The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

136 “Ach?! Mein Gott!” ejaculated Moeritz, as at last he rose like an ancient river-god, with a crown of reeds and water-cresses on his head, ‘“‘ Web- ber, where are you?” : “ Here!—Oh! Jupiter, what a sight! I beg your pardon, I meant Neptune, for I am sure you only want your trident to look the character exactly. - Hi! Chawbacon, bring that pitchfork this way!” ‘ The rustic thus addressed did not condescend to reply, and having freed themselves from some of the filth that had encumbered them, Freddy sug- gested that, as they were both drenched to the skin, it would be advisable to quit the chase and make for Lexicon Uoilege by the nearest route, in order that they might change their clothes, and so avoid all chance of rheumatism, and other kindred ailments. , “Good advice, Freddy, but why not ask Chawbacon to direct you, for you have never been this way before, and may take a wrong turning ?” Freddy, however, was confident that he knew the way, so off the started. : - Both our travellers, whosawthat night was quickly coming on, were aware that a hill had to be climbed before they could get to Ballsbury, consequently, when Freddy led the way up a steep miry lane the professor followed with implicit confidence. However, after a mile or two of stiff walking, they found themselves on | the downs before alluded to, but at what part of them was rather more than Master Webber could tell. _ “Dere is ein haus?”: suddenly ex- claimed Professor Moeritz. “A house! where, sir?” asked Freddy. | See, see!” | And the professor pointed towards a spark of flame at some distance. “Let us go there,” said he, * unt see if dey can direct us.” Freddy assented, and on they walked till 1% became evident that the light did not proceed from any house, but IHE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? ee from the camp of some gipsies, who very frequently pitched their tents oy the wild heath. Now Webber, though brave enough in general, had a few cowardly points in his character; for instance, he was desperately afraid of frogs and toads, and, moreover, believed that gipsies _ travelled the country for the whole and sole purpose of stealing the eldest sons of rich gentlemen. © : The author, having met a good many of the wandering tribes in the gouth of England, is able to state that they do nothing of the kind; they may.- be poachers, but not kidnappers. | Freddy halted as soon as he had a good view of the camp. ‘“‘ Why, they are gipsies!” he said. “‘ Ja! Bohemisch peoples. But dey knows dere way about, as your friend Marsham shall say. Let us go unt ask dem.” Freddy felt just as if he had been walking into a lion’s den; but he did not care to confess his cowardice, so he walked forward, keeping just a pace he- hind the professor, however. | Professor Moeritz, probably only. knew fear as alexicographical definition, and could give no description of it from personal knowledge; he cared as little for gipsies as he did for unruly school- boys, and probably if the chief of the gang had offended him, would have commanded him to learn one of the odes of Horace by heart. As it proved, however, the children of Ishmael were extremely civil (not so their dogs, which had to be severely beaten ere they would hush their noisy barkings), and, when the professor inquired the way, directed im. A lucky chance it was, too, for our friends, for they had bee walking the wrong way ever since they had been on the downs. : | The gipsies, however, pointed out the constellation of Ursa Major; by keeping just a little to the right of that, the benighted ones would be able to strike the ‘Queenhampto co DOO EO mn