MP. SPONGE'S SPORTING TO UP. 13 



"what 'are we in ? " continued Buckram, with the air of a man with 

 so many horses that he didn't know what were in and what were out. 



" Vy we 'avc Rumbleton in," replied Leather, thoughtfully, strok- 

 ing down his Iiair as he spoke, " and we 'ave Jack o'Lanthorn in, and 

 we 'ave the Camel in, and there's the little Hirish oss with the sprig- 

 tail — Jack-a-Dandy, as I calls him, and the Flyer will be in to- 

 night, he's jest out a hairing, as it were, with old Mr. Callipash." 



" Ah, Rumbleton won't do for Mr. Sponge," observed Buck- 

 ram, thoughtfully, at the same time letting go a tremendous 

 avalance of silver down his trouser pocket, "Rumbleton won't do," 

 repeated he, " nor Jack-a-Dandy nouther." 



" Why, I wouldn't commend neither on 'em," replied Peter, 

 taking his cue from his master, " only ven you axes me vot there's 

 in, you knows vy I must give you a cor-recfc answer, in course." 



"In course," nodded Buckram. 



Leather and Buckram had a good understanding in the lying 

 line, and had fallen into a sort of tacit arrangement, that if the 

 former w T as staunch about the horses he was at liberty to make 

 the best terms he could for himself. Whatever Buckram said, 

 Leather swore to, and they had established certain signals and 

 expressions that each understood. 



" I've an unkimmon nice oss," at length observed Mr. Buck- 

 ram, with a scrutinising glance at Sponge, "and an oss in hevery 

 respect worry like your work, but he's an oss I'll candidly state, I 

 wouldn't put in every one's 'ands, for, in the fust place, he's wery 

 walueous, and in the second, he requires an ossman to ride ; how- 

 somever, as I knows that you can ride, and if you doesn't mind 

 taking my 'ead man," jerking his elbow at Leather, " to look 

 arter him, I wouldn't mind 'commodatin' on you, prowided we 

 can 'gree upon terms." 



" Well, let's see him," interrupted Sponge, " and we can talk 

 about terms after." 



" Certainly, sir, certainly," replied Buckram, again letting loose 

 a reaccumulated rush of silver down his pocket. "Here, Tom ! 

 Joe ! Harry ! where's Sam ? " giving the little tinkler of a bell a 

 pull as he spoke. 



" Sam be in the straw 'ouse," replied Leather, passing through a 

 stable into a wooden projection beyond, where the gentleman in 

 question was enjoying a nap. 



" Sam ! " said he, " Sam ! " repeated he, in a louder tone, as he 

 saw the object of his search's nose popping through the midst of 

 the straw. 



" What now ! " exclaimed Sam, starting up, and looking wildly 

 around ; "what now?" repeated he, rubbing his eyes with the 

 backs of his hands. 



" Get out Ercles," said Leather, soito voce. 



