412 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



and fit to go. Joe had gone to try and coax (keystones out of a 

 ton or two of meal, on the strength of its being New- Year's Day. 



" Dash the feller ! wot's got 'im ? " exclaimed Watchorn, seizing 

 the latch, and rattling it furiously. The melody of the hungry 

 pack increased. " 'Ord rot the door ! " exclaimed the infuriated 

 huntsman, setting his back against it, when, at the first push, open 

 it flew. Watchorn fell back, and the astonished pack poured ovei 

 his prostrate body, regardless alike of his holiday coat, his tidy tie, 

 and toilenette vest.^ What a scrimmage ! what a kick-up was 

 there ! Away the liounds scampered, towling and howling, some 

 up to the flesh-wheel, to see if there was any meat ; some to the 

 bone heap, to see if there was any there ; others down to the 

 dairy, to try and affect an entrance in it ; while Launcher, and 

 Lightsome, and Burster, rushed to the back-yard of Nonsuch 

 House, and were presently over ears in the pig-pail. 



" Get me my horn ! — get me my whop ! — get me my cap ! — get 

 me my bouts ! " exclaimed Watchorn, as he recovered his legs, and 

 saw his wife eyeing the scene from the door. " Get me my bouts ! 

 — get me my cap ! — get me my whop ! — get me my horn, woman ! " 

 continued he, reversing the order of things, and rubbing the hounds' 

 feetmarks off his clothes as he spoke. 



Mrs. Watchorn was too well drilled to dwell upon orders, and 

 she met her lord and master in the passage with the enumerated 

 articles in her hand. Watchorn having deposited himself on au 

 entrance-hall chair — for it was a roomy, well-furnished house, 

 having been the steward's while there was anything to take care of 

 — Mrs. Watchorn proceeded to strip off his gaiters while he 

 drew on his boots and crowned himself with his cap. Mrs. 

 Watchorn then buckled on his spurs, and he hurried off, horn in 

 hand, desiring her to have him a basin of turtle-soup ready against 

 he came in ; adding, " She knew where to get it." The frosty 

 air then resounded with the twang, twang, twang of his horn, and 

 hounds began drawing up from all quarters, j ust as sportsmen cast 

 up at a meet from no one knows where. 



" He-here, hounds — he-here, good dogs ! " cried he, coaxing and 

 making much of the first-comers : " he-here, Galloper, old boy ! " 

 continued he, diving into his coat-pocket, and throwing him a bit 

 of biscuit. The appearance of food had a very encouraging 

 effect, for forthwith there was a general rush towards Watchorn, 

 and it was only by rating and swinging his " whop " about that 

 he prevented the pack from pawing, and perhaps downing him. 

 At length, having got them somewhat tranquillised, he set off on 

 his return to the stables, coaxing the shy hounds, and rating and 

 rapping those that seemed inclined to break away. Thus he 

 managed to march into the stable-yard in pretty good order, just 

 as the house party arrived in the opposite direction, attired in the 



