54 MR. SPONGE'S SPOBTING TOUR. 



replied Tom ; adding, " but, my word, he led us a dance afore we 

 got there — up to Ditchington, down to Somerby, round by Temple 

 Bell Wood, cross Goosegreen Common, then away for Stubbington 

 Brooms, skirtin' Sanderwick Plantations, but scarce goin' into 'em, 

 then by the round hill at Camerton, leavin' great Heatberton to 

 the right, and so straight on to Shapwick, where we killed, with 

 every hound up — " 



" God bless me ! " exclaimed Bouncer, apparently lost in admira- 

 tion, though he scarcely knew the country ; " God bless me ! " 

 repeated he, " what a run ! The finest run that ever was seen." 



" Nine miles in twenty-five minutes," replied Tom, tacking on 

 a little both for time and distance. 



" B-o-y Jove ! " exclaimed the major. 



Having shaken hands with and congratulated Mr. Waffles most 

 eagerly and earnestly, the major hurried of to tell as much as he 

 could remember to the first person he met, just as the cheese- 

 bearer at a christening looks out for some one to give the cheese 

 to. The cheese-getter on this occasion was Doctor Lotion, who 

 was going to visit old Jackey Thompson, of Woolleybum. Jackey 

 being then in a somewhat precarious state of health, and tolerably 

 advanced in life, without any very self-evident heir, was obnoxious 

 to the attentions of three distinct litters of cousins, some one or 

 other of whom was constantly "baying him." Lotion, though a 

 sapient man, and somewhat grinding in his practice, did not 

 profess to grind old people young again, and feeling he could do 

 very little for the body corporate, directed his attention to amusing 

 .lackey's mind, and anything in the shape of gossip was extremely 

 acceptable to the doctor to retail to his patient. Moreover, Jackey 

 had been a bit of a sportsman, and was always extremely happy to 

 see the hounds — on anybody's land but his own. 



So Lotion got primed with the story, and having gone through 

 the usual routine of asking his patient how he was, how he had 

 slept, looking at his tongue, and reporting on the weather, when 

 the old posing question, " What's the news ? " was put, Lotion 

 replied, as he too often had to reply, for he was a very slow hand 

 at picking up information. 



" Nothin' particklar, I think, sir ; " adding, in an off-hand sort 

 of way, " you've heard cf the greet run, I s'pose, sir ? " 



" Greatrun ! " exclaimed the octogenarian, as if it was a matter 

 of the most vital importance to him \ " great run, sir ; no, sir, not 

 a word!" 



The doctor then retailed it. 



Old Jackey got possessed of this one idea— he thought of 

 nothing else. Whoever came, he out with it, chapter and verse, 

 with occasional variations. He told it to all the " cousins in 

 waiting ; " Jackey Thompson, of Carrington Ford ; Jackey 



