The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

120 THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? CHAPTER XXX, THE ABDUCTION. Berore we follow Frank Egerton any further in his adventures, it will be necessary to carry our readers back to the previous evening. We must see what had become of Kate Conway, whose sudden disappear- ance from her home and friends had caused so much consternation and lef, The girl had gone out, as she said, | to purchase a few little ornaments wherewith to render herself more charming, if possible, in the eyes of her young lover. | She had completed her purchases, and was about to return home, when a sudden fancy possessed her to stroll along by the banks of the river, and look at the spot, where she first met Frank, on that eventful afternoon when he saved her life and her father’s, The sun had hardly gone down, and the moon would soon rise, and give almost as much light as the greater luminary; so there would beno dangerin’ taking a little walk alone, especially as Ballsbury was now considered free. from the few bad characters who had for some time past made it their head- quarters. | At least, so argued the girl. The night was still; hardly a breath of wind stirred the sere and yellow leaves of the great elm trees that stood on either side of the road. Kate’s footsteps, light and tripping though they were, sounded very distinctly on the hard sandy road. Suddenly she fancied she heard another and a louder tread behind her. She turned sharply. The shrubs and trees threw strange, weird shadows upon the roadway, but Ro human being was visible, __ “Tt was but fancy,” she thought, and, summoning up all the courage her little heart possessed, climbed over a stile, and took the foot-path across a meadow towards the water-side. All her fears vanished as soon as she found herself in the fair open moon- light which now illumined the’ face of nature. | On she tripped like some fairy vision, till at length the river-side was reached. Yes, that was the spot! It was just where that big eddy was circling round and round that the boat was overturned, and there, beneath that drooping willow, Frank brought her toland. It was there she first felt his arm encircling her waist, and heard his much-loved voice. _ Bright and happy thoughts sprang up in her mind—soon to be rudely dispelled. While in the midst of her medita- tions, a rude hand was placed upon her shoulder. Giving a half-smothered shriek, she sprang round to find herself face to face with Baynes, and a low-looking ruffian who inspired infinitely more terror in her mind than his companion. “Silence!” exclaimed the first-named individual, harshly. “If you utter another sound I swear I will kill you.” The command was unnecessary, for the poor girl was so terrified as to be utterly ‘unable to speak. “ Come this way,” continued Baynes, then seeing that there was great danger of her fainting, he said to his companion— “Hold her up on the other side, Bob, and bring her along as quickly as possible. There may be some one about, and it would never do to be seen,” DOO A) COMM (CO mn