MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 337 



" Who the Dickens are you?" retorted Mr. Sponge, without look- 

 ing round. 



" They commonly call me the Earl of Scamperdale," reared 

 the same sweet voice, " and those are my hounds." 



" They're not your hounds ! " snapped Mr. Sponge, now looking 

 round on his big-spectacled, flat-hatted lordship, who was closely 

 followed by his double, Mr. Spraggon. 



" Not my hounds 1 '" screeched his lordship. " Oh, ye barber's 

 apprentice ! Ob, ye draper's assistant ! Oh, ye unmitigated 

 Mahomed on ! Sing out, Jack ! sing out ! For Heaven's sake, sing 

 out ! " added he, throwing out his arms in perfect despair. 



" Not his lordship's hounds ! " roared Jack, now rising in his 

 stirrups and brandishing his big whip. " Not his lordship's hounds ! 

 Tell me that, when they cost him five-and-twenty 'underd — two 

 thousand five 'underd a-year ! Oh, by Jingo, but that's a pretty 

 go ! If they're not his lordship's hounds, I should like to know 

 whose they are ? " and thereupon Jack wiped the foam from his 

 mouth on his sleeve. 



" Sir Harry's ! " exclaimed Mr. Sponge, again putting the horn 

 to his lips, and blowing another shrill blast. 



" Sir Harry's ! " screeched his lordship in disgust, for he hated 

 the very sound of his name — "Sir Harry's ? Oh, you rusty-booted 

 ruffian ! Tell me that to my very face ! " 



"Sir Harry's!" repeated Jack, again standing erect in his 

 stirrups. " What ! impeach his lordship's integrity — oh, by Jove, 

 there's an end of everything ! Death before dishonour ! Slugs in 

 a saw-pit ! Pistols and coffee for two ! Cock-pheasant at Wey- 

 bridge, six o'clock i' the mornin' ! " And Jack, sinking exhausted 

 on his saddle, again wiped the foam from his mouth. 



His lordship then went at Sponge again. 



" Oh, you sanctified, putrified, pestilential, perpendicular, ginger- 

 bread-booted, counter-ski ppin' snob, you think because I'm a lord, 

 and can't swear or use coarse language, that you may do what you 

 like ; but I'll let you see the contrary," said he, brandishing his 

 brother to Jack's whip. " Mark you, sir, I'll fight you, sir, any 

 non-huntin' day you like, sir, 'cept Sunday." 



Just then the clatter and blowing of horses was heard, and 

 Frostyface emerged from the wood followed by the hounds, who, 

 swinging themselves " forrard " over the turnips, hit off the scent 

 and went away full cry, followed by his lordship and Jack, leaving 

 Mr. Sponge transfixed with astonishment. 



" Changed foxes," at length said Sponge, with a shake of his 

 head ; and just then the cry of hounds on the opposite bank con- 

 firmed his conjecture, and he got to Sir Harry's in time to take up 

 his lordship's fox. 



His lordship's hounds ran into Sir Harry's fox about two miles 



