24 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



" I've an unkimmon nice oss," at length observed Mr. Buckram, 

 •with a scrutinising glance at Sponge, " and an oss in hevery respect 

 werry like your work, but he's an oss, I'll candidly state, I wouldn't 

 put in every one's 'ands, for, in the fust place, he's wery -waiueous, 

 and in the second, he requires an ossman to ride ; howsornever, as I 

 knows that you can ride, and if you doesn't mind taking my 'cad 

 man," jerking his elbow at Leather, "to look arter him, I wouldn't 

 mind 'commodatin' on you, proicided we can 'gree upon terms." 



" Well, let's see him," interrupted Sponge, " and we can talk 

 about terms after." 



" Certainly, sir, certainly," replied Buckram, again letting loose 

 a re-accumulated rush of silver down his pocket. " Here, Tom ! 

 Joe ! Harry ! where's Sam ? " giving the little tinkler of a bell a pull 

 as he spoke. 



" Sam be in the straw 'ouse," replied Leather, passing through a 

 stable into a wooden projection beyond, where the gentleman in ques- 

 tion was enjoying a nap. 



" Sam ! " said he, " Sam ! " repeated he, in a louder tone, as he 

 saw the object of his search's nose popping through the midst of the 

 straw. 



" What now ! " exclaimed Sam, starting up, and looking wildly 

 around ; " what now ? " repeated he, rubbing his eyes with the backs 

 of his hands. 



" Get out Ercles," said Leather, sotto voce. 



The lad was a mere stripling — some fifteen or sixteen years, per- 

 haps; — tall, slight, and neat, with dark hair and eyes, and was dressed 

 in a brown jacket — a real boy's jacket, without laps, white cords, and 

 top-boots. It was his business to risk his neck and limbs at all hours 

 of the day, on all sorts of horses, over any sort of place that any per- 

 son chose to require him to put a horse at, and this he did with the 

 daring pleasure of youth as yet undaunted by any serious fall. Sam 

 now bestirred himself to get out the horse. The clambering of hoofs 

 presently announced his approach. 



Whether Hercules was called Hercules on account of his amazing 

 strength, or from a fanciful relationship to the famous horse of that 

 name, we know not ; but his strength and his colour would favour 

 either supposition. He was an immense, tall, powerful, dark brown, 

 sixteen hands horse, with an arched neck and crest, well set on, clean, 

 lean head, and loins that looked as if they could shoot a man into the 

 next county. His condition was perfect. His coat lay as close and 

 even as satin, with cleanly developed muscle, and altogether he looked 

 as hard as a cricket-ball. He had a famous switch tail, reaching 

 nearly to his hocks, and making him look less than he would other- 

 wise have done. 



Mr. Sponge was too well versed in horse-flesh to imagine that 

 such an animal would be in the possession of such a third-rate dealer 



