MR. sponge's sporting tour. 59 



think J" — the " stole you " being lost under water just as Sponge 

 clears the brook a little lower down. Spareneck then pulls up. 



When Ninirod had Dick Christian under water in the Wissendine 

 in his Leicestershire run, and some one more humane than the rest 

 of the field observed, as they rode on, 



" But he'll be drowned." 



" Shouldn't wonder ! " exclaimed another. 



" But the pace " Nimrod added, " was too good to inquire." 



Such, however, was not the case with our watering-place cock, 

 Mr. Sponge. Independently of the absurdity of a man risking his 

 neck for the sake of picking up a bunch of red herrings, Mr. Sponge, 

 having beat every body, could afford a little humanity, more especi- 

 ally as he rode his horse on sale, and there was now no one left to 

 witness the further prowess of the steed. Accordingly, he availed 

 himself of a heavy, newly-ploughed fallow, upon which he landed as 

 he cleared the brook, for pulling up, and returned just as Mr. Spare- 

 neck, assisted by one of the whips, succeeded in landing Caingey on 

 the taking-off side. Caingey was not a pretty boy at the best of 

 times — none but the most partial parents could think him one — and 

 his clumsy-featured, short, compressed face, and thick, lumpy figure, 

 were anything but improved by a sort of pea-green net-work of 

 water-weeds with which he arose from his bath. He was uncom- 

 monly well soaked, and had to be held up by the heels to let the 

 water ran out of his boots, pockets, and clothes. In this undignified 

 position he -was found by Mr. Waffles and such of the field as had 

 ridden the line. 



" Why, Caingey, old boy ! you look like a boiled porpoise with 

 parsley sauce ! " exclaimed Mr. Waffles, pulling up where the un- 

 fortunate youth was sputtering and getting emptied like a jug. 

 u Confound it ! " added he, as the water came gurgling out of his 

 mouth, " but you must have drunk the brook dry." 



CaiDgey would have censured his inhumanity, but knowing the im- 

 prudence of quarrelling with his bread and butter, and also aware of 

 the laughable, drowned-rat figure he must then be cutting, he thought 

 it best to laugh, and take his change out of Mr. Waffles another time. 

 Accordingly, he chuckled and laughed too, though his jaws nearly re- 

 fused their office, and kindly transferred the blame of the accident 

 from the horse to himself. 



"He didn't put on steam enough," he said. 



Meanwhile old Tom, who had gone on with the hounds, having 

 availed himself of a well-known bridge, a little above where Thornton 

 went in, for getting over the brook, and having allowed a sufficient time 

 to elapse for the proper completion of the farce, was now seen round- 

 ing the opposite hill, with his hounds clustered about his horse, with 

 his mind conning over one of those imaginary runs that experienced 



