178 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



" So he is," said Sponge, who now caught sight of the fox 

 emerging from the turnips on to a grass-field beyond. 



Jack stood staring through his great spectacles, without deigning 

 a word. 



" What shall we do ? " asked Sponge. 



"Do?" replied Jack, with his chin still up; "go home, I 

 should think." 



" There's a man down ! " exclaimed a groom, who formed one 

 of the group, as a dark-coated rider and horse measured their 

 length on a pasture. 



" It's Mr. Sparks," said another ; adding, " he's always rolling 

 about." 



" Lor', look at the parson ! " exclaimed a third, as Blossomnose 

 was seen gathering his horse and setting up his shoulders pre- 

 paratory to riding at a gate. 



" Well done, old 'un ! " roared a fourth, as the horse flew over 

 it, apparently without an effort. 



" Now for Tom ! " cried several, as the second whip went 

 galloping up on the line of the gate. 



"Ah ! he won't have it ! " was the cry, as the horse suddenly 

 stopped short, nearly shooting Tom over his head. "Try him 

 again — try him again — take a good run — that's him — there, he's 

 over ! " was the cry, as Tom flourished his arm in the air on 

 landing. 



" Look ! there's old Tommy Baker, the rat-ketcher ! " cried 

 another, as a man went working his arms and legs on an old white 

 pony across a fallow. 



" Ah, Tommy ! Tommy ! you'd better shut up," observed 

 another : " a pig could go as fast at that." 



And so they criticised the laggers. 



" How did my lord get his horse ? " asked Spraggon of the 

 groom who had brought them on, who now joined the eye- 

 straining group at the door. 



" It was taken down to him at the cover," replied the man. 

 " My lord went in on foot, and the horse went round the back 

 way. The horse wasn't there half a minute before he was wanted ; 

 for no sooner were the hounds in at one end than out popped the 

 fox at t'other. Sich a whopper ! — biggest fox that ever was seen." 



"They are all the biggest foxes that ever were seen," snapped Mr. 

 Sponge. " I'll be bound he was not a bit bigger than common." 



"I'll be bound not, either," growled Mr. Spraggon, squinting 

 frightfully at the man, adding, " go, get me my hack, and don't 

 be talkin' nonsense there." 



Our friends then remounted their hacks and parted company in 

 very moderate humours, feeling fully satisfied that his lordship 

 had done it on purpose. 



