328 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



CHAPTER LII. 



A MOONLIGHT RIDE. 



The position, then, of Mr. Sponge was this. He was left on a frosty, 

 moonlight night at the door of a strange farmhouse, staring after a 

 receding coach, containing all his recent companions. 



" You'll not be goin' wi 'em, then ? " observed Mr. Peastraw, 

 who stood beside him, listening to the shrill notes of the horn dying 

 out in the distance. 



" No," replied Mr. Sponge. 



" Rummy lot," observed Mr. Peastraw, with a shake of the head. 



" Are they ? " asked Mr. Sponge. 



" Very ! " replied Mr. Peastraw. " Be the death of Sir Harry 

 anions 'em." 



" Who are they all ? " asked Mr. Sponge. 



" Rubbish ! " replied Peastraw with a sneer, diving his hands 

 into the depths of his pockets. " Well, we'd better go in," added 

 he, pulling his hands out and rubbing them, to betoken that he felt 

 cold. 



" Mr. Sponge not being much of a drinker, was more overcome 

 with what he had taken than a seasoned cask would have been ; added 

 to which, the keen night air striking upon his heated frame, soon 

 sent the liquor into his head. He began to feel queer. 



" Well," said he to his host, " I think I'd better be going." 



" Where are you bound for ? " asked Mr. Peastraw. 



" To Puddingpote Bower," replied Mr. Sponge. 



"S-o-o," observed Mr. Peastraw, thoughtfully; " Mr. Crowdey's 

 — Mr. Jogglebury that was ? " 



" Yes," replied Mr. Sponge. 



" He is a deuce of a man, that, for breakin' people's hedges," 

 observed Mr. Peastraw ; after a pause, " he can't see a straight stick 

 of no sort, but he's sure to be at it." 



14 He's a great man for walking-sticks," replied Sponge, stagger- 

 ing in the direction of the stable in which he put his horse. 



The house clock then struck ten. 



" She's fast," observed Mr. Peastraw, fearing his guest might be 

 wanting to stay all night. 



" How far will Puddingpote Bower be from here ? " asked Mr. 

 Sponge. 



" Oh, no distance, sir, no distance," replied Mr. Peastraw, now 

 leading out the horse. " Can't miss your way, sir — can't miss your 



