2-48 MR. sponge's SPORTING TuUR. 



lar owner of this most celebrated pack, though riding good fourteen 

 stone' (he rides far more," observed Jack; "at least sixteen; but 

 it'll please him to make out that he can ride fourteen), ' led the 

 welters, on his famous chestnut horse, Tappey Lappey.' " 



"What shall we say about the rest?" asked Sponge; "Lump 

 leg, Slapp, Guano, and all those ? " 



" Oh, say nothin' " replied Jack; " we've nothin' to do with no- 

 body but Puff; and we couldn't mention them without bringin' in 

 our Flat Hat men too, Blossomnose, Fyle, Fossick, and so on. Be- 

 sides, it would spoil all to say that Guano was up — people would say 

 directly it couldn't have been much of a run if Guano was there 

 You might finish off," observed Jack, after a pause, " by saying, that 

 'after this truly brilliant affair, Mr. Puffington, like a thorough 

 sportsman, and one who never trashes his hounds unnecessarily — un- 

 like some masters,' } t ou may say, 'who never know when to leave off' 

 (that will be a hit at Old Scamp," observed Jack, with a frightful 

 squint), " ' returned to Hanby House, where a distinguished party of 

 sportsmen — ' or, say ' a distinguished party of noblemen and gentle- 

 men ' — that'll please the ass more — ' a large party of noblemen and 

 gentlemen were partaking of his ' — his what shall we call it ? " 



" Grub ! " said Sponge. 



" No, no — summut genteel — his — his — his — l splendid hospi- 

 tality/'" concluded Jack, waving his arm triumphantly over his 

 head. 



" Hard work, authorship ! " exclaimed Sponge, as he finished 

 writing, and threw down the pen. 



" Oh, I don't know," replied Jack ; adding, " I could go on for 

 an hour." 



"Ah you! — that's all very well," replied Sponge, "for you, 

 squatting comfortably in your arm-chair : but consider me, toiling 

 with my pen, bothered with the writing, and craning at the spelling." 



" Never mind, we've done it," replied Jack ; adding, " Puff '11 be 

 as pleased as Punch. We've polished him off uncommon. That's 

 just the sort of account to tickle the beggar. He'll go riding about 

 the country, showing it to everybody, and wondering who wrote it." 



" And what shall we send it to ? — the Sporting Magazine, or 

 what?" asked Sponge. 



" Sporting Magazine ! — no," replied Jack; "wouldn't be out 

 till next year — quick's the word in these railway times. Send it to 

 a newspaper — BelPs Life, or one of the Swillingford papers. Either 

 of them would be glad to put it in." 



" I hope they'll be able to read it," observed Sponge, looking at 

 the blotched and scrawled manuscript. 



" Trust them for that," replied Jack ; adding, " If there's any 

 word that bothers them, they've nothin' to do but look in the dic- 

 tionary — these folks all have dictionaries, wonderful fellows for 

 spellin'." 



