The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? The refreshment was brought, but Frank felt too excited to feel able to eat or drink much. Being so near Baynes, the villain he suspected of having spirited away the beautiful, bewitching Kate Conway, kept his nerves in a constant tremour. ‘Is it possible she can be there?” thought he. “Has he taken her to that low place?” More than once he felt very much inclined to rush across the road, and insist upon thoroughly searching the _ house. But then he knew pretty well what would be the result. At length, after watching for some time, Frank’s patience was rewarded by his catching a sight of Baynes’s face at one of the windows ontheground floor. Our hero at once concealed himself behind the curtain, and Baynes at the same moment withdrew. The King of the School fancied that perhaps his adversary had seen him. He continued to watch, however, and in a short time the young villain again appeared, this time wearing his hat. “Going out, are you? Then I'll see where you go,” Frank thought. And then he rang the bell. The landlord appeared. “ How big is your pot-boy ?” “ About your size,” replied the man, rather astonished at this strange ques- tion. “Then lend me a rough-looking old coat of his. Here is a half-a-sovereign as security that I bring it back.” The landlord looked puzzled. However, he went away, and soon afterwards returned with the shaggy garment of ancient fashion and appear- ance. When our hero had put it on no one could have identified him at a few yards’ distance. He then hastily walked out into the street and followed Baynes, who was some yards a-head. One thing rather puzzled Frank. © The youth he was following carried 119 a leather bag by his side slung by a strap across his shoulder. ad What he could want with such a piece of luggage, Egerton could not imagine, unless Baynes was going out of town. But that could not be, for he was walking in the wrong direction ; going towards the waterside instead of to the railway station. The best way to find out what he was up to would be to follow him. Baynes very soon reached the river, which was not very far from the public- house at which it seemed he was staying. He jumped into a boat, unmoored it, and began to row slowly wp the stream. ‘¢ What shall I do?” thought Frank. “If I follow him on the water, perhaps he will recognise me, for I could not row in this great thing of a coat.” After a few minutes’ consideration, he came to the conclusion that he would walk; there was a road running almost parallel with the river—about a hundred yards from it—and as Baynes, being compelled to work against stream, was not going very fast, he would have no great difficulty in keep- ing up. He did so, keeping his enemy in sight for more than three miles. Presently Baynes pulled across to the opposite side of the stream, and, tying his boat to the root of a willow tree, landed. ‘Oh, what a fool I was! I shall lose him now!” exclaimed our hero. Baynes, however instead of making off across country kept by theriver bank. He carried his bag with him, and walked on for at leasta mile before Frank could form any ideaas to his destination. “The old ruined mill! She is there!” at last burst from Egerton’s lips as he saw in the distanee an ancient building, which did not bear the best reputation, being looked upon by the rustics of the neighbourhood as the abode of ghosts, goblins, and evil spirits, . EO DOC EO mn