The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

142 cece Pp re Ee hp PP pr A wt uo ‘“We can’t leave him here,” said Frank Egerton; he must be taken back to the “ Druid’s Head,” “But how?” asked Freddy. “You had better let him remain a few minutes,” said the gentleman, whose gun had, to a certain extent, been the cause of the mischief. “I will send some of my labourers from the next field with a hurdle on which he may be carried back to the inn.” | He was as good as his word, and in a few minutes the bad boy of my tale was being borne along on a rude couch formed of great coats and’ wrappers spread on the hurdle. Frank Egerton returned with him to the ‘*Druid’s Head,” The others went. on their way. Two hours afterwards, the doctor, who had been called from Ballsbury, sent down word that Mr. Egerton was wanted in the sick-room, a summons which he readily obeyed. . Consciousness had returned to the poor, crushed form. The surgeon had seen that the sufferer’s hours were numbered, and had told him so. The terrible fear of death had at first convulsed him with horror, but after a few kind, Christian words from the doctor, Baynes evinced a desire to make restitution as far as possible. As soon as Frank was in the room, his former schoolfellow commenced a confession,in which herecapitulated the many dastardly and dishonest acts he had been guilty of. » “ But the worst remains to be told,” he gasped, sitting up feebly. ‘ Your inheritance was wrested from you by fraud, Egerton; those mortgage deeds were forged! That’s why your lawyer never heard of them till your father’s death,” | / “Forged! Great Heavens! By whom ?” | ‘May the powers above forgive him. My father, instigated by me, in revenge for the well-deserved. thrashing you gave me, A man named Compton, iiving in Drury Lane, helped to do it. TUE SING OF THE SCHOOI; OR, WHO WILL WIN? NE You must catch him and extort—a confession. But, as I have told you | this, be merciful—to my father. For- give me. It was a race for supe- riority—you won—because—you were —brave and honest,” “TI forgive you, as I hope to he forgiven !” exclaimed Frank fervently. “He has not heard you; he is dead!” observed the doctor, * % * * # @ A day afterwards Frank with Mz. Throckmorton, the family solicitor, and a couple of shrewed detectives, encountered Compton in the neigh- bourhood of Drury Lane. Hearing that his little game was up, the man volunteered every information he could give, and produced some documents which left no doubt of the elder Baynes’s guilt. | The next thing was to seek that gentleman, who was found at the “Druid’s Head” superintending his son's funeral. The police did not interfere till that was over, when they informed Mr, Baynes the object of their visit. At first he bullied and swore, but soon found that would not do; the evi- dence against him was too strong. Then he was taken into a private room with Mr. Throckmorton and Frank Egerton. “Well,” said he, “what do you mean to do? Prosecute or make an arrangement?” “I hardly think we should be justi- fied in coming to any arrangement with such a scoundrel,” replied Throck- morton, — However, after some consultation, it was arranged that, on consideration of his giving up the whole of the Egerton property, and paying down the sum of a thousand pounds, he should be allowed to go, giving his word to leave England at once. Mr. Thockmorton was prepared with ali the necessary documents, and the two constables were called in to witness the signatures, Mr. Baynes was then allowed te ECOMMICL OC SS EO mn