MP. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 247 



The whips being duly signalled by Bragg to their points — 

 Brick to the north corner, Swipes to the south — and the field 

 being at length drawn up to his liking, Mr. Bragg looked at Mr. 

 Puffington for his signal (the only piece of interference he allowed 

 him), at a nod Mr. Bragg gave a waive of his cap, and the pack 

 dashed into cover with a cry — 



" Yo-o-iclcs — wind him ! Yo-o-iclcs — pash him up ! " cheered 

 Bragg, standing erect in his stirrups, eyeing the hounds spreading 

 and sniffing about, now this way, now that — now pushing through 

 a thicket, now threading and smelling along a meuse. " Yo-o-icTcs 

 — wind him ! Yo-o-iclcs — pash him up ! " repeated he, cracking 

 his whip, and moving slowly on. He then varied the entertain- 

 ment by whistling, in a sharp, shrill key, something like the chirp 

 of a sparrow-hawk. 



Thus the hounds rummaged and scrimmaged for some minutes. 



" No fox here," observed Captain Guano, bringing his horse 

 alongside of Mr. Bragg's. 



"Not so sure o' that" replied Mr. Bragg, with a sneer, for he 

 had a great contempt for the captain. "Not so sure o' that," 

 replied he, eyeing Thunderer and Galloper feathering up the 

 brook. 



" Hang these stirrups ! " exclaimed the captain, again attempt- 

 ing to adjust them ; adding, " I declare I have no seat whatever 

 in this saddle." 



" Nor in any other," muttered Bragg. " Yo-icks, Galloper ! 

 Yo-icks, Thunderer ! Ge-e-ntly, Warrior ! " continued he, crack- 

 ing his whip, as Warrior pounced at a bunny. 



The hounds were evidently on a scent, hardly strong enough to 

 own, but sufficiently indicated by their feathering, and the rush of 

 their comrades to the spot. 



" A fox for a thousand ! " exclaimed Mr. Bragg, eyeing them, 

 and looking at his watch. 



" Oh, d — mn me ! I've got one stirrup longer than another 

 now ! " roared Captain Guano, trying the fresh adjustment. 

 " I've got one stirrup longer than another ! " added he, in a 

 terrible pucker. 



A low snatch of a whimper now proceeded from Galloper, and 

 Bragg cheered him to the echo. In another second a great bang- 

 ing brown fox burst from among the broom, and dashed down, 

 the little dean. What noises, what exclamations rent the air ! 

 " Talliho ! talliho ! talliho ! " screamed a host of voices, in every 

 variety of intonation, from the half-frantic yell of a party seeing 

 him, down to the shout of a mere partaker of the epidemic. 

 Shouting is very contagious. The horsemen gathered up their 

 reins, pressed down their hats, and threw away their cigar-ends. 



" 'Ord hang it ! " roared Captain Guano, still fumbling at the 



