The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 37: what you’re looking at

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THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? 3] ferret was put down at the mouth of one of the holes, into which he very deliberately walked. Marsham held up his hand to enforce’ silence. A minute elapsed, then a rattling noise was heard under foot. “ Hush !” Then, with a bound, a fine white- tailed rabbit leaped right into one of the bag nets, and rolled over, a kicking, struggling prisoner. Marsham put his foot upon the hole to prevent the ferret from following. Then he took out the prisoner and threw it, still alive, into a large sack. A few seconds afterwards another net contained a captive, then another. Then the ferret came out, and the earl suggested that they should try another locality. They did so with equal success. But suddenly came an interruption. Four or five burly-looking men sud- denly appeared upon the scene, and, in no very gentle terms, demanded— “What are you young poaching rascals doing here ?” ‘Come, that’s good,” exclaimed Eger- ton. “I should advise you to keep a civil tongue in your head, or you may find yourself receiving a lesson.” “Who is going to give the lesson ?” demanded one of the keepers. “T will.” “ Ah, you sall no fight !” exclaimed the well-known voice of Dr. Moeritz, and a minute afterwards the professor stepped forward. “You had best get out of the way, old Frenchy,” the keeper rudely said. “TI do not allow that you may threaten me,” was the firm response of the German. ‘The keeper raised his stick in a threatening manner, and Herr Moeritz instantly prepared a trusty cudgel he had with him. | “ Well, if you want your head broke, have it then. You Frenchers think yourselves good at fencing; let us see how youcan managea stick, Bill, Jim, see the youngsters don’t get away.” “We are not going you may depend on it, till we have had the pleasure of seeing you receive a good beating,” responded Charlie Fitzgerald. he keeper, who was noted as a single-stick player, smiled, and assumed his guard, holding the stick at about half-arm’s length before him, the top slightly pointing upwards. Professor Moeritz assumed a hanging guard, sorely puzzling the keeper, who had never seen such a thing before. Then they began. Leatherlegs, the keeper, relying on his prowess, aimed a blow at the Ger- man’s head, but it was cleverly stopped. However, he could not recover his own guard in time to save his hat—a new one, by-the-bye-——from being sent spin- ning-up among the trees. “Capital! glorious!” exclaimed Web- ber, dancing about in his excitement. Then he began to sing the chorus of the old poaching song— ‘‘For we can wrestle and fight, my boys, Jump over anywhere; And its our delight on a shiny night, In the season of the year—” “Freddy, I really think you must have been one of the singing birds, be- fore you came toour side of the college,” observed Egerton. ‘“ But would either of you gentlemen in corduroy like a little stick-practice? I should be very pleased to accommodate any one of ou.” nee Make it a four-handed game, and I'll be your partner,” said Pembridge. The under-keepers did not seem to see it though, and informed our hero that their chief’s orders were to avoid fighting on all occasions. All this time the two combatants were rattling away merrily, the blows sounding almost as rapidly as the clattering of an Ethiopian minstrel’s ** bones,” Occasionally a dull thud would be heard as the professor’s stick paid a severe visit to the keeper’s arm or shoulder. Leatherlegs was perfectly astonished to find that no matter how he showered Go NOC EO mn