180 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



they were fairly brought to their noses. Uncommon glad I was to 

 see them ; for ten minutes more, at the pace they had been going, 

 would have shaken off every man Jack of us. As it was, it was 

 bellows to mend ; and Calcott's roarer roared as surely roarer never 

 roared before. You could hear hinf half a mile off. We had barely 

 time, however, to turn our horses to the wind, and ease them for a 

 few moments, before the pace began to mend, and from a catching to 

 a holding scent they again poured across Wallingburn pastures, and 

 away to Roughacres Court. It was between these places that I got 

 my head duntled into my hat," continued his lordship, knocking the 

 crownless hat against his mud-stained knee. " However, I didn't 

 care a button, though I'd not worn it above two years, and it might 

 have lasted me a long time about home ; but misfortunes seldom 

 come singly, and I was soon to have another. The few of us that 

 were left were all for the lanes, and very accommodating the one 

 between Newton Bushell and the Forty-foot Bank was, the hounds 

 running parallel within a hundred yards on the left for nearly a mile. 

 When, however, we got to the old watermill in the fields below, the 

 fox made a bend to the left, as if changing his mind, and making for 

 Newtonbroome Woods, and we were obliged to try the fortunes of 

 war in the fields. The first fence we came to looked like nothing, 

 and there was a weak place right in my line, that I rode at, expecting 

 the horse would easily bore through a few twigs that crossed the 

 upper part of it. These, however, happened to be twisted, to stop 

 the gap, and not having put on enough steam, they checked him as 

 he rose, and brought him right down on his head in the broad ditch, 

 on the far side. Old Blossonmose, who was following close behind, 

 not making any allowance for falls, was in the air before I was well 

 down, and his horse came with a fore foot into my pocket, and tore 

 the lap clean off by the skirt ; " his lordship exhibiting the lap as he 

 spoke. 



" It's your new coat, too," observed Jack, examining it with con- 

 cern as he spoke. 



" 'Deed, is it! " replied his lordship, with a shake of the head. 

 " 'Deed, is it ! That's the consequence of having gone out to break- 

 fast. If it had been to-morrow, for instance, I should have had 

 number two on, or maybe number three," his lordship having coats 

 of every shade and grade, from stainless scarlet down to tattered mul- 

 berry colour. 



" It'll mend, however," observed his lordship, taking it back from 

 Jack ; " it'll mend, however," he said, fitting it round to the skirt as 

 he spoke. 



" Oh, nicely ! " replied Jack ; " it's come off clean by the skirt. 

 But what said Old Blossom ? " inquired Jack. 



" Oh, he was full of apologies and couldn't helps it as usual," 

 replied his lordship ; " he wa3 down, too, I should tell you, with his 



