The Island School — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

74 “Massa Gordon,” said Romeo, “me neber be ’fraid ob him any more.” A tendency to back out of the way as the bear came forth at the heels of Romeo was to be expected from the boys, but the placid expression of the countenance of the animal finally dispelled all fears, and they gathered round it, patting the huge head and fondling it in other ways, to its unlimited satisfaction. “Here is an addition to our party we did not expect,” said Terry. On examining the chain they discovered that it was secured to the leathern collar by a simple but effective catch that could easily be undone. Accordingly they took it off, and Bruin, with a feeling of being free of an incubus, testified his gratitude by capering about like a playful dog. “The beggar must have dodged about us all the time we have spent in travelling from the spot we saw him first.” This was a reasonable theory, but 1+ was speedily set aside by the evident knowledge of his. sur- rouncdings. | While Romeo was striking the tent be went in and out the gates of the city hard by, pushing them open with his nose and shutting them with a curious action of his hind-feet that was eminently diverting. ‘¢ We must give him a name,” suggested Terry. “1 think Charley would fit him,” said Morse; “he seems such: a, lively fellow.” “Charley let him be,” assented Jim and the rest, and the bear became Charley from that hour. Before going forward on their journey they dis- covered his lair inside a small house just within the | | | cates, and from its appearance it was clear thathehad | occupied it for a long time past. Morse, the calculator, deduced therefrom the following theories : Charley had lived for a long time in the city. Whatever it may have been to human beings in years gone by, it was now a place of refuge for him. He chose it as a residence as being away from the forest, where he was tormented by those villainous little monkeys. Living, as most of his tribe does, on nuts and roots, he was obliged to go to the forest at times for food, and it was then he was sometimes subjected to ths indignities witnessed by the boys. He had not traced the party, but on returning home discovered the tent, with Romeo asleep in it, and bemg a tame bear, accustomed to the society of man, he had hailed the discovery with joy. Whether Morse was exactly right or not, could THE ISLAND SCHOOL. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE OLD WRECK ON THE SHORE, o, ,fmres\ HE journey of the adven- 4. \t turers now lay round a portion of the deserted city and over the wooded hill, beyond which they hoped soon to see the sea again. But the extent of the wood, hitherto unexplored, was a matter of speculation, and prior to plunging into it a suggestion was made by Terry that one of the party should climb a tall poplar-tree, that reared its head above the scene around with majestic brt simple ’ ree aS Deal ¥ 4 a ns natn A AE. Ss : be &s * AA) Veh e. ae \ ' te Or ‘ > ‘ "iy an ) ‘al : YT ‘ y | i he i, GED tL , > one u ise i} I) t4.. ° 4 Vy t ' ~ na | . 8 va ¢ . 4 Y WAR oe ST 4» (gy RY 4 ( A 5s A] 4 “ \ phan’ he é Ny, ~ a » . ie AS . wat a \ - 2 A } ~ dy OA BA eas Ay 4 : ‘Ned . oq : Wet i by *.* 4 | ee —) erandeur, and scan the country ahead. This task Jim undertook, as one having the coolest. head, and being the best climber of them all. At the foot of the tree they accordingly halted, and Jim began the ascent. Charley, sitting on his huge haunches, watched him, with his head on one side, and that red tongue of his lolling out of the right side of his mouth. He was not only interested, but approved of the feat. And it was a feat. A poplar-tree grows closely, without any spreading branches, so that he who would climb it must have a head that will not be affected by a clear downward glance from a great height. It naturally sways also on the slightest provocation. But Jim took things coolly, and ascended it until he got to the very summit, where the slender top visibly bent under his weight. The spectacle sent a thrill through the watchers, and Romeo was so moved by it that he let off little gasps like the intermittent puffs of an old stationary steam-engine. ‘“ Loramassy!” he exclaimed, “if he let go jest ence !” The remark, unfinished as it was, sufficed to send a thrill through his hearers, and mvoluntarily Morse turned his head away fora few moments. Hedreaded | hearing some exclamation of alarm from the others, never be really known, but it is pretty certain that he | nearly hit the mark. but they were silent, and when he lifted his eyes again Jim was coming rapidly down. _ He alighted upon the ground without having “turned a hair,” and making no reference to the perilous nature of his journey, pointed to the left, and said “The sea is nearest to us there. -I reckon it is about seven miles away, and there is something that looks like 'a portion of a wrecked vessel upon the shore.” 1 Gi @ ) mn <=) (E{@) @ 900 Nl