CG MP. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



"Ah ! well, 1 bought him of Mr. Sponge, who said he got him 

 from Lord Bullfrog," interrupted Mr. Waffles. 



"Ah ! then he is the oss, in course," said Mr. Buckram, with a 

 sort of mournful chuck of the chin ; "he is the oss," repeated he ; 

 " well, then, he's a dangerous hanimal," added he, letting slip 

 three half-crowns. 



" What does he do ? " asked Mr. Waffles. 



" Do ! " repeated Mr. Buckram, " do ! he'll do for anybody." 



" Indeed," responded Mr. Waffles ; adding, " how could Mr. 

 Sponge sell me such a brute ? " 



"I doesn't mean to say, mind ye," observed Mr. Buckram, 

 drawing back three half-crowns, as though he had gone that much 

 too far, — " I doesn't mean to say, mind, that he's wot you call a 

 mistcched, runaway, rear-backwards-over-hanimal — but I mean to 

 say he's a difficultish oss to ride — himpetuous — and one that, if he 

 got the hupper 'and, would be werry likely to try and keep the 

 hupper 'and — you understand me ? " said he, eyeing Mr. Waffles 

 intently, and dropping four half-crowns as he spoke. 



" I'm tellin' you nothin' but the truth," observed Mr. Buckram, 

 after a pause, adding, " in course it's nothiu' to me, only bein' 

 down 'ere on a visit to a friend, and 'earin' that the oss were 'ere, 

 I made bold to look in to see whether it was 'im or no. No of- 

 fence, I 'opes," added he, letting go the rest of the silver, and 

 taking the prop from under his chin, with an obeisance as if he 

 was about to be off. 



"Oh, no offence at all," rejoined Mr. Waffles, "no offence — 

 rather the contrary. Indeed, I'm much obliged to you for telling 

 me what you have done. Just stop half a minute," added he,, 

 thinking he might as well try and get something more out of him. 

 While Mr. Waffles was considering his next question, Mr. Buckram 

 saved him the trouble of thinking by "leading the gallop" himself. 



" I believe 'im to be a good oss, and I believe 'im to be a had 

 oss," observed Mr. Buckram, sententiously. " I believe that oss, 

 with a bold rider on his back, and well away with the 'ounds, 

 would beat most osses goin', but it's the start that's the difficulty 

 with him ; for if, on the other 'and he don't incline to go, all the 

 spurrin', and quiltin', and leatherin' in the world won't make 'im. 

 It'll be a mercy o' Providence if he don't cut out work for the 

 crowner some day." 



" Hang the brute ! " exclaimed Mr. Waffles, in disgust ; "I've a 

 good mind to have his throat cut." 



" Nay," replied Mr. Buckram, brightening up, and stirring the 

 silver round and round in his pocket like a whirlpool, "nay," 

 replied he, " he's fit for summat better nor that." 



''Not much, I think," replied Mr. Waffles, pouting with dis- 

 trust. He now stood silent for a few seconds. 



