298 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



to his guest, as the man was leaving the room, he said, " "Won't 

 you take something after your drive — cold meat, glass of sherry, 

 soda-water, bottled porter — anything in that line ?" 



In an ordinary way, Jogglebury would have said, " if you 

 please," at the sound of the words " cold meat," for he was a dead 

 hand at luncheon ; but the fix he was in completely took away his 

 appetite, and he sat wheezing and thinking whether to make 

 another effort, or to wait the arrival of Leather. 



Presently Leather appeared, jean-jacketed and gaitered, smooth- 

 ing his hair over his forehead, after the manner of the brother- 

 hood. 



" Leather," said Mr. Sponge, in the same tone of importance, 

 "I'm going to this gentleman's :" for as yet he had not sufficiently 

 mastered the name to be able to venture upon it in the owner's 

 presence. " Leather, I'm going to this gentleman's, and I want 

 you to bring me a horse over in the morning ; or stay," said he, 

 interrupting himself, and, turning to Jogglebury, he exclaimed, 

 " I dare say you could manage to put me up a couple of horses, 

 couldn't you ? and then we should be all cosy and jolly together, 

 you know." 



" Ton my word," gasped Jogglebury, nearly choked by the 

 proposal ; " 'pon my word, I can hardly (puff) say, I hardly 

 (wheeze) know, but if you'll (puff — wheeze) allow me, I'll tell you 

 what I'll do : I'll (puff — wheeze) home, and see what I can (puff) 

 do in the way of entertainment for (puff — wheeze) man as well as 

 for (puff — wheeze) horse." 



" Oh, thank you, my dear fellow ! " exclaimed Sponge, seeing 

 the intended dodge ; " thank you, my dear fellow ! " repeated he ; 

 " but that's giving you too much trouble— -far too much trouble ! 

 — couldn't think of such a thing — no, indeed, I couldn't. I'll 

 tell you what we'll do — Til tell you what we'll do. You shall drive 

 me over in that shandrydan-rattle-trap thing of yours " — Sponge 

 looking out of the window, as he spoke at the queer-shaped, jumped- 

 together, lack-lustre-looking vehicle, with a turnover seat behind, 

 now in charge of a pepper-and-salt attired youth, with a shabby 

 hat, looped up by a thin silver cord to an acorn on the crown, and 

 baggy Berlin gloves — " and I'll just see what there is in the way 

 of stabling ; and if I think it will do, then I'll give a boy sixpence 

 or a shilling to come over to Leather, here," jerking his head 

 towards his factotum ; " if it won't do, why then ■" 



" We shall want three, stalls, sir — recollect, sir," interrupted 

 Leather, who did not wish to move his quarters. 



" True, I forgot," replied Sponge, with a frown at his ser- 

 vant's officiousness ; " however, if we can get two good stalls 

 for the hunters," said he, " we'll manage the hack somehow or 

 other." 



