240 MB. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



Jack, who was tolerably quick at a chance, now began to see 

 how things were, and to fathom Mr. Puffington's mistake. His 

 ready imagination immediately saw there might be something made 

 •of it, so he prepared to keep up the delusion. 



" Wh-o-o-y ! " said he, straddling out his legs, clasping his hands 

 together, and squinting steadily through his spectacles, to try and 

 see, by Puffington's countenance, how much he would stand. 

 ■" W-h-o-o-y ! " repeated he, " I shouldn't think — though, mind, 

 it's mere conjectur' on my part — that you couldn't offer him less 

 than — twenty or five-and-twenty punds ; or, say, from that to 

 thirty," continued Jack, seeing that Puff's countenance remained 

 complacent under the rise. 



" And that you think would be sufficient ? " asked Puff ; add- 

 ing — " If one does a thing at all, you know, it's as well to do it 

 handsomely." 



" True," replied Jack, sticking out his great thick lips, " true. 

 I'm a great advocate for doing things handsomely. Many a row I 

 have with my lord for thanking fellows, and saying he'll remember 

 them, instead of giving them sixpence or a shilling ; but really I 

 should say, if you were to give him forty or fifty pund — say a fifty- 

 pund note, he'd be " 



The rest of the sentence was lost by the appearance of Mr. 

 Sponge, cantering up the avenue on the conspicuous piebald. Mr. 

 Puffington and Mr. Spraggon greeted him as he alighted at the 

 •door. 



Sponge was quickly followed by Tom Washball ; then came 

 Charley Slapp and Lumpleg, and Captain Guano came in a gig. 

 Mutual bows and bobs and shakes of the hand being exchanged, 

 .imiid offers of " anything before dinner " from the host, the guests 

 were at length shown to their respective apartments, from which 

 in due time they emerged, looking like so many bridegrooms. 



First came the worthy master of the hounds himself, in his 

 scarlet dress-coat, lined with white satin ; Tom Washball, and 

 Charley Slapp also sported Puff's uniform ; while Captain Guano, 

 who was proud of his leg, sported the uniform of the Muffington 

 Hunt — a pea-green coat lined with yellow, and a yellow collar, 

 white shorts with gold garters, and black silk stockings. 



Spraggon had been obliged to put up with Lord Scamperdale's 

 second best coat, his lordship having taken the best one himself ; 

 but it was passable enough by candle light, and the seediness of the 

 blue cloth was relieved by a velvet collar and a new set of the Flat 

 Hat Hunt buttons. Mr. Sponge wore a plain scarlet with a crim- 

 son velvet collar, and a bright fox on the frosted ground of a gilt 

 button, with tights as before ; and when Mr. Crane arrived he 

 was found to be attired in a dress composed partly of Mr. Puffing- 

 ton's and partly of the Muggeridge Hunt uniform — the red coat 



