316 ME. SPONGE'S SPOETING TOUE. 



crouching, and nestling, and hiding its face, it looked up quite 

 boldly, and after a little hesitation went through "Obin and Ichard," 

 to the delight of Mrs. Jogglebury, the mortification of Sponge, and 

 the growling denunciations of old Jog, who still kept his place in 

 the vehicle. Mr. Sponge could not but stay the poem out. 



At last they got started, Jog driving, Sponge occupying the low 

 seat, Jog's flail and Sponge's cane whip-stick stuck in the straps 

 of the apron. Jog was very crusty at first, and did little but whip 

 and flog the old horse, and puff and growl about being late, keeping 

 people waiting, over-driving the horse, and so on. 



" Have a cigar ? " at last asked Sponge, opening the well-filled 

 case, and tendering that olive-branch to his companion. 



" Cigar (wheeze), cigar (puff) ? " replied Jog, eyeing the case ; 

 " why, no, p'raps not, I think (wheeze), thank'e." 



" Do you never smoke ? " asked Sponge. 



" (Puff — wheeze) Not often," replied Jogglebury, looking 

 about him with an air of indifference. He did not like to say no, 

 because Springwheat smoked, though Mrs. Springey highly dis- 

 approved of it. 



" You'll find them very mild," observed Sponge, taking one out 

 for himself, and again tendering the case to his friend. 



" Mild (wheeze), mild (puff), are they ?" said Jog, thinking he 

 would try one. 



Mr. Sponge then struck a light, and, getting his own cigar well 

 under way, lit one for his friend, and presented it to him. They 

 then went puffing, and whipping, and smoking in silence. Jog 

 spoke first. 



" Pm going to be (puff) sick" observed he, slowly and solemnly. 



" Hope not," replied Mr. Sponge, with a hearty whiff up into 

 the air. 



" I am going to be (puff) sick," observed Jog, after another pause. 



" Be sick on your own side, then," replied Sponge, with another 

 hearty whiff. 



"By the (puff) powers ! I am (puff) sick ! " exclaimed Joggle- 

 bury, after another pause, and throwing away the cigar. " Oh, 

 dear ! " exclaimed he, " you shouldn't have given me that nasty 

 (puff) thing." 



"My dear fellow, I didn't know it would make you sick," 

 replied Mr. Sponge 



"Well, but (puff) if they (wheeze) other people sick, in all (puff) 

 probability they'll (wheeze) me. There ! " exclaimed he, pulling 

 up again. 



The delays occasioned by these catastrophes, together with the 

 time lost by " Obin and Ichard," threw our sportsmen out con- 

 siderably. When they reached Chalkerley-gate it wanted ten 

 minutes to eleven, and they had still three miles to go. 



