322 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



The old hound took the hint also. 



" Now, then, old feller," cried Sir Harry, staggering up to Mr. 

 Sponge, who still sat on his horse in mute astonishment at Sir Har- 

 ry's mode of dealing with his hounds. " Now, then, old feller," said 

 he, seizing Mr. Sponge by the hand, " get rid of your quadruped, 

 and (hiccup) in, and make yourself c o'er all the (hiccups) of life 

 victorious,' as Bob Spangles says, when he (hiccups) it neat. This 

 is old (hiccup) Peastraw's, a (hiccup) tenant of mine, and he'll be 

 most (hiccup) to see you." 



" But what must I do with my horse ? " asked Mr. Sponge, rub- 

 bing some of the dried sweat off the brown's shoulder, as he spoke; 

 adding, " I should like to get him a feed of corn." 



" Give him some ale, and a (hiccup) of sherry in it," replied Sir 

 Harry ; " it'll do him far more good — make his mane grow," smooth- 

 ing the horse's thin, silky mane as he spoke. 



" Well, I'll put him up," replied Mr. Sponge, " and then come to 

 you," throwing himself, jockey-fashion, off the horse, as he spoke. 



" That's a (hiccup) feller," said Sir Harry ; adding, " here's old 

 Pea himself come to see after you." 



So saying, Sir Harry reeled back to his comrades in the house, 

 leaving Mr. Sponge in the care of the farmer. 



" This way, sir; this way," said the burly Mr. Peastraw, leading 

 the way into his farmyard, where a line of hunters stood shivering 

 under a long cart-shed. 



" But I can't put my horse in here," observed Mr. Sponge, look- 

 ing at the unfortunate brutes. 



" No, sir, no," replied Mr. Peastraw; put yours in a stable, sir; 

 put yours in a stable ; " adding, " these young gents don't care much 

 about their horses." 



" Does anybody know the chap's name ? " asked Sir Harry, reel- 

 ing back into the room. 



" Know his name ! " exclaimed Bob Spangles ; u why, don't 

 you?" 



." No," replied Sir Harry, with a vacant stare. 



" Why, you went up and shook hands with him, as if you were as 

 thick as thieves," replied Bob. 



" Did I ? " hiccuped Sir Harry. " Well, I thought I knew him. 

 At least, I thought it was somebody I had (hiccup)cd before ; and at 

 one's own (hiccup) house, you know, one's 'bliged to be (hiccup) feller 

 well (hiccup) with everybody that comes. But, surely, some of you 

 know his (hiccup) name," added he, looking about at the company. 



" I think I know his (hiccup) face," replied Bob Spangles, imita- 

 ting his brother-in-law. 



" I've seen him somewhere," observed the other Spangles, through 

 a mouthful of beef. 



" So have I," exclaimed some one else, " but where I can't say." 



