MR. sponge's sporting tour. 381 



Daffy's elixir that you read of in the papers. It's the finest com- 

 pound that ever was known. It will make your hair curl, your whis- 

 kers grow, and you a man before your mother." 



" N-o-a, n-o-ar, don't wan't any more," growled the young gentle- 

 man, turning away in disgust. " Ar won't drink any more." 



" Well, hut be sociable," observed Miss Howard, helping herself 

 to a glass. 



" N-o-a, no, ar don't wan't to be sociable," growled he, diving into 

 his trouser-pockets, and wriggling about on his chair. 



" Well, then, what will you do ? " asked Miss Howard. 



" Hunt," replied the youth.* 



" Hunt! " exclaimed Bob Spangles, "why, the ground's as hard 

 as bricks." 



" N-o-a, it's not," replied the youth. 



" What a whelp ! " exclaimed Miss Howard, rising from the table 

 in disgust. 



" My uncle Jellyboy, wouldn't let such a frost stop him, I know," 

 observed the boy. 



" Who's your uncle Jellyboy ? " asked Miss Glitters. 



" He's a farmer, and keeps a few harriers at Scutley," observed 

 Bob Spangles, sotto voce. 



" And is that your extraordinary horse with all the legs ? " asked 

 Miss Howard, putting her glass to her eye, and scrutinising a lank, 

 woolly-coated weed, getting led about by a blue-aproned gardener. 

 " Is that your extraordinary horse, with all the legs ? " repeated she, 

 following the animal about with her glass. 



"Hoots, it hasn't more legs than other people's," _ growled 

 George. 



" It's got ten, at all events," replied Miss Howard, to the aston- 

 ishment of the juveniles. 



"Nor, it hasn't," replied George. 



" Yes, it has," rejoined the lady. 



"Nor, it hasn't," repeated George. 



" Come and see," said the lady; adding, " perhaps it's put out 

 some since you got off." 



George slouched up to where she stood at the window. 



" Now," said he as the gardener turned the horse round, and he 

 saw it had but four, " how many has it ? " 



" Ten ! " replied Miss Howard. 



" Hoots," replied George, " you think it's April Fool's Day, I 

 dare say." 



" No, I don't," replied Miss Howard ; " but I maintain your 

 horse has ten legs. See, now ! " continued she, " what do you call 

 these coming here ? " 



" His two forelegs," replied George." 



" Well, two fours — twice four's eight, eh ? and his two hind ones 

 make ten." 



