The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN? had not hesitated to break the college regulations on other occasions, and might do so now for the sake of seeing an old friend. : Not one word about the detective. Two days afterwards Baynes wrote another letter, the contents of which we must not at present divulge. Egerton had by this time re- gained his position as King of the School. Baynes was not far behind him as regarded scholarship, and evidently in- tended to compete with him for the classical and mathematical honours of the college. Frank knew this, and, although pretty confident that in the end he would be the victor, wisely resolved to work a little harder than he had done. Late at night he would sit up; after every one else had retired, he would sit up reading in the little study occupied during the day by Professor Moeritz; having, of course, obtained the consent of that worthy. About ten days after the detective first made his appearance on the scene, Frank had been so engaged till a very late hour. He was just thinking of retiring, when he heard a slight noise in the di- rection of Dr. Whackley’s study. The next moment came a loud shout for help in the doctor’s voice! — “Help! Mur——” There was a sound like the fall of a heavy body. Then all was silent. Frank immediately rushed towards the apartment from which the sounds seemed to proceed. ) At the door of the study he en- countered a man whose face was entirely masked in black crape. “Villain, I have you! Help! Thieves!” he shouted, springing up and catching the intruder by the col- lar, while with his left hand he en- deavoured to tear away the mask. “Let me go, you young whelp!” said the man. ry py RL A a | would 69 “Help! help! Thieves!” shouted Frank, “Let me go, I say, or it will be the worse for you.” | The more the robber struggled and threatened the more ‘firm did Frank keep his grip on the man’s collar. By this time the household had been alarmed by the shouts, and footsteps were heard approaching hurriedly. “You won't! Then take that, you obstinate young fool!” the robber ex- claimed, in a voice husky with passion. He thrust one hand into his coat- pocket, drew fired.. Frank fell, and just at that moment Fitzgerald, Marsham, and the Earl of out a small pistol, and Pembridge, arrived, followed by Pro- fessor Moeritz, who had retired to his -bed-room some time before. | The boys were just in time to see the midnight robber leap through the doc- tor’s study-window. They called to the German to look after the two sense- less bodies on the floor, and then jumped out in pursuit of the flying figure, which they could see dimly some yards ahead. “ You to the right, Marsham, you to the left, Pembridge,” said Fitzgerald, as they raced across the playing-field. “Spread out; if he attempts to turn you can stop him. He is going straight for the river, and we must have him.” The pursued leaped the fence like a deer, but the pursuers were equally agile. Neither of the boys had any clothing on except shirt, trousers, and slippers, and all three were in splendid training. It seemed as though the robber had some idea of his enemies’ tactics, for he made several attempts to get off to- wards the town as they passed through the cathedral grottads; but the boys headed him back, and drove him on in the direction of the river. He dared not stop and encounter them, for he knew, from the pertinacity with which they followed, that they stick to him like bulldogs, EO DOC A) (S(O) mn