The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

124 THE KING OF THE SCHOOL: OR, WHO WILL WIN? eect STUER TLE A TC SS TTT A SE CHAPTER XXXI, FRANK TO THE RESCUE. OF course you have guessed by this time that Frank Egerton was quite right in his supposition that Bayne was going to the ruined mill. | The promising young scoundrel who had planned and executed the abduc- tion of Kate Conway, suddenly chanced to remember the following afternoon that his fair prisoner had neither food nor drink. Not that the recollection troubled him much. | “Starvation will do her good,” thought he; “ will bring her to her senses, and show her how completely she is in my power. ‘Then, perhaps, she will consent; not that I care much about her, but it would be a blow at Egerton’s heart.” | He leisurely collected some food, which he placed in the leather bag before-men- tioned, and started. Frank, as we know, followed. Baynes, after landing, walked up to the mill, and had just set his foot on the bridge of planks, which communi- cated only with his side of the shore, when he caught sight of Frank. There was no possibility of reaching the mill from Egerton’s side of the stream,except by boat, or by swimming. “Stop, villain |” shouted Egerton. Baynes made no reply, but with a threatening shake of the fist, darted across the bridge and entered the mill. “ How can I reach the scoundrel ?” exclaimed Frank. | A moment’s hesitation, then he plunged into the water and began to swim across. | Baynes saw his object, and, rushing out from the mill, broke down the bridge. | “ You shall never see her again, Egerton! Rather than surrender her to you, I will plunge her into the stream !’’ he shouted. | Frank made no reply. but changed his course. Instead of swimming towards the bank, he made direct for the mill itself, which, as before said, stood in the centre of the stream. A piercing shriek caused him to lift up his eyes as he bravely struggled against the flood. Baynes had thrown open the wooden folding windows of Kate’s prison-cham- ber, and there he stood angrily clutch-. ing her by the arm. “Tell him to keep away,” he said. ‘Wrank, Frank! help me!” cried Kate. ‘By Heaven! if he approaches nearer, I will shoothim! Keep back, Egerton, if you valué your life |” | As he spoke, the young ruffian drew a small pistol, and took aim at Frank’s head, which was the only portion of his body visible. Frank heard the threat, and saw the levelled weapon, but he did not heed either. | “ Bang |” went the weapon, as a puff of white smoke polluted the air, and the builet splashed up the water close by Egerton’s ear. “ Perdition seize him !” muttered Baynes, as he hurled the empty and now useless weapon at his foe, with no better aim. “Frank, are you hurt, darling ?” ex- claimed Kate. ‘“ Quick, dear, and save me. He is hurting me” ‘Patience a moment, love,” replied Frank. Making a desperate struggle against the swift waters, he swam right up to the wheel, which\still continued its re~ volutions, and, catching hold of it, waa EO DOC EO mn