10 had two fine land-locked harbors, and a hill in the center, marked "The Spyglass." There were several additions of a later date; but, above all, three crosses of red inktwo on the north part of the island, one in the southwest, 5 and beside this last, in the same red ink, and in a small, neat hand, very different from the captain's tottery characters, these words, -"Bulk of treasure here." Over on the back the same hand had written this further information : "Tall tree, Spyglass shoulder, bearing a point to the N. of N.N.E. "Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E. "Ten feet. "The bar silver is in the north cache; you can find it 15 by the trend of the east hummock, ten fathoms south of the black crag with the face on it. "The arms are easy found, in the sand hill, N. point of north inlet cape, bearing E. and a quarter N. "J. F." 20 That was all; but brief as it was, and, to me, incomprehensible, it filled the squire and Dr. Livesey with delight. "Livesey," said the squire, "you will give up this wretched practice at once. To-morrow I start for Bristol. 25 In three weeks' time three weeks!-two weeks-ten days we'll have the best ship, sir, and the choicest crew in England. Hawkins shall come as cabin boy. You'll make a famous cabin boy, Hawkins. You, Livesey, are ship's doctor; I am admiral. We'll take Redruth, Joyce, and Hunter. We'll have favorable winds, a quick passage, and not the least difficulty in finding the spot, and money to eat to roll in to play ducks and drakes 5 with ever after." ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON: Treasure Island. cache, spot where something is buried; trend, general direction; hummock, little hill; incomprehensible, not to be understood; appended, added to. What was in the bundle? What was in the book? Who first understood the mysterious entries? Explain the crosses, the sums. What does Dr. Livesey mean by coral long ago? Give a synonym for thrifty. What was in the paper? Describe the island. Meaning of tottery characters. Is the word tottery an excellent one here? Can you imagine this kind of writing? How did the squire and the doctor feel after reading the book and paper? What did they plan to do? Notice the squire's impatience. How is it expressed? See how quickly he plans and how vividly he imagines the whole thing until he almost feels as if the treasure were in his hands. Do you know what this game of "ducks and drakes" is? You will enjoy reading all of the story. The voyage in search of the buried treasure is not the easy, rapid one pictured by Squire Trelawney, but a wild trip full of fearful adventures. Tell the whole story, now, as far as you have read it, in a few words. Spelling. Hummock, incomprehensible, appended, entry, medical, varying. Notice the use of these words in the story, and be able to use them in similar sentences. Word Study. Can you find any examples of figurative language in this story? Is black-hearted hound a figure? Figures are not always used for beauty, but sometimes to make a statement more forcible. What is the meaning of the word appended on page 50? The stem pend means "hang." What is the meaning of depend, suspend, pendent, impending? Can you give any other word containing this same stem? There are two verbs which you are apt to use incorrectly, may and can. May is used in asking for or granting permission. May is also used to show possibility. Can either asserts ability or inquires about it. You should say, "May I be excused early? if your intention is to ask permission to go. If you say, "Can I go early?" it is as if you said, "Is it a possible thing for me to do?" Fill the blanks in the sentences below: If you catch the train, you not understand the hard words, so you leave now. You aries. You have trouble in finding the house, for I not give you the exact address. Write five sentences using may or can in each. Composition. Write a note to your teacher from your father or mother, asking permission for you to leave school an hour earlier than usual, and giving some good reason for the request. Be careful to use may and can correctly. Which should be inserted in the blanks below? MY DEAR MISS SMITH, 21 BAY STREET, YONKERS, N.Y., Will you kindly excuse Henry from his gymnasium work for a time? I not tell now how long he will be unable to take violent exercise, but I be able to tell you in a few days, after our I also ask you to excuse his physician has seen him again. poorly prepared lessons to-day, as he was not well enough to give them his usual attention? Very truly yours, JOHN F. CLARK. 9 THE WRECK [Charles Dickens is one of the best loved of English novelists because he put his heart in his work, and especially because he wrote with sympathy about the common people. In David Copperfield, from which this extract is taken, he is supposed to be telling, in large part, the story of his own life. Ham is a simple-hearted fisherman, who has known "Davy" from childhood. The man whom he dies trying to save, it turns out, is his worst enemy.] THE thunder of the cannon, in my dream, was so loud and incessant that I could not hear something I much desired to hear, until I made a great exertion, and awoke. It was broad day-eight or nine o'clock; the storm raging in place of the batteries; and some one knocking and 5 calling at my door. "What is the matter?" I cried. "A wreck! Close by!" I sprang out of bed and asked, "What wreck?" "A schooner, from Spain or Portugal, laden with fruit 10. and wine. Make haste, sir, if you want to see her! It's thought she'll go to pieces every moment." The excited voice went clamoring along the staircase; and I wrapped myself in my clothes as quickly as I could, and ran into the street. Numbers of people were there 15 before us, all running in one direction, to the beach. I ran the same way, outstripping a good many, and soon came facing the wild sea. In the difficulty of hearing anything but wind and waves, and in the crowd, and the unspeakable confusion, and my first breathless attempts to stand against the weather, I was so confused that I looked out to sea for 5 the wreck, and saw nothing but the foaming heads of the great waves. A half-dressed boatman standing next me pointed with his bare arm (a tattooed arrow on it, pointing in the same direction) to the left. Then, O great Heaven! I saw it, close in upon us! 10 One mast was broken short off, six or eight feet from the deck, and lay over the side, entangled in a maze of sail and rigging; and all that ruin, as the ship rolled, beat the side as if it would stave it in. Some efforts were even then being made to cut this portion of the wreck away; 15 for as the ship, which was broadside on, turned toward us in her rolling, I plainly saw her people at work with axes, especially one active figure, with long, curling hair, conspicuous among the rest. But a great cry, which was audible even above the wind and water, rose from the 20 shore at this moment: the sea, sweeping over the rolling wreck, carried men, spars, casks, planks, bulwarks,—heaps of such toys, into the boiling surge. The second mast was yet standing, with the rags of a rent sail, and a wild confusion of broken cordage, flap25 ping to and fro. The ship had struck once, the same boatman hoarsely said in my ear, and then lifted in and struck again. I understood him to add that she was part |