MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 343 



rubbing some of the dried sweat off the brown's shoulder as he 

 spoke ; adding, " I should like to get him a feed of corn." 



" Give him some ale, and a (hiccup) of sherry in it," replied 

 Sir Harry ; " it'll do him far more good — make his mane grow," 

 smoothing the horse's thin, silky mane as he spoke. 



" Well, I'll put him up," replied Mr. Sponge, " and then come 

 to you," throwing himself, jockey fashion, off the horse as he 

 spoke. 



" That's a (hiccup) feller," said Sir Harry ; adding, " here's old 

 Pea himself come to see after you." 



So saying. Sir Harry reeled back to his comrades in the house, 

 leaving Mr. Sponge in the care of the farmer. 



" This way, sir ; this way," said the burly Mr. Peastraw, leading 

 the way into his farmyard, where a line of hunters stood shivering 

 under a long cart-shed. 



" But I can't put my horse in here," observed Mr. Sponge, look- 

 ing at the unfortunate brutes. 



" No, sir, no," replied Mr. Peastraw ; put yours in a stable, sir ; 

 put yours in a stable ; " adding, " these young gents don't care 

 much about their horses." 



"Does anybody know the chap's name?" asked Sir Harry, 

 reeling back into the room. 



" Know his name ! " exclaimed Bob Spangles ; " why, don't 

 you ? " 



" No," replied Sir Harry, with a vacant stare. 



" Why, you went up and shook hands with him, as if you were 

 as thick as thieves," replied Bob. 



" Did I ? " hiccuped Sir Harry. " Well, I thought I knew him. 

 At least, I thought it was somebody I had (hiccup)ed before ; and 

 at one's own (hiccup) house, you know, one's 'bliged to be (hiccup) 

 feller well (hiccup) with everybody that comes. But, surely, some 

 of you know his (hiccup) name," added he, looking about at the 

 company. 



"I think I know his (hiccup) face," replied Bob Spangles, 

 imitating his brother-in-law. 



" I've seen him somewhere," observed the other Spangles, 

 through a mouthful of beef. 



" So have I," exclaimed some one else, " but where I can't say." 



"Most likely at church," observed brother Bob Spangles. 



" "Well, I don't think he'll corrupt me," observed Captain Quod, 

 speaking between the fumes of a cigar. 



" He'll not borrow much of me," observed Captain Seedybuck, 

 producing a much tarnished green purse, and exhibiting two four- 

 penny-pieces at one end, and three-halfpence at the other. 



" Oh, I dare say he's a good feller," observed Sir Harry ; " I 

 make no doubt he's one of the right sort." 



