The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 43: what you’re looking at

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THE KING or THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN ? 37 The boy seemed brimful of mirth, and could scarcely refrain from indulg- ing in a hearty peal of laughter. About a quarter of an hour after the first disturbance, another slight tap was heard, Frank dashed open the door in an instant, and threw half the contents of the water jug down the passage. The same pattering sound as of some one scudding away at full speed was heard, but nothing could be seen. “T tell you what, Freddy, you know something about this,” said Marsham. “1! How could I know anything about the noise in the passage when I am sitting quietly in the room, ?” ‘It’s one of your confounded ghost tricks.” _ ‘“‘T said you should be haunted,” re- plied Freddy, mysteriously. “ More likely it is the cat,” observed Frank. All his companions laughed at this. “Don’t you know old Whackley’s weakness ?”? demanded Marsham; “he goes into fits at the sight of a cat. There isn’t one in the house.” | “But tell us what all this noise is about, Freddy. Hark! the fellows be- low are having a fine time of it.” As the boys listened, they could hear doors in the lower corridor opened, and boots, books, bolsters, and various other missiles hurled at the unseen foe. Then another sound was heard. A martial footstep was heard pacing along the passage beneath, doors were opened, and a voice was heard demand- ing what was the matter. “The doctor, by everything that is scholastic !” exclaimed Freddy. “; A nice mess you have got us into, youngster,” observed Lascelles, with a sigh, “ Pooh! he won’t come here; and if the does, we can all very truthfully affirm that we have made no noise.” As if to give Freddy a direct contra- diction, the next moment a knock was heard at the door, and, without waiting to be invited to enter, Doctor Whackley suddenly stood before them. “So, young gentlemen, you seem to be enjoying yourselves. You should all by this time know that such proceed- Ings are most decidedly against the rules.” “‘ Certainly, sir, we were all well aware that, strictly speaking, we were break- ing the letter of the law; but I appeal to you, sir, whether it has not been cus- tomary to allow a certain amount of licence to the upper forms of the school?” ‘It has generally been so, I am will- ing to allow, nor should I have inter- fered on the present occasion had you not, by the perpetration of some prac- tical joke, disturbed all the school.” During all this time Freddy Webber, struck with the brilliant idea that it would be as well to conceal as much of the feast as possible from the doctor, had carefully concealed the cherry-pie, or rather its remains, between the sheets of the Earl of Pembridge’s bed. Having done so he turned round and observed— ‘“T am sure, sir, we have been too busy eating and drinking to wish to disturb any one. We have heard strange noises in the corridor 7 | “ And I looked out once to see what it was,” interrupted Lascelles. “You will each translate fifty lines from Virgil before seven o’clock to-mor- row evening, Oh!—what was that ?” The boys eagerly inquired what was the matter, while Doctor Whackley turned about sharply, striking wildly with his stick at something in the passage. | ‘‘T received a blow which I am con- vinced could not have been dealt by any of you, it came from behind.” Egerton immediately rushed to the door, and walked from one end of the corridor to the other. “There certainly is no human being here, save ourselves,” said he, on return- ing from his peregrinations, “ Yet I certainly heard the sound of some one breathing. There! I received a pat on the calf of the leg.” “ Light a candle,” cried Egerton. Go NOC A) (CO mn