MR. SPOXGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 369 



"Hout, tout!" exclaimed Mr. Sponge, "let's have none of youi 

 dictionary words." 



Mr. Leather stood silent, twisting his hat ahout. 



The consequence of all this was, that Mr. Sponge determined 

 to ride over to Nonsuch House to breakfast, which would give his 

 horse half an hour in the stable to eat a feed of corn. Accordingly, 

 he desired Leather to bring him his shaving-water, and have the 

 horse ready in the stable in half an hour, whither, in due time, 

 Mr. Sponge emerged by the back door, without encountering any 

 of the family. The ambling piebald looked so crestfallen and 

 woe-begone in all the swaddling-clothes in which Leather had got 

 him enveloped, that Mr. Sponge did not care to look at the gallant 

 Hercules, who occupied a temporary loose box at the far end of 

 the dark stable, lest he might look worse. He, therefore, just 

 mounted Multum-in-Parvo as Leather led him out at the door, and 

 set off without a word. 



" Well, hang me but you are a good judge of weather," ex- 

 claimed Sponge to himself, as he got into the field at the back of 

 the house, and found the horse made little impression on the grass. 

 " No frost ! " repeated he, breathing into the air ; " why, it's 

 freezing now, out of the sun.*' 



On getting into Marygold Lane, our friend drew rein, and was 

 for turning back, but the resolute chestnut took the bit between 

 his teeth and shook his head, as if determined to go on. 



" Oh, you brute ! " growled Mr. Sponge, letting the spurs into 

 his sides with a hearty good-will, which caused the animal to kick, 

 as if he meant to stand on his head. " Ah, you will, will ye ? " 

 exclaimed Mr. Sponge, letting the spurs in again as the animal 

 replaced his legs on the ground. Up they went again, if possible 

 higher than before. 



The brute was clearly full of mischief, and even if the hounds 

 did not throw off, which there was little prospect of their doing 

 from the appearance of the weather, Mr. Sponge felt that it would 

 be well to get some of the nonsense taken out of him ; and, 

 moreover, going to Nonsuch House, would give him a chance of 

 establishing a billet there — a chance that he had been deprived of 

 by Sir Harry's abrupt departure from Farmer Peastraw's. So 

 saying, our friend gathered his horse together, and settling himself 

 in his saddle, made his sound hoofs ring upon the hard road. 



" He may hunt," thought Mr. Sponge, as he rattled along ; 

 " such a rum beggar as Sir Harry may think it fun to go out in 

 a frost. It's hard, too," said he, as he saw the poor turnip- 

 pullers enveloped in their thick shawls, and watched them thump- 

 ing their arms against their sides to drive the cold from their 

 finger ends. 



Multum-in-Parvo was a good sound-constitutioned horse, hard 



