166 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



" How much ? " asked Jack, sobering with the excitement. 



" Which ? " asked Sponge. 



" The brown," rejoined Jack. 



" Three hundred," said Sponge ; adding, M I gave two for him." 



" Indeed ! " said Jack. 



A long pause then ensued, Jack thinking whether he should put 

 the question boldly as to what Sponge would give him for effecting 

 a sale, or should beat about the bush a little. At last he thought 

 it would be most prudent to beat about the bush, and see if Sponge 

 would make an offer. 



"Well," said Jack, " I'll s — s — s — see what I can do." 



* That's a good fellow," said Sponge ; adding, " I'll remember 

 you if you do." 



" I dare say I can 8 — s — s — sell them both, for that matter," 

 observed Jack, encouraged by the promise. 



" Well," replied Sponge, " I'll take the same for the chestnut ; 

 there isn't the toss-up of a halfpenny for choice between them." 



" Well," said Jack, " we'll s — s — s — see them next week." 



" Just so," said Sponge. 



" You r — r — ride well up to the h — h — hounds," continued Jack, 

 "and let his lordship s — s — see w — w — what they can do." 



" I will," said Sponge, wishing he was at work. 



" Never mind his rowing," observed Jack ; " he c — c — can't 

 help it." 



" Not I," replied Sponge, puffing away at his cigar. 



When men once begin to drink brandy-and-water (after wine) 

 there's an end of all note of time. Our friends — for we " may now 

 call them so," sat sip, sip, sipping — mix, mix, mixing ; now 

 strengthening, now weakening, now warming, now flavouring, till 

 they had not only finished the hot water but a large jug of cold, 

 that graced the centre of the table between two frosted tumblers, 

 and had nearly got through the brandy too. 



" May as well fi — fi — fin — nish the bottle," observed Jack, hold- 

 ing it up to the candle. "Just a thi — thi — thim — bleful apiece," 

 added he, helping himself to about three-quarters of what there was. 



"You've taken your share," observed Sponge, as the bottle 

 suspended payment before he got half the quantity that Jack had. 



" Sque — ee — eze it," replied Jack, suiting the action to the word, 

 and working away at an exhausted lemon. 



At length they finished. 



" Well, I s'pose we may as well go and have some tea," observed 

 Jack. 



" It's not announced yet," said Sponge, " but I make no doubt 

 it will be ready." 



So saying, the worthies rose, and, after sundry bumps and 

 certain irregularities of course, they each succeeded in reaching 



