ME. SPONGE'S SEOETING TOUE. 67 



""Well, bub what did they mean by hoping Mr. Sponge was 

 fond of walking ? " at length asked he. 



" Oh, vy," replied Mr. Buckram, gathering all the money up 

 again, " I believe it was this 'ere," beginning to drop them to half- 

 miuute time, and talking very slowly ; " the oss, I believe, got the 

 better of Lord Bullfrog one day, somewhere a little on this side of 

 Thrussinton — that, you know, is where Sir 'Any built his kennels 

 — between Mount Sorrel and Melton in fact — and havin' got his 

 Lordship off, who, I should tell you, is an uncommon fat 'un, he 

 wouldn't let him on again, and he 'ad to lead him the matter of I 

 don't know 'ow many miles ; " Mr. Buckram letting go the whole 

 balance of silver in a rush, as if to denote that it was no joke. 



" The Irute ! " observed Mr. Waffles, in disgust, adding, " Well, 

 as you seem to have a pretty good opinion of him, suppose you 

 buy him ; I'll let you have him cheap." 



" 'Ord bless you, my lord — that's to say, sir ! " exclaimed Buck- 

 ram, shrugging up his shoulders, and raising his eyebrows as high 

 as they would go, " he'd be of no use to me, none votsomever — 

 shouldn't know wot to do with him — never do for 'arness — besides, 

 I 'ave a werry good machiner as it is — at least, he sarves my turn, 

 and that's everything, you know. No, sir, no," continued he, 

 slowly and thoughtfully, dropping the silver to half-minute time ; 

 " no, sir, no ; if I might make free with a gen'leman o' your 

 helegance," continued he, after a pause, " I'd say, sell 'm to a post- 

 master or a buss-master, or some sich cattle as those, but I doesn't 

 think I'd put 'im into the 'ands of no gen'leman, that's to say if I 

 were you, at least," added he. 



"Well, then, will you speculate on him yourself for the buss- 

 masters ? " asked Mr. Waffles, tired alike of the colloquy and the 

 quadruped. 



"Oh, vy, as to that," replied Mr. Buckram, with an air of the 

 most perfect indifference, " vy, as to that — not bein' nouther a 

 post-master nor a buss-master — but 'aving, as I said before, a 

 little hindependence o' my own, vy, I couldn't in course give such 

 a bountiful price as if I could turn 'im to account at once ; but if 

 it would be any 'commodation to you," added he, working the 

 silver up into full cry, " I wouldn't mind givin' you the with 

 (worth) of 'im— say, deductin' expenses hup to town, and standin' 

 at livery afore I finds a customer — expenses hup to town," con- 

 tinued Mr. Buckram, muttering to himself in apparent calculation, 

 " standin' at livery — three-and-sixpencc a night, gram, and so on 

 — I wouldn't mind," continued he briskly, " givin' of you twenty 

 pund for 'im — if you'd throw me back a sov.," continued he, 

 seeing Mr. Waffles' brow didn't contract into the frown he expected 

 at having such a sum offered for his three hundred-guinea horse. 



In the course of an hour, that wonderful invention of modern 



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