The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 76: what you’re looking at

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70 Apparently resolved as to his course, he kept straight on. The river came in sight. ‘¢ We shall have him now,” shouted Marsham. “Will you!” muttered the robber, setting his teeth, and not relaxing his pace in the lIgast. On arriving at the brink of the water he plunged in, and without the least hesitation began to swim across. The earl of Pembridge, who was about a yard in front of the others, followed suit, and Marsham and Fitz- gerald did the same. Four dark forms might have been seen crossing the water. In spite of the chilliness of the water and the swiftness of the current, the man succeeded in getting across. He stood a moment on the other bank, shook himself, and then looked for his pursuers. Great was his astonishment when he saw the three boys in the water, swim- ming bravely, and rapidly nearing him. ‘“‘Curse the young whelps, they mean to hunt me down,” he muttered. Turning with a shiver, he made off at a long, swinging trot, for the wood on the hill beyond the chalk-pit. “ ‘Tally-ho-ho-ho!” shouted Mar- sham, as he landed. The hunting-cry was caught up by the others, and taken up by some of the boys who had followed, but pre- ferred remaining on their own side of the river. “Put the steam on, or we shall lose him!” said Marsham. “The villain means to make for the trees.” The three boys put on their best speed, but the robber had gained on them during the swim. ‘< You may as well surrender, scoun- drel; I know you,” the young earl shouted. The only answer from the man was | a low, mocking laugh. “He is but twenty yards ahead; we must have him,” exclaimed Charlie Fitzgerald. “If he does not stop I shall shoot.” LS ETE CD A THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? The robber, who was close to the edge of the wood, overheard the words, and shouted back— “ You can’t, your powder is damp.” “ We'll see all about that,” responded Charlie, who of course, had no pistol or powder about him. He stooped down as he ran along, and caught up from the ground a flint stone something larger than his fist. _ Taking as good aim as possible un- der the circumstances, he hurled it with all his force at the flying robber. A dull thud, followed by a low mut- tered cry of pain, told that the missile had found its mark, but the man still continued his flight. He leaped the fence surrounding the wood, and was heard for a few minutes crashing through the bushes. Then, as the three breathless boys pulled up at the hedge, which they were too exhausted to jump, dead silence reigned around. “Got away!” Marsham exclaimed in sorrowful tones. “Tt would be useless to attempt to follow him in that copse,” remarked Fitzgerald, whose words were echoed by Pembridge. They waited a few minutes, listening attentively for any sound that might betray the path taken by the fugitive; but the wood seemed noiseless. “Let us get back, I am beginning to feel cold,” said Fitzgerald. “ Right; but we'll kick a few holes in the ground to mark the spot where we lost our game. | Marsham immediately produced a pocket-knife, and, kneeling down, cut three square pieces out of the turf, thus making a mark that could not be mistaken. That done, they turned back towards school. “ Mouble!” exclaimed the earl. “It will never do to get cold in these wet things.” “Shall we go straight!” asked Marsham. “ Of course,” replied Fitzgerald and the ear] in a breath, EO DOO EO mn