mr. sponge's sporting tour. 83 



how much money besides. You might then invite people with safety, 

 but it is very different now, when they have nothing to do but to put 

 themselves into the express-train and whisk down in a few hours." 



" Well, but confound him, I didn't ask his horses," exclaimed 

 Jawleyford; "nor will I have them either," continued he, with a 

 jerk of the head, as he got up and rang the bell, as though deter- 

 mined to put a stop to that at all events. 



" Samuel," said he, to the dirty page of a boy who answered the 

 summons, " tell John Watson to go down to the Railway Tavern 

 directly, and desire them to get a three-stalled stable ready for a 

 gentleman's horses that are coming to-day — a gentleman of the name 

 of Sponge," added he, lest any one else should chance to come and 

 usurp them — and tell John to meet the express train, and tell the 

 gentleman's groom where it is." 



CHAPTER XIV. 



JAWLEYFORD court. 



True to a minute, the hissing engine drew the swiftly-gliding train 

 beneath the elegant and costly station at Lucksford — an edifice pre- 

 senting a rare contrast to the wretched old red-tiled, five-windowed 

 house, called the Red Lion, where a brandy-faced blacksmith of a 

 landlord used to emerge from the adjoining smithy, to take charge of 

 any one who might arrive per coach for that part of the country. Mr. 

 SpoDge was quickly on the platform, seeing to the detachment of his 

 horse-box. 



Just as the cavalry was about got into marching order, up rode 

 John Watson, a ragamuffin-looking gamekeeper, in a green plush 

 coat, with a very tarnished laced hat, mounted on a very shaggy 

 white pony, whose hide seemed quite impervious to the visitations of 

 a heavily-knotted dog-whip, with which he kept saluting his shoulders 

 and sides. 



" Please sir," said he, riding up to Mr. Sponge, with a touch of 

 the old hat, " I've got you a capital three-stall stable at the Railway 

 Tavern, here," pointing to a newly-built brick house standing on the 

 rising ground. 



" Oh ! but I am going to Jawleyford Court," responded our 

 friend, thinking the man was the " tout " of the tavern. 



" Mr. Jawleyford don't take in horses, sir," rejoined the man, 

 with another touch of the hat. 



" He'll take in mine," observed Mr. Sponge, with an air of authority 



