236 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



" No fox here," observed Captain Guano, bringing his horse along- 

 side of Mr. Bragg's. 



" Not so sure o' that" replied Mr. Bragg, with a sneer, for he 

 had a great contempt for the captain. " Not so sure o' that," replied 

 he, eyeing Thunderer and Galloper feathering up the brook. 



" Hang these stirrups ! " exclaimed the captain, again attempting 

 to adjust them ; adding, " I declare I have no seat whatever in this 

 saddle." 



" Nor in any other," muttered Bragg. " Yo-icks, Galloper ! Yo- 

 icks, Thunder ! Ge-e-ntly, Warrior ! " continued he, cracking his 

 whip, as Warrior pounced at a bunny. 



The hounds were evidently on a scent, hardly strong enough to 

 own, but sufficiently indicated by their feathering, and the rush of 

 their comrades to the spot. 



u A fox for a thousand ! " exclaimed Mr. Bragg, eyeing them, and 

 looking at his watch. 



" Oh, d — mn me ! I've got one stirrup longer than another 

 now ! " roared Captain Guano, trying the fresh adjustment. " I've 

 got one stirrup longer than another ! " added he, in a terrible pucker. 



A low snatch of a whimper now proceeded from Galloper, and 

 Bragg cheered him to the echo. In another second a great banging 

 brown fox burst from among the broom, and dashed down the little 

 dean. What noises, what exclamations rent the air ! " Talliho ! 

 talliho ! talliho ! " screamed a host of voices, in every variety of in- 

 tonation, from the half-frantic yell of the party seeing him, down to 

 the shout of a mere partaker of the epidemic. Shouting is very con- 

 tagious. The horsemen gathered up their reins, pressed down their 

 hats, and threw away their cigar-ends. 



" 'Ord hang it ! " roared Captain Guano, still fumbling at the 

 leathers, " I shall never be able to ride with stirrups in this state." 



"Hang your stirrups'!" exclaimed Charley Slapp, shooting past 

 him, adding, " It was your saddle last time." 



Bragg's queer tootle of his horn, for he was full of strange blows, 

 now sounded at the low end of the cover ; and, having a pet line of 

 gaps and other conveniences that he knew how to turn to on the 

 minute, he soon shot so far ahead, as to give him the appearance (to 

 the slow 'uns) of having flown. Brick and Swipes quickly had all 

 the hounds after him, and Stot, dropping his elbows, made for the 

 road, to ride the second horse gently on the line. The field, as usual, 

 divided ink) two parts, the soft riders and the hard ones — the soft 

 riders going by the fields, the hard riders by the road. Messrs. 

 Spraggon, Sponge, Slapp, Quilter, Rasper, Crasher, Smasher, and 

 some half-dozen more, bustled after Bragg; while the worthy master 

 Mr. Pnflington, Lumpleg, Washball, Crane, Guano, Shirker, and very 

 many others, came pounding along the lane. There was a good scent, 

 and the hounds shot across the Fleecyhaugh-water Meadows, over 



