouts of the boys brought Mr. Storeby, the peace-loving undermaster, into the kitchen. | He had been appointed by Mr. Groby to prac- tically fulfil the office of Mrs. Farrell. He bounced in, and came into a line between Chorker and Hamlet. The former, springing up, went blindly in the direction of the latter, and encounter- ing the undermaster, hit out at him. The blow was a heavy one, for Chorker was no chicken, and the lover of peace staggered under it. The boys and the two negroes stared aghast. Mr. Storeby, in a fury, seized the long knife Cesar had dropped, and flourishing it wildly, charged upon Chorker, and would have killed him outright in his sudden rage if Macbeth had not thrown himself upon him. “Golly, Mas’ Storeby,” doing ob?” : “Let me go,” was the answer. “ T’ll murder him !” But Chorker, becoming conscious of his mistake, had already fled. Mr. Storeby raved for a while, and con- tinued to flourish his weapon, but at length subsided and sat down, white and still. “Let me be,” he said; “I shall be better presently.” Although not a very imposing figure in a general way, Mr. Storeby’s face caused a stillness to settle on all there. They were deeply impressed by its inten- sity of expression, and remembered it in after days. Presently he got up and passed his hand across his forehead, saying: “i forgot myself fora moment. But, of course, I was only playing when I took up that knife... Hurry up with the work, all of you.” Then he went out of the kitchen, walking as one exhausted. he cried, “what you THE ISLAND SCHOOL. It was a slight incident, but it bore on the events of the future, and so we record it. ‘“¢ Who tink it ob him ?” exclaimed Macbeth; “ wild eats nuffin’ to him. But dere, if you want a pusson to show him dander to puffection, you look ’bout you | for a man allus talkin’ ob peace. If I not been per- miskusly for de purpose on de spot, I reckon dat ole Chorker now be breafing him larse.” There was little doubt of it in the minds of all who witnessed the little episode, but there was no time to discuss it, and the morning’s work was resumed. A good many absentees were from the breakfast- table at the appointed time for sitting down, but some of them came straggling in, and the absence of Jim and his friends was hardly noted. But they were gone on an expedition that was to be of some considerable import to the welfare of the school, and were already in the hitherto unexplored wood. It was noted by some who had witnessed the scene in the kitchen that Mr. Storeby ate little breakfast, but sat with his head upon his hand most of the time. He had the appearance of one in pain, and when the signal was given by Mr. Groby for the boys to leave table, he stole away, and was seen no more that day. CHAPTER XXXIIT. WITHIN THE WdOD.—THE FIRST NIGHT OF CAMPING OUT. . } OMEO was in his element, and #; although the burden he had to bear was a far from light one, he carried it on the morning of the first day without complaining. Within half a mile of the castle the wood most un- Sa ANY. aecountably thmned, and the trees in about ten acres of ground, instead of standing thickly as at the outset, were dotted about as they are in the open parts of a gentleman's park. But on the other side of this comparatively open spot the trees were as thick as ever. Entering this portion of the forest, the young tra- vellers for the first time saw signs of animal life in the form of a litter of wild porkers that were busy erubbing in the soft soil. Jim, having a gun ready loaded, fired into the thick of them, and one of their number was killed. | They tied its legs together and swung it across the barrel of the gun, with the intention of having roast- pig for supper. : From that time they saw many other pigs, big and 900 CoO Nnic CS @ @ ) m