US ME. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



" Oh, why, I really can't tell you much," drawled Sponge, with 

 an air of bewilderment. " Strange country — strange faces — 

 nobody I knew, and " 



"Ah, true," replied Jawleyford, "true. It occurred to me 

 after you were gone, that perhaps you might not know any one. 

 Ours, you see, is rather an out-of-the-way country ; few of our 

 people go to town, or indeed anywhere else ; they are all tarry-at- 

 home birds. But they'd receive you with great politeness, I'm 

 sure — if they knew you came from here, at least," added he. 



Sponge was silent, and took a great gulp of the dull " "VVintle," 

 to save himself from answering. 



" Was my Lord Scamperdale out ? " asked Jawleyford, seeing he 

 was not going to get a reply. 



"Why, I can really hardly tell you that," replied Sponge. 

 " There were two men out, either of whom might be him ; at least, 

 they both seemed to take the lead, and — and — " he was going to 

 say " blow up the people," but he thought he might as well keep 

 that to himself. 



" Stout, hale-looking men, dressed much alike, with great broad 

 tortoise-shell-rimmed spectacles on ? " asked Jawleyford. 



" Just so," replied Sponge. 



" Ah, you are right, then," rejoined Jawleyford ; " it would be 

 my lord." 



" And who was the other ? " inquired our friend. 



" Oh, that Jack Spraggon," replied Jawleyford, curling up his 

 nose, as if he was going to be sick ; " one of the most odious 

 wretches under the sun. I really don't know any man that I have 

 so great a dislike to, so utter a contempt for, as that Jack, as they 

 call him." 



" What is he ? " asked Sponge. 



" Oh, just a hanger-on of his lordship's : the creature has 

 nothing — nothing whatever ; he lives oil my lord — eats his venison, 

 drinks his claret, rides his horses, bullies those his lordship doesn't 

 like to tackle with, and makes himself generally useful." 



" He seems a man of that sort," observed Sponge, as he thought 

 over the compliments he had received. 



" Well, who else had you out, then ? " asked Jawleyford. 

 " Was Tom Washball there ? " 



" No," replied Sponge : " lie wasn't out, I know." 



" Ah, that's unfortunate," observed Jawleyford, helping himself 

 and passing the bottle. "Tom's a capital fellow — a perfect 

 gentleman — great friend of mine. If he'd been out you'd have 

 had nothing to do but mention my name, and he'd have put 

 you all right in a minute. Who else was there, then ?" con- 

 tinued he. 



"There was a tall man in black, on a good-looking young 



