The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

134 about the same time that the cunning ones found themselves at Queenhamp- ton, a place about four miles in the opposite direction. Continuing his rapid career, Lascelles led the way across a huge pasture, in which a few stunted old elms were scattered about, and, having dashed through the hedge at its further extremity, was lost to view. The few harmless cows grazing in this pasture threw up their tails, lowered their heads, and galloped about in asad state of mind, as the thirty or forty yelling boys, who still followed, charged across the field; but in a few minutes the pack swept out of sight, and. followed the scent which Jed them towards the meadows. | | Freddy Webber and _ Professor Moeritz had managed to keep pretty ‘well up, and when they crossed the road ‘that separated the uplands from the valley, overtook some of the lead- ing hounds, who, in their impetuosity, had overrun the scent, and were “trying back.” | Scarcely thirty out of the sixty original starters were to be seen, the others having giving up the chase long since. __ Frank, after a hurried look at his watch, announced: that they had done something like four miles in less than forty minutes; not abad pace, consider- ing that our young friends are not professional pedestrians, and that most of them had been hard at work “Gradus grinding” for the examination, and are consequently slightly out of training and scant of breath, Having well quartered the meadow in which the scent was lost, the cry of “ Forward!” is again heard on the extreme right, Fitzgerald being the lucky hound to hit'the trail. Forward they all went, Professor Moeritz much regretting that he had allowed himself to be persuaded to take part in such a wild-goose chase. There is good reason to suppose tnat hereabouts the hare found his Stratford water- ! THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? rr stock of paper getting short. At all events, the scents did not seem .so thick, a, That' was a matter of small conse- quence to the experienced hounds, who could guess pretty well which way the course would be—straight through the © water-meadows for two-miles, and then up a hill; but which side of the hill would it be? If the hare was very cunning, he might baffle the hounds very considerably. | It was thoroughly understood that the run was to end at one of. two " public-houses—the “ Fox and Goose,” or the “ Black Bull.” These houses stood in different roads, winch ran in almost parallel lines to- wards Ballsbury, some half-mile or more of stiff clay, deeply ploughed, separating them. Egerton kept on running well in front of the pack, leaping the water-courses with ease, and firing every one with emulation ; but all were not so lucky, and several falls took place, of which we shall have occasion to speak pre- sently. At length the hare was viewed again eoing right up the side of Alderburn Hill. | Cunning hare! Would he bear off to the right, and end the run at the ‘Black Bull,” or would he keep to the left and patronize the “ Fox and Goose.” That was a question could only be decided by following the scent. At the moment that Lascelles dis- appeared over the crest of the hill it struck Egerton that in a few minutes time it would be dark. He shouted to the Earl of Pembridge, who was not far behind, to apprise him of this fact. ‘“‘ | know it,” was the response, ‘Shall we put the steam on?” asked Egerton. “Yes; let me come up to you, then drive a-head.” — Frank slackened his pace for a few seconds till the young earl once mors wag by his side, CO DOC (S(O) mn