MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 255 



yellow pen in the ink, he looked in Jack's face for an idea. Jack, 

 who had now got well advanced in his cigar, sat squinting through 

 his spectacles at our scribe, though apparently looking at the top 

 of the bed. 



" Well," said Sponge, with a look of inquiry. 



"Well," replied Jack, in a tone of indifference. 



" How shall I begin ? " asked Sponge, twirling the pen between 

 his fingers, and spluttering the ink over the paper. 



" Begin ! " replied Jack, " begin, oh, begiu, just as you usually 

 begin." 



" As a letter ? " asked Sponge. 



" I 'spose so," replied Jack ; " how would you think ? " 



" 0, I don't know," replied Sponge. " Will you try your 

 hand ? " added he, holding out the pen. 



"Why, I'm busy just now, you see," said he, pointing to his 

 cigar, " and that horse of yours (Jack had ridden the redoubtablt 

 chestnut, Multum in Parvo, who had gone very well in the company 

 of Hercules) pulled so confoundedly that I've almost lost the use 

 of my fingers," continued he, working away as if he had got the 

 cramp in both hands ; " but I'll prompt you," added he, " I'll 

 prompt you." 



" Why don't you begin, then ? " asked Sponge. 



" Begin ! " exclaimed Jack, taking the cigar from his lips ; 

 " begin ! " repeated he, " oh, I'll begin directly — didn't know you 

 were ready." 



Jack then threw himself back in his chair, and sticking out his 

 little bandy legs, turned the whites of his eyes up to the ceiling, 

 as if lost in meditation. 



" Begin," said he, after a pause, " begin, ' This splendid pack 

 had a stunning run.' " 



" But we must put what pack first," observed Sponge, writing 

 the words " Mr. Puffington's hounds " at the top of the paper. 

 " Well," said he, writing on, " this stunning pack had a splendid 

 run." 



" No, not stunning pack" growled Jack, " splendid pack — ' this 

 splendid pack had a stunning run.' " 



" Stop ! " exclaimed Sponge, writing it down ; " well," said he, 

 looking up, " I've got it." 



" This stunning pack had a splendid run," repeated Jack, 

 squinting away at the ceiling. 



" I thought you said sjrfendid pack," observed Sponge. 



" So I did," replied Jack. 



" You said stunning just now," rejoined he. 



" Ah, that was a slip of the tongue," said Jack. " This splendid 

 pack had a stunning run," repeated Jack, appealing again to his 

 cigar for inspiration ; " well then," said he, after a pause, " you 



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