MB. SPONGE'S SPOBTING TOUB. 415 



CHAPTER LVII. 



THE HUNT. 



"While the foregoing arrangements were in progress, Mr. 

 Watchorn had desired Slarkey the knife-boy, to go into the old 

 hay-loft and take the three-legged fox he would find, and put him 

 down among the laurels by the summer-house, where he would 

 draw up to him all " reg'lar " like. Accordingly, Slarkey went, 

 but the old cripple having mounted the rafters, Slarkey didn't see 

 him, or rather seeing but one fox, he clutched him, with a greater 

 regard to his not biting him than to seeing how many legs he had ; 

 consequently he bagged an uncommonly fine old dog fox, that Wiley 

 Tom had just stolen from Lord Scamperdale's new cover at Faggot- 

 furze ; and it was not until Slarkey put him down among the 

 bushes, and saw how lively he went, that he found his mistake. 

 However, there was no help for it, and he had just time to pocket 

 the bag when Watchorn's half-drunken cheer, and the reverberat- 

 ing cracks of ponderous whips on either side of the Dean, announced 

 the approach of the pack. 



" He-leu in there ! " cried Watchorn to the hounds. " 'Ord, 

 dommee, but it's slippy," said he to himself. " Have at him, 

 Plunderer, good dog ! I wish I may be Cardinal Wiseman for 

 comin'," added he, seeing how his breath showed on the air. 

 " Ho-o-i-clcs ! p«sh 'im hup ! I'll be dashed if I shan't be down ! " 

 exclaimed he, as his horse slid a long slide. " He-leu, in ! Con- 

 queror, old boy ! " continued he, exclaiming loud enough for Mr. 

 Sponge who was drawing near to hear, " fiud us a fox that'll give 

 us five and forty minnits ! " the speaker inwardly hoping they 

 might chop their bagman in cover. " Y-o-o-icJcs ! rout him out ! " 

 continued he, getting more energetic. " Y-o-o-icJcs ! wind him ! 

 Y-o-o-icJcs ! stir us hup a teaser ! " 



" No go, I think," observed George Cheek, ambling up on his 

 leggy weed. 



" No go, ye young infidel," growled Watchorn, " who taught 

 you to talk about go's, I wonder ; ought to be at school larnin' to 

 cipher, or ridin' the globes," Mr. Watchorn not exactly knowing 

 what the term " use of the globes," meant. " D'ye call that 

 nothirf ! " exclaimed he, taking off his cap as he viewed the fox 

 stealing along the gravel walk ; adding to himself, as he saw his 

 even action, and full, well-tagged brush, " 'Ord rot him, he's got 

 hold of the wrong 'un ! " 



It was, however, no time for thought. In an instant the welkin 



