mr. sponge's sporting tour. 321 



Spangles, throwing up the window. " Hilloo ! won't you come in 

 and have some refreshment ? " 



" Who's there ? " asked Mr. Sponge, reining in the "brown. 



" Oh, we're all here," shouted brother Bob Spangles, holding up 

 a tumbler of hot brandy-and-water ; " we're all here — Sir Harry 

 and all," added he. 



" But what shall I do with the hounds ? " asked Mr. Sponge, 

 looking down upon the confused pack, now crowding about his horse's 

 head. 



" Oh, let the beef-eaters — the scene-shifters — I meant to say the 

 servants — those fellows, you know, in scarlet and black caps, look 

 after them," replied brother Bob Spangles. 



" But there are none of them here," exclaimed Mr. SpoDge, look- 

 ing back on the deserted road. 



" None of them here ! " hiccupped Sir Harry, who had now got 

 reeled to the window. " None of them here," repeated he, staring 

 vacantly at the uneven pack. " Oh (hiccup), I'll tell you what do 

 — (hiccup) them into a barn or a stable, or a (hiccup) of any sort, 

 and we'll send for them when we want to (hiccup) again." 



" Then just you call them to you," replied Sponge, thinking they 

 would go to their master. " Just you call them," repeated he, " and 

 I'll put them to you." 



" (Hiccup) call to them ? " replied Sir Harry ; " I can't (hiccup)." 



" Oh, yes ! " rejoined Mr. Sponge ; " call one or two by their 

 names, and the rest will follow." 



" Names ! (hiccup) I don't know any of their nasty names," re- 

 plied Sir Harry, staring wildly. 



" Towler ! Towler ! Towler ! here, good dog — hoop ! — here's 

 your liquor ! " cried brother Bob Spangles, holding the smoking 

 tumbler of brandy-and-water out of the window, as if to tempt any 

 hound that chose to answer to the name of Towler. 



There didn't seem to be a Towler in the pack ; at least none of 

 them qualified for the brandy-and-water. 



" Oh, I'll (hiccup) you what we'll do," exclaimed Sir Harry; 

 " I'll (hiccup) you what we'll do. " "We'll just give them a (hiccup) 

 kick a-piece, and send them (hiccuping) home," Sir Harry reeling 

 back into the room to the black horse-hair sofa, where his whip was. 



He presently appeared at the door, and, going into the midst of 

 the hounds, commenced laying about him, rating and cutting, and 

 kicking and shouting. 



" Geete away home with ye, ye brutes ; what are you all (hiccup- 

 ing) here about ? Ah / cut off his tail ! " cried he, staggering after 

 a venerable blear-eyed sage, who dropped his stern and took off. 



"Be off! Does your mother know you're out?" cried Bob 

 Spangles, out of the window, to old Marksman, who stood wondering 

 what to do. 

 14* 



