The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN ? CO “You are a sneaking coward,” said Lascelles. © Why? How can I go out when I \ave fifty lines to write?” “You are afraid of being hurt, T’ll write your lines if you will go out with the others.” | Crawley muttered something about the doctor recognising his handwriting, and avoided any further conversation. As soon as the school was dismissed, at four o’clock, a great number of the boys might have been seen strolling down towards town, leaving the play- field entirely to the small fellows who wondered what their seniors meant by thus deserting them. Jt might have been noticed, also, that. most of those who went out of bounds carried sticks; not that it was a very un- common thing to do so—in fact, it was considered rather the correct thing to sport a walking-cane—but the sticks they carried on this occasion were thick and heavy. All of them went towards the market-place, too; nor was that a | circumstance to excite astonishment, for the best pastrycook’s shops in the town were there, and thither did the pupils of Lexicon College much resort. But neither to the pastrycook’s, nor to any other of their many haunts did they flock on this occasion. They gathered together in four groups, each party being composed of eight, or ten, or more boys. “ Out for hare-and-hounds, or some- thing of that sort?” observed the citizens to each other. One of them tried .to gain a little information on the subject from some of the boys, but was very sharply told that he had best mind his own business, unless he wanted to burn his fingers. Upon which the man, very naturally, felt *‘shut up.” There was a great consultation of watches; then one boy (Frank Eger- ton) was seen to walk off alone. Shortly afterwards two of the groups of boys walked off in one direction, and two in the other. ~ 103 Let us follow Frank Egerton, whe had so boldly volunteered to actas a bait to entice these very bad fish from their lurking-places and feeding- grounds, Brave as he undoubtedly was, Frank’s heart would beat ‘a trifle faster than usual when he arrived at the bottom of the street which had, in so short a time, gained such an un- enviable notoriety. Not that he thought of turning back. He slackened his pace and just cast a glance behind. Pembridge and Lascelles were not three hundred yards behind with their forces; and according to arrangement, the two bodies were to enter at oppo- site ends of the street precisely at the same minute. So -he fixed his hat firmly upon his head, and began to saunter up the street. | Apparently he took no notice of anything, but, in reality, his quick eye oticed everything. Outside a low-looking public-house-: about half way up the street, was a. party of some six or eight low-. looking fellows. “That is where the attack will be,” thought Frank, . From this party came one—a seedy-. looking, black-whiskered fellow—who- walked past the King of the School,. staring him full in the face. Frank returned the stare with in- terest. J A minute afterwards the fellow re- turned towards his own party, and in so doing, brushed rudely against Frank’s elbow. ‘Mind where you are walking?” said the latter. ‘‘The pavement is quite wide enough.” “Mind how you are talking,” re- sponded the other; and, clenching his fist, he made a blow at Frank. The King of the School was prepared for this. He stepped back and brought down the heavy end of his stick with all his force upon the ruffian’s knuckles, OO) EO EO mn