MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 409 



" Who cau lend me a coat ? " asked Captain Seedeybuck, 

 examining the skirts of a much frayed invisible-green surtout. 



" A coat ! " replied Captain Quod ; " I can lend you a Join- 

 ville, if that will do as well," the captain feeling his own extensive 

 one as he spoke. 



" Hardly," said Seedeybuck, turning about to ask Sir Harry. 



" What ! — you are going to give Watchorn a tussle, are you ? " 

 asked Captain Cutitfat of George Cheek, as the latter began 

 adjusting the fox-toothed riband about his hat. 



" I believe you," replied George, with a knowing jerk of his 

 head ; adding, " it won't take much to beat him." 



" What ! he's a slow 'un, is he ? " asked Cutitfat, in an under- 

 tone. 



" Slowest coach I ever saw," growled George. 



" Won't ride, won't he ? " asked the Captain. 



" Not if he can help it," replied George ; adding, " but he's 

 such a shocking huntsman — never saw such a huntsman in all my 

 life." 



George's experience lay between his uncle Jellyboy, who rode 

 eighteen stone and a half, Tom Scramble, the pedestrian huntsman 

 of the Slowfoot hounds, near Mr. Latherington's, and Mr. 

 Watchorn. But critics, especially hunting ones, are all ready 

 made, as Lord Byron said. 



"Well, we'd better disperse and get ready," observed Bob 

 Spangles, making for the door ; whereupon the tide of population 

 flowed that way, and the room was presently cleared. 



George Cheek and the juveniles then returned to their friends 

 in the front ; and George got up pony races among the Johnny 

 Haws, the Baskets, the Bulgeys, and the Spooneys, thrice round 

 the carriage ring and a distance, to the detriment of the gravel 

 and the discomfiture of the flower-bed in the centre. 



CHAPTEK LVI. 



THE KEXNEL AND THE STUD. 



We will now accompany Mr. Watchorn to the stable, whither 

 his resolute legs carried him as soon as the champagne wrought 

 the wonderful change in his opinion of the weather, though, as he 

 every now and then crossed a spangled piece of ground upon 

 which the sun had not struck, or stopped to crack a piece of ice 

 with his toe, he shook his heated head and doubted whether he 

 was Cardinal Wiseman for making the attempt. Nothing but the 



