The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

30 THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? re PP Pr Sse renee reper een apes gt some one with the garden ladder it would be much more convenient than jumping.” ‘“‘T’ll send some one; but you musn’t sing that curious song of yours so near the cathedral. Promise me that.” “T promise, sir.” The doctor hurried away, and soon afterwards Freddy was released. When he rejoined his companions he pretended to be very much hurt at the joke played him. “But, Freddy,” said Egerton, “I believe it was you who placed the water jug over my door the first night I was here. You are good at playing practical jokes, so you must not object to having them practised upon yourself.” “ Good argument, but it won’t save you.” -“ Won’t save me from what ?” ‘From my vengeance. I have medi- tated long on the subject, and I am determined that viewless beings from the innermost recesses of the earth shall nightly disturb your rest. Yes; I swear that in punidhment for your enormities, ‘Lexicon College shall be haunted !” A loud laugh followed this bombastic speech. “Laugh away, but remember my words when you pass sleepless nights, in endeavouring to discover what will be hidden—till I choose to reveal it.” “T fancy I shall be able to lay any ghosts you can raise, Freddy,” said the Earl of Pembridge. “Why, I have lived in a haunted castle the best part of my life—I am not the least bit afraid of supernatural visitations.” The conversation ceased, and the boy Harry having returned with information that the ferret could be had on the following day, an arrangement was made by six or eight of the youths to meet at the “Six Bells” after school hours in the afternoon, and from thence proceed to the wood above the chalk- pit, where rabbit holes were known to be numerous, Cw RS d CHAPTER VIII. A LITTLE BIT OF SINGLE-STICK, ACCORDINGLY, at the time and place appointed, they met. “A werry good ferret, gents,” ob- served mine host of the “Six Bells.” “ But surely you ain’t a going to take them dawgs of yourn, Mr. Marsham? Why, they’d be just about as likely to kill the ferret as a rabbit.” So the “ dawgs” were ordered back to their stable, and the jolly landlord produced half-a-dozen netsshaped some- thing like bags, a string being threaded through the outside meshes of the mouth of each. He explained to them that these bags were to be put down over the holes in which the rabbits resided. They, when disturbed by the ferret, would jump out, and become entangled in the bag-nets. Thus equipped, the young heroes sallied out, and soon reached the wood. Lord Pembridge had that day ap- plied for and received permission from the proprietor of the wood to take rabbits there; the same privilege being accorded to any schoolfellows his lord- ship might choose to accompany him. It was not necessary to search long ere arabbit colony was discovered—a series of holes about five or six feet apart. A net was put over each hole, the greatest silence being observed. Then the long-bodied, pink-eyea co MAICLOOC (CO mn