410 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



fact of his considering it perfectly immaterial whether he was 

 with his hounds or not encouraged him in the undertaking. 

 " Dash them !" said he, " they must just take care of themselves." 

 With which laudable resolution, and an inward anathema at 

 George Cheek, he left off trying the ground and tapping the ice. 



Watchorn's hurried, excited appearance produced little satisfac- 

 tion among the grooms and helpers at the stables, who were 

 congratulating themselves on the opportune arrival of the frost, 

 and arranging how they should spend their New- Year's Day. 



" Look sharp, lads ! look sharp ! " exclaimed he, clapping his 

 hands as he ran up the yard. " Look sharp, lads ! look sharp ! " 

 repeated he, as the astonished helpers showed their bare arms and 

 dirty shirts at the partially opened doors, responsive to the sound. 

 " Send Snaffle here, send Drown here, send Green here, send 

 Snooks here," exclaimed he, with the air of a man in authority. 



Now Snaffle was the stud-groom, a personage altogether inde- 

 pendent of the huntsman, and, in the ordinary course of nature, 

 Snaffle had just as much right to send for AYatchorn as Watchorn 

 had to send for him ; but Watchorn being, as we said before, some 

 Avay connected with Lady Scattercash, he just did as he liked 

 among the whole of them, and they were too good judges to rebel. 



" Snaffle," said he, as the portly, well-put-on personage waddled 

 up to him ; " Snaffle," said he, " how many sound 'osses have 

 you?" 



" J\one, sir," replied Snaffle, confidently. 



" How many three-legged 'uns have you that can go, then ? " 



" ! a good many," replied Snaffle, raising his hands to tell 

 them off on his fingers. " There's Hop-the-twig, and Hannah 

 Bell (Hannibal), and Ugly Jade, and Sir-danapalis — the Baronet 

 as we calls him — and Harkaway, and Hit-me-hard, and Single- 

 peeper, and Jack's-alivc, and Groggytoes, and Greedyboy, and 

 Putf-and-blow ; that's to say two and three-legged 'uns, at least," 

 observed Snaffle, qualifying his original assertion. 



" Ah, well ! " said Watchorn, " that'll do — two legs are too 



many for some of the rips they'll have to carry . Let me 



see," continued he, thoughtfully, " I'll ride 'Arkaway." 



" Yes, sir," said Snaffle. 



" Sir 'Any, 'It-me-'ard." 



" Won't you put him on Sir-danapalis ? " asked Snaffle. 



" No," replied AVatchorn, " no ; I wants to save the Bart. — I 

 wants to save the Bart. Sir 'Any must ride 'It-mc-'ard." 



" Is her ladyship going ? " asked Snaffle. 



" Her ladyship drives," replied AVatchorn ; " And you, Snooks," 

 addressing a bare-armed helper, " tell Mr. Traces to turn her out 

 a pony phaeton and pair, with fresh rosettes and all complete, you 

 know." 



