356 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



" Gently ivith the cheney ! " exclaimed Lady Scattercash, who 

 was too much used to such scenes to care about the belligerents. 

 Bob Spangles caught Ladofwax's arm at the nick of time, and saved 

 the saucer. 



M Hout ! you (hiccup) fellows are always (hiccup)ing," exclaimed 

 Sir Harry. " I declare I'll have you both (hiccup) ed over to keep 

 the peace." 



They then broke out into wordy recrimination and abuse, each 

 declaring that he wouldn't stay a day longer in the house if the other 

 remained ; but as they had often said so before, and still gave no 

 symptoms of going, their assertion produced little effect upon any- 

 body. Sir Harry would not have cared if all his guests had gone 

 together. Peace and order being at length restored, the conversation 

 again turned upon Mr. Sponge. 



" I suppose we must have another (hiccup) hunt soon," observed 

 Sir Harry. 



" In course," replied Bob Spangles; "it's no use keeping the 

 hungry brutes unless you work them." 



" You'll have a bagman, I presume," observed Captain Seedeybuck, 

 who did not like the trouble of travelling about the country to draw 

 for a fox. 



" Oh, yes," replied Sir Harry ; " Watchorn will manage all that. 

 He's always (hiccup) in that line. We'd better have a hunt soon, and 

 then Mr. (hiccup) Bugles, you can see it." Sir Harry addressing him- 

 self to a gentleman he was as anxious to get rid of as Mr. Jogglebury 

 Crowdey was to get rid of Mr. Sponge. 



" No ; Mr. Bugles won't go out any more," replied Lady Scatter- 

 cash, peremptorily. " He was nearly killed last time ; " her lady- 

 ship casting an angry glance at her husband, and a very loving one 

 on the object of her solicitude. 



" Oh, nought's never in danger ! " observed Bob Spangles. 



" Then you can go, Bob," snapped his sister. 



" I intend," replied Bob. 



" Then (hiccup), gentlemen, I think I'll just write this Mr. 

 (hiccup) What's-his-name to (hiccup) over here," observed Sir 

 Harry, " and then he'll be ready for the (hiccup) hunt whenever we 

 choose to (hiccup) one." 



The proposition fell still-born among the party. 



" Don't you think we can do without him ? " at last suggested 

 Captain Seedeybuck. 



" / think so," observed the elder Spangles, without looking up 

 from his plate. 



" Who is it ? " asked Lady Scattercash. 



" The man that was here the other morning — the man in the 

 queer chestnut-coloured boots," replied Mr. Orlando Bugles. 



