MB. SPONGE'S SPOUTING TOUR. 30 



" Nicely, thank you, sir," replied Tom, giving the bald head 

 another sweep. 



Mr. Waffles.—" What'll you drink ? " 



Tom. — " Port, if you please, sir." 



" There it is for you, then," said Mr. Waffles, brimming the 

 Fox's head, which held about the third of a bottle (an inn bottle at 

 least) and handing it to him. 



" Gentlemen all," said Tom, passing his sleeve across his mouth, 

 and casting a side-long glance at the company as he raised the 

 cup to drink their healths. 



He quaffed it off at a draught. 



" Well, Tom, and what shall we do to-morrow ? " asked Mr. 

 Waffles, as Tom replaced the Fox's head, nose uppermost, on the 

 table. 



" Why, we must draw Ribston Wood fust, I 'spose," replied Tom, 

 "and then on to Bradwell-grove, unless you thought well of tryin' 

 Chesterton-common on the road, or " 



" Aye, aye," interrupted Waffles, " I know all that ; but what I 

 want to know is. whether w : e can make sure of a run. We want 

 to give this great metropolitan swell a benefit. You know who I 

 mean ? " 



" The gen'leman as is com'd to the Brunswick, I 'spose," 

 replied Tom ; " at least, as is comin', for I've not heard that he's 

 com'd yet." 



" Oh, but he has,''' replied Mr. Waffles, " and I make no doubt 

 will be out to-morrow." 



" S — o — 0," observed Tom, in a long drawled note. 



" Well, now ! do you think you can engage to give us a run ? " 

 asked Mr. Waffles, seeing his huntsman did not seem inclined to 

 help him to his point. 



" I'll do my best," replied Tom, cautiously running the many 

 contingencies through his mind. 



" Take another drop of something," said Mr. Waffles, again 

 raising the Fox's head. " What'll you have ? " 



" Port, if you please," replied Tom. 



"There," said Mr. Waffles, handing him another bumper; 

 " drink, Fox-hunting." 



" Fox-huntin'," said old Tom, quaffing off the measure, as 

 before. A flush of life came into his weather-beaten face, just as 

 a glow of heat enlivens a blacksmith's hearth, after a touch of the 

 bellows. 



" You must never let this bumptious cock beat us," observed 

 Mr. Waffles. 



" No — o — o," replied Tom, adding, " there's no fear of that." 



" But he swears he will ! " exclaimed Mr. Caingey Thornton. 

 "He swears there isn't a man shall come within a field of him." 



