MR. sponge's sporting tour. 73 



" What does he do ? " asked Mr. Waffles. 



" Do ! " repeated Mr. Buckram, " do ! he'll do for anybody." 



" Indeed ! " responded Mr. Waffles ; adding, " how could Mr. 

 Sponge sell me such a brute ? " 



" I doesn't mean to say, mind ye," observed Mr. Buckram, draw- 

 ing back three half-crowns, as though he had gone that much too far, 

 — " I doesn't mean to say, mind, that he's wot you call a mistechecl, 

 runaway, rear-backwards-over-hanimal — but I mean to say he's a diffi- 

 cultish oss to ride — himpetuous — and one that, if he got the hupper 

 'and, would be werry likely to try and keep the hupper 'and — you 

 understand me?" said he, eyeing Mr. Waffles intently, and dropping 

 four half-crowns as he spoke. 



" I'm tellin' you nothin' but the truth," observed Mr. Buckram, 

 after a pause, adding, " in course it's nothin' to me, only bein' down 

 'ere on a visit to a friend, and 'earin' that the oss were 'ere, I made 

 bold to look in to see whether it was 'im or no. No offence, I 'opes," 

 added he, letting go the rest of the silver, and taking the prop from 

 under his chin, with an obeisance as if he was about to be off. 



" Oh, no offence at all," rejoined Mr. Waffles, " no offence — rather 

 the contrary. Indeed, I'm much obliged to you for telling me what 

 you have done. Just stop half a minute," added he, thinking he 

 might as well try and get something more out of him. While Mr. 

 Waffles was considering his next question, Mr. Buckram saved him 

 the trouble of thinking by " leading the gallop " himself. 



" I believe 'im to be a good oss, and I believe 'im to be a bad oss," 

 observed Mr. Buckram, sententiously. " I believe that oss, with a 

 bold rider on his back, and well away with the 'ounds, would beat 

 most osses goin', but it's the start that's the difficulty with him ; for 

 if, on the other 'and he don't incline to go, all the spurrin' and quilt- 

 in', and leatherin' in the world won't make 'im. It'll be a mercy o' 

 Providence if he don't cut out work for the crowner some day." 



" Hang the brute ! " exclaimed Mr. Waffles, in disgust; " I've a 

 good mind to have his throat cut. 



" Nay," replied Mr, Buckram, brightening up, and stirring the 

 silver round and round in his pocket like a whirlpool, " nay," replied 

 he, " he's fit for summat better nor that." 



" Not much, I think," replied Mr. Waffles, pouting with disgust. 

 He now stood silent for a few seconds. 



" Well, but what did they mean by hoping Mr. Sponge was fond 

 of walking ? " at length asked he. 



" Oh, vy," replied Mr. Buckram, gathering all the money up 

 again, " I believe it was this 'ere," beginning to drop them to half- 

 minute time, and talking very slowly ; " the oss, I believe, got the 

 better of Lord Bullfrog one day, somewhere a little on this side of 

 Thrussinton — that, you know is where Sir 'Arry built his kennels — 

 between Mount Sorrel and Melton in fact — and havin' got his Lord- 

 4 



