244 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



scribe what you saw, you know, and butter Puff well, that's the main 

 point." 



" But you forget," replied Sponge, " I don't know the country, 

 I don't know the people, I don't know anything at all about the run 

 — I never once looked at the hounds." 



" That's nothin'," replied Jack, " there'd be plenty like you in 

 that respect. However," continued he, gathering himself up in his 

 chair as if for an effort, " you can say — let me see what you can say 

 — you can say, ' this splendid pack had a stunning run from Holly- 

 burn Hanger, the property of its truly popular master, Mr. Puffing- 

 ton,' or — stop," said Jack, checking himself, " say, c the property of 

 its truly popular and sporting master, Mr. Puffington.' The cover's 

 just as much mine as it's his," observed Jack; "it belongs to old 

 Sir Timothy Tensthemain, who's vegetating at Boulogne-sur-mer, but 

 Puff says he'll buy it when it comes to the hammer, so we'll flatter 

 him by considering it his already, just as we flatter him by calling 

 him a sportsman — sportsman ! " added Jack, with a sneer, " he's 

 just as much taste for the thing as a cow." 



" Well," said Sponge, looking up, " I've got l truly popular and 

 sporting master, Mr. Puffington,' " adding, " hadn't we better say 

 something about the meet and the grand spread here before we begin 

 with the run ? " 



" True," replied Jack, after a long-drawn whiff and another ad- 

 justment of the end of his cigar ; " say that ' a splendid field of well- 

 appointed sportsmen ' — " 



" A splendid field -of well-appointed sportsmen," wrote Sponge. 



" l Among whom we recognised several distinguished strangers 

 and members of Lord Scamperdale's hunt.' That means you and I," 

 observed Jack. 



" ' Of Lord Scamperdale's hunt — that means you and I,' " — read 

 Sponge as he wrote it. 



" But you're not to put in that ; you're not to write ' that means 

 you and I,' my man," observed Jack. 



" Oh, I thought that was part of the sentence," replied Sponge. 



" No, no ; " said Jack, " I meant to say that you and I were the 

 distinguished strangers and members of Lord Scamperdale's hunt ; 

 but that's between ourselves you know." 



" Good," said Sponge ; " then I'll strike that out," running his 

 pen through the words " that means you and I." " Now get on," 

 said he, appealing to Jack, adding " we've a deal to do yet." - 



" Say," said Jack, " ' after partaking of the well-known profuse 

 and splendid hospitality of Hanby House, they proceeded at once to 

 Hollvburn Hanger, where a fine seasoned fox ' — though some said he 

 was a bag one — " 



"Did they?" exclaimed Sponge, adding, "well, I thought he 

 went away rather queerly." 



