300 MB. SPONGE'S SPOUTING TOUR. 



deal occupied with wishing that there had been three haddocks 

 instead of two, and speculating whether Mrs. Crowdey would be 

 more pleased at the success of his mission, or put out of her way 

 by Mr. Sponge's unexpected coming. Above all, he had marked 

 some very promising-looking sticks — two blackthorns and a holly 

 — to cut on his way home, and he was intent on not missing them. 

 So sudden was the jerk that announced his coming on the first 

 one, as nearly to throw the old family horse on his knees, and 

 almost to break Mr. Sponge's nose against the brass edge of the 

 cocked-up splash-board. Ere Mr. Sponge recovered his equi- 

 librium, the whip was in the case, the reins dangling about the 

 old screw's heels, and Mr. Crowdey scrambling up a steep bank to 

 where a very thick boundary-hedge shut out the view of the 

 adjacent country. Presently, chop, chop, chop, was heard, from 

 Mr. Crowdey's pocket axe, with a tug — wheeze — puff from him- 

 self ; next a crash of separation ; and then the purple-faced Mr. 

 Crowdey came bearing down the bank dragging a great blackthorn 

 bush after him. 



" What have you got there ? " inquired Mr. Sponge, with 

 surprise. 



" Got ! (wheeze — puff — wheeze)," replied Mr. Crowdey, pulling 

 up short, and mopping his perspiring brow with a great claret- 

 coloured bandana. " Got ! I've (puff — wheeze) got what I 

 (wheeze) think will (puff) into a most elaborate and (wheeze) 

 valuable walking-stick. This I (puff) think," continued he, 

 eyeing the great ball with which he had got it up, " will (wheeze) 

 come in most valuably (puff) for my great (putt - — wheeze — gasp) 

 national undertaking — the (puff) Kings and (wheeze) Queens of 

 Great Britain (gasp)." 



"What are they?''' asked Mr. Sponge, astonished at his 

 vehemence. 



" Oh ! (puff— wheeza — gasp) haven't you heard ? " exclaimed 

 Mr. Jogglcbury, taking off his great woolly hat, and giving his 

 lank, dark hair, streaked with grey, a sweep round his low forehead 

 with the bandana. "Oh! "(puff— gasp) haven't you heard?" 

 repeated he, getting a little more breath. " I'm (wheeze) under- 

 taking a series of (gasp) sticks, representing — (gasp) — immortalis- 

 ing, I may say (puff), all the (wheeze) crowned heads of England 

 (puff)." 



" Indeed ! " replied Mr. Sponge. 



"They'll be a most valuable collection (wheeze— puff)," con- 

 tinued Mr. Jogglebury, still eyeing the knob. " This," added he, 

 "shall be William the Fourth." He then commenced lopping 

 and docking the sides, making Bartholomew Badger bury them in 

 a sand-pit hard by, observing, in a confidential wheeze to Mr. 

 Sponge, " that he had once been county-courted for a similar 



