72 MR. SrONGE's SPORTING TOUR. 



o' Bristol, and lias thrown up a vast o' bad flesh — two stun' sin' last 

 season — and he's afeared this oss won't be able to carry him, and so 

 he writ to me to take 'im out to-day, to show 'im. ' He'd carry me, 

 I think,' said Mr. Sponge, making hup his mind on the moment, jist 

 as he makes hup his mind to ride at a fence — not that I think it's a 

 good plan for a gent to show that he's sweet on an oss, for they're 

 sure to make him pay for it. Howsomever, that's nouther here nor 

 there. Well, jist as Mr. Sponge said this, Sir Richard driv' hup, and 

 havin' got his oss, away we trotted to the goss jist below, and the 

 next thing I see'd was Mr. Sponge leadin' the 'ole field on this werry 

 nag. Well, I heard no more till I got to Melton, for I didn't go to 

 my haunt's at Mount Sorrel that night, and I saw little of the run, 

 for my oss was rather puny, livin' principally on chaff, bran mashes, 

 Swedes, and soft food ; and when I got to Melton, I heard 'ow Mr. 

 Sponge had bought this oss, 7 ' Mr. Buckram nodding his head at the 

 horse as he spoke, " and 'ow that he'd given the matter o' two 'under'd 

 — or, I'm not sure it weren't two 'under'd- and-fifty guineas for 'im, 

 and—" 



" Well," interrupted Mr. Waffles, tired of his verbosity, " and 

 what did they say about the horse ? " 



" Why," continued Mr. Buckram, thoughtfully, propping his chin 

 up with his stick, and drawing all the half-crowns up to the top of 

 his pocket again, " the fust 'spicious thing I heard was Sir Digby 

 Snaffle's grum, Sam, sayin' to Captain Screwley's bat-man grum, jist 

 afore the George Inn door, 



" ' Well, Jack, Tommy's sold the brown oss ! ' 



" ' N — o — o — r ! ' exclaimed Jack, starin' 'is eyes out, as if it 

 were impossible. 



" 'He 'as, though,' said Sam. 



" ' Well, then, I 'ope the gemman's fond o' walkin',' exclaimed 

 Jack, bustin' out a laughiu' and runnin' on. 



'• This rayther set me a thinkin'," continued Mr. Buckram, drop- 

 ping a % second half-crown, which jinked against the nest-egg one left 

 at the bottom, and fearin' that Mr. Sponge had fallen 'mong the 

 Philistines — which I was werry concerned 'bout, for he's a real nice 

 gent, but thoughtless, as many young gents are who 'ave plenty of 

 tin — I made it my business to inquire about this oss ; and if he is the 

 oss that I saw in Leicestersheer, and I 'ave little doubt about it 

 (dropping two consecutive half-crowns as he spoke), though I've not 

 seen him out, I — " 



" Ah ! well, I bought him of Mr. Sponge, who said he got him 

 from Lord Bullfrog," interrupted Mr. Waffles. 



" Ah ! then he is the oss, in course," said Mr. Buckram, with a 

 sort of mournful chuck of the chin; "he is the oss," repeated he; 

 " well, then, he's a dangerous hanimal," added he, letting slip three 

 naif-crowns. 



