MR. SPONGE'S SPOUTING TOUR. 181 



there was just enough room to squeeze a horse through, provided 

 he didn't rise at the ditch on the far side. At first I was for 

 getting off ; indeed, had my right foot out of the stirrup, when 

 the hounds dashed forrard with such energy, — looking like 

 running, — and remembering the tremendous climb I should have 

 to get on to old Daddy's back again, and seeing some of the nasty 

 jealous chaps in the lane eyeing me through the fence, thinking 

 how I was floored, I determined to stay where I was ; and 

 gathering the horse together, tried to squeeze through the hole. 

 Well, he went shuffling and sliding down to it, as though he were 

 conscious of the difficulty, and poked his head quietly past the 

 tree, when, getting a sight of the ditch on the far side, he rose, 

 and banged my head against the branch above, crushing my hat 

 right over my eyes, and in that position he carried me through 

 blindfold." 



" Indeed ! " exclaimed Jack, turning his spectacles full upon 

 his lordship, and adding, "it's lucky he didn't crack your 

 crown." 



" It is," assented his lordship, feeling his head to satisfy himself 

 that he had not done so. 



" And how did you lose your tail ? " asked Jack, having got 

 the information about the hat. 



"The tail ! ah, the tail !" replied his lordship, feeling behind, 

 where it wasn't ; " I'll tell you how that was : you see we went 

 away like blazes from Springwheat's gorse — nice gorse it is, and 

 nice woman he has for a wife — but, however, that's neither here 

 nor there ; what I was going to tell you about was the run, and 

 how I lost my tail. Well, we got away like winking ; no sooner 

 were the hounds in on one side than away went the fox on the 

 other. Not a soul shouted till he was clean gone ; hats in the air 

 was all that told his departure. The fox thus had time to run 

 matters through his mind — think whether he should go to 

 Ravenscar Craigs, or make for the main earths at Painscastle 

 Grove. He chose the latter, doubtless feeling himself strong and 

 full of running ; and if we had chosen his ground for him he 

 could not have taken us a finer line. He went as straight as an 

 arrow through Bramblebrake Wood, and then away down the hill 

 over those great enormous pastures to Haselbury Park, which he 

 skirted, leaving Evercreech Green on the left, pointing as if for 

 Dormston Dean. Here he was chased by a cur, and the hounds 

 were brought to a momentary check. Frosty, however, was well 

 up, and a hat being held up on Hothersell Hill, he clapped for'ard 

 and laid the hounds on beyond. We then viewed the fox sailing 

 away over Eddlethorp Downs, still pointing for Painscastle Grove, 

 with the Hamerton Brook lighting up here and there in the 

 distance. 



