242 



MR. SPONGE'S SPOBTING TOUR. 



horse Jack-a-Dandy — the finest horse that ever was foaled ! No 

 day too long for him — no pace too great for him — no fence too 

 stiff for him — no brook too broad for him." 



Tom "Washball, too, talked as if wearing a red coat was not the 

 only purpose for which he hunted ; and altogether they seemed to 

 be an amazing, sporting, hard-riding set. 



"When at length they rose to go to bed, it struck each man as he 

 followed his neighbour upstairs that the one before him walked 

 very crookedly. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



A DAY WITH PUFFINGTON'S HOUNDS. 





A GOOD RUN. 



Day dawned cheerfully. If there was rather more sun than the 

 strict rules of Beckford prescribe, still sunshine is not a thing to 

 quarrel with under any circumstances — certainly not for a gentle- 

 man to quarrel with who wants his place seen to advantage on the 

 occasion of a meet of hounds. Everything at Hanby House was 

 in apple-pie order. All the stray leaves that the capricious wintry 

 winds still kept raising from unknown quarters, and whisking, 



