The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

100 Then about half-a-pistol charge of powder was screwed up tightly in paper, and placed in the painted por- celain bowl, with more tobacco on the top, so that it appeared to be properly Our mischievous urchins then com- posed their features as well as possible, and conveyed the pipe to its proper owner, Professor Moeritz; Freddy having the task of presenting it to | some one else. | The German gentleman was ex~- tremely pleased, and on finding that the bowl was filled, produced his patent. tinder-box and applied a light to the tobacco. _ Of course many of the boys who were gathered round the professor, listening to his wonderful story of the baron, who had a castle on an island of the Rhine, and was eaten by an invading army of rats during a famine, knew nothing of the trick that had been played. Suddenly, however, they all started, while the professor nearly tumbled backwards with fright. — | There was a loud explosion as soon _as the fire reached the powder, and the pipe was shivered into fragments, one of which knocked the professor’s hat. off. - | “Der teufel! der teufel ist in ze pipe!” he exclaimed as he looked at the stem, which still remained between his teeth. | At that moment a broad grin on the face of one of the conspirators—the boy who had handed him the pipe, and who intensely enjoyed the result of Freddy’s stratagem—gave him an idea that the explosion was not the result of any supernatural visitation. Professor Moeritz extended his right arm, caught the culprit by the collar, and gave him a stinging box on the ears, “You young rascal, it ist you dat haf make my pipe into ein gun, a bomb- shell, and haf plown me oop like a Guy Faux. You shall write me two hun- dred lines from Virgil.” THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? “I beg your pardon, sir,” said Freddy stepping forward. “It was I who did it.” “ You ?” “ Yes, sir. Ihope you have not beer: hurt by-my very foolish practical joke.” ‘“No; but you are a bad boy, and must write ze lines instead of Roberts.” “Very well, sir,” said Freddy, and marched off towards the schoo!l-room to commence his task. * * te *® * % “T thought Webber was to have fought Crawley this morning,” said Lascelles, some short time afterwards. “Yes, so I thought,” replied our hero; ‘and Freddy was really quite anxious to distinguish himself, but the other declined very wisely, I think, for Freddy would have given him a sound thrash- ing, you may depend on it.” ae _ Webber’s task was completed early the next day, and he was once more at liberty to go beyond the school bounds. So, in the evening, he took a stroll through the town by way of amusing himself, | He had got into astreet which, though not prohibited, was not much fre- quented by the boys, when he became aware of a familiar figure before him. It was none other than Crawley, who. for some reason best known to himself, had chosen to walk that way. And coming towards them was ano- ther old friend, Harry, the general scout and errand-boy to our young friends. Harry was pretty heavily laden, having a big, brown-paper parcel under his left arm, while in his right hand he carried a basket of fruit, presents from Lord Pembridgeto his little sweetheart, Lizzie Conway. | | Crawley, who was walking in front of Webber, looked very hard at Harry as he came up. “Stop, you youngster,” said he roughly. Harry obeyed. “ Don’t your masters teach you man- ners, you unlicked young cub?” — “ Yes, sir.” “Then why don’t you touch your cap when you see a gentleman ?” A) COMM DOO EO mn