THE POMPONIUS EGO DAY 



That would not do. 



* Oh dear ! oh dear ! that 's bad,' muttered Mr. 

 Jorrocks to James Pigg; 'where the deuce can 

 the fool ha' gone ? ' 



We may here state that Giles Gosling the 

 farmer, having seen Pigg and his comrade set- 

 ting out the line, and not exactly relishing their 

 progress over his wheat a little farther on, had 

 watched Maltby's coming, and seizing him, drag 

 and all, had stowed him away in his cellar. 



'Ar mun just try to cross the line on him,' 

 observed Pigg, pulling his horn out of his boot, 

 and giving it a twang; 'put hunds forrard 'ard, 

 man,' said he to his master, trotting on, and 

 blowing as he went. 



' Who ever saw such a cast ? ' exclaimed Ego, 

 who had now got draggled up ; ' your huntsman 

 must be mad, Mr. Jorrocks ! ' 



' I '11 lay a guinea 'at to a 'alf-crown wide- 

 awake he recovers his fox for all that,' replied 

 Mr. Jorrocks, with a good deal more confidence 

 than he felt. 



175 



