262 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



nothing to do but take a half-guinea's worth of electric wire, 

 and have another horse in less than no time ; but Mr. Pacey having 

 taken a fancy to the horse, he had been more accommodating to him 

 than he had to his friend, Mr. Spraggon, if he would allow him to 

 call him so (Jack squinted and bowed assent), who," continued Mr. 

 Sponge, " had in vain attempted that morning to get him to put a 

 price upon him." 



« Yery true" whispered Jack to Pacey, with a feel of the elbow 

 in his ribs, adding in an under tone, " the beggar doesn't think I've 

 got him in spite of him, though." 



" The horse," Mr. Sponge continued, " was an undeniable good 

 'un, and he wished Mr. Pacey joy of his bargain." 



This venture having been so successful, others attempted similar 

 means, appointing Mr. Spraggon the arbitrator. Captain Guano 

 challenged Mr. Fogo's phaeton, while Mr. Fogo retaliated upon the 

 captain's chestnut horse ; but the captain did not hold money to the 

 award. Blossomnose challenged Mr. Miller's pig; but the latter 

 could not be induced to claim anything of the worthy rector's for 

 Mr. Spraggon to exercise his appraising talents upon. After an evening 

 of much noise and confusion, the wine-heated party at last broke up 

 — the staying company retiring to their couches, and the outlying 

 ones finding their ways home as best they could. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



THE MORNING'S REFLECTIONS. 



When -young Pacey awoke in the morning, he had a very bad 

 headache, and his temples throbbed as if the veins would burst their 

 bounds. The first thing that recalled the actual position of affairs 

 to his mind was feeling under the pillow for his watch — a fruitless 

 search, that ended in recalling something of the overnight's pro- 

 ceedings. 



Pacey liked a cheap flash, and when elated with wine might be 

 betrayed into indiscretions that his soberer moments were proof against. 

 Indeed, among youths of his own age he was reckoned rather a sharp 

 hand ; and it was the vanity of associating with men, and wishing to 

 appear a match for them, that occasionally brought him into trouble. 

 In a general way, he was a very cautious hand. 



He now lay tumbling and tossing about in bed, and little by little 

 he laid together the outline of the evening's proceedings, beginning 

 with his challenging Mr. Sponge's chestnut, and ending with the re- 



