190 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



the spur, and the horse shot away up a strip of grass like an 

 arrow. 



" By Jove, but you can go ! " said he, pulling up as the grass 

 ran out upon the hard road. 



Thus he reached the village of Hardington, which he quickly 

 cleared, and took the well-defined road to Bewlcy — a road adorned 

 with mile-stones and set out with a liberal horse-track at either 

 side. 



Day had closed ere our friend reached Bewley, but the children 

 returning from school, and the country folks leaving their work, 

 kept assuring him that he was on the right line, till the lights of 

 the town, bursting upon him as he rounded the hill above, showed 

 him the end of his journey. 



The best stalls at the head inn — the Bull's Head — were all full, 

 several trusty grooms having arrived with the usual head-stalls and 

 rolls of clothing on their horses, denoting the object of their 

 mission. Most of the horses had been in some hours, and were 

 now standing well littered up with straw, while the grooms were 

 in the tap talking over their masters, discussing the merits of their 

 horses, or arguing whether Lord Scamperdale was mad or not. 

 They had just come to the conclusion that his lordship was mad, 

 but not incapable of taking care of his affairs, when the trampling 

 of Sponge's horse's feet drew them out to see who was coming next. 

 Sponge's red coat at once told his tale, and procured him the usual 

 attention. 



Mr. Leather's fear of the want of clothing for the valuable 

 hunter proved wholly groundless, for each groom having come 

 with a plentiful supply for his own horse, all the inn stock was at 

 the service of the stranger. The stable, to be sure, was not quite 

 so good as might be desired, but it was warm and water-tight, and 

 the corn was far from bad. Altogether, Mr. Sponge thought he 

 would do very well, and, having seen to his horse, proceeded to 

 choose between beef-steaks and mutton chops for his own enter- 

 tainment, and with the aid of the old country paper and some very 

 questionable port, he passed the evening in anticipation of the 

 sports of the morrow. 



