The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

THIS IS THE OPENIN@sPAGE OF TJNLUCKY BOB; OR, OUR BOYS AT SCHOOL. ENS ED TP RED Cela Sor. LT RR Bn manne CHAPTER I. A MYSTERY OF LIFE. ILDGORSE HEATH, with its _ thick, stunted patches of heath, and the long range of hills behind it, was bathed in a flood of golden light from the slowly sinking sun, that had all day long been burning with an intense fierceness, threatening almost to fire the parched-up herbage. | The heath itself was of great extent, and ended at one part at an old-fashioned building known as Wildgorse Hall. The hall was very rarely visited by its owner, Philip Aubrey, who, with his wife, from some inexplicable cause, resided princi- pally on the continent. The lands formerly belonging to the Hall had gradually been sold by its suc- cessive ithabitants, so that very little income was derived from the estate. Afar off, on the summit of a lofty hill overlooking it, stood the palatial mansion belonging to the Wilder family, who were, by distant ties of consanguinity, related to the Aubreys. | But it had never been known that the stern, dark, morose man who now stood at the head of the Wilder house had ever claimed any acquaintance with Philip Aubrey at the Hall.. Only an old man, who had once been steward, resided at Wildgorse Hall, and he on market days drove over to the town in an old chaise drawn by a pony almost as aged as himself. | The old man never entered into conver- sation with anyone in the town, but having purchased the articles he required, left as silent as he came. Upon the day that we speak of, as the sun began to decline, upon a slight knoll! of grass, screened by a thick gorse bush, a man sat looking, with a smile of derision upon his face, at the old Hall. He was alone upon that wiid heath, for the labourers had long since wended their way to their humble dwellings. It was a singular picture-to see that man seated there with the darknes- gathering around him. He was tolerably well dressed—the slouched hat looked as though it had seen roughish weather, and so did the. face beneath it ; but the velveteen coat, the leggings, and everything else showed that the man had not poverty to contend against. He cast his eye searchingly round the horizon. “The sun won’t be long afore it has done its day’s work, and then I guess mine must begin. You’ve had a long time, Jem Greenwood, to beat about, and yet you’re sound in wind and limb, al- though there’s one part about you that has been aching and panting end struggling.” Here his head sank deeper into his hands, as he muttered— For continuation see next week's nowmnnunen ar 56 1rmlenedenn TRenih 98 COMM A) DOOKS EO mn