MR. sponge's SPORTING TOUR. 25 



as Buckram, unless there was something radically wrong about him, 

 and as Sam and Leather were paying the horse those stable atten- 

 tions that always precede a show out, Mr. Sponge settled in his own 

 mind that the observation about his requiring a horseman to ride him, 

 meant that he was vicious. Nor was he wrong in his anticipations, 

 for not all Leather's whistlings, or Sam's endearings and watchings, 

 could conceal the sunken, scowling eye, that as good as said, " you'd 

 better keep clear of me." 



Mr. Sponge, however, was a dauntless horseman. What man 

 dared he dared, and as the horse stepped proudly and freely out of 

 the stable, Mr. Sponge thought he looked very like a hunter. Nor 

 were Mr. Buckram's laudations wanting in the animal's behalf. 



" There's an orse !" exclaimed he, drawing his right hand out of 

 his trouser pocket, and nourishing it towards him. " If that orse 

 were down in Leicestersheer," added he, "he'd fetch three 'under'd 

 guineas. Sir Richard would have him in a minnit — that he would! " 

 added he, with a stamp of his foot as he saw the animal beginning 

 to set up his back and wince at the approach of the lad. (We may 

 here mention by way of parenthesis, that Mr. Buckram had brought 

 him out of Warwickshire for thirty pounds, where the horse had 

 greatly distinguished himself, as well by kicking off sundry scarlet 

 swells in the gaily thronged streets of Leamington, as by running 

 away with divers others over the wide-stretching grazing-grounds of 

 Southam and Dunchurch.) 



But to our story. The horse now stood staring on view : fire in 

 his eye, and vigour in his every limb. Leather at his head, the lad 

 at his side, Sponge and Buckram a little on the left. 



« W — h — o — a — a — y, my man, w — h — o — a — a—?/," continued 

 Mr. Buckram, as a liberal show of the white of the eye was followed 

 by a little wince and hoist of the hind quarters on the nearer approach 

 of the lad. 



" Look sharp, boy" said he, in a very different tone to the sooth- 

 ing one in which he had just been addressing the horse. The lad 

 lifted up his leg for a hoist, Leather gave him one as quick as thought, 

 and led on the horse as the lad gathered up his reins. They then made 

 for a large field at the back of the house, with leaping-bars, hurdles, 

 " on and offs," " ins and outs," all sorts of fancy leaps scattered about. 

 Having got him fairly in, and the lad having got himself fairly set- 

 tled in the saddle, he gave the horse a touch with the spur as Leather 

 let go his head, and after a desperate plunge or two started off at a 

 gallop. 



"He's fresh," observed Mr. Buckram confidentially to Mr. Sponge, 

 " he's fresh — wants work,- in short — short of work — wouldn't put every 

 one on him — wouldn't put one o' your timid cocknified chaps on him, 

 for if ever he were to get the hupper 'and, vy I doesn't know as ow 

 that we might get the hupper 'and o' him, agen, but the playful rogue 

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