382 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



" Hoots," growled George, amidst the mirth of his comrades, 

 " you're niakin' a fool o' one." 



" Well, but what must I do with all these little (hiccup) crea- 

 tures ? " asked Sir Harry again, seeing the plot still thickening out- 

 side. 



" Turn them out a bagman," suggested Mr. Sponge, in an under- 

 tone ; adding, " Watchorn has a three-legged 'un, I know, in the hay- 

 loft." 



" Oh, Watchorn wouldn't (hiccup) on such a day as this," replied 

 Sir Harry. " New- Year's day, too— most likely away, seeing his 

 young hounds at walk." 



" We might see, at all events," observed Mr. Sponge. 



" Well," assented Sir Harry, ringing the bell. " Peter," said he, 

 as the servant answered the summons, " I wish you would (hiccup) 

 to Mr. Watchorn's, and ask if he'll have the kindness to (hiccup) 

 down here." Sir Harry was obliged to be polite, for Watchorn, too, 

 was on the " free list," as Miss Glitters called it. 



" Yes, Sir Harry," replied Peter, leaving the room. 



Presently Peter's white legs were seen wending their way among 

 the laurels and evergreens, in the direction of Mr. Watchorn's house; 

 he having a house and grass for six cows, all whose milk, he declared, 

 went to the puppies and young hounds. Luckily, or unluckily, per- 

 haps, Mr. Watchorn was at home, and was in the act of shaving as 

 Peter entered. He was a square-built, dark-faced, dark-haired, 

 good-looking, ill-looking fellow, who cultivated his face on the four- 

 course system of husbandry. First, he had a bare fallow — we mean 

 a clean shave ; that of course was followed by a full crop of hair all 

 over, except on his upper lip ; then he had a soldier's shave, off by 

 the ear ; which in turn was followed by a Newgate frill. The latter 

 was his present style. He had now no whiskers, but an immense 

 protuberance of bristly black hair, rising like a wave above his ker- 

 chief. Though he cared no more about hunting than his master, he 

 was very fond of his red coat, which he wore on all occasions, sub- 

 stituting a hat for a cap when " off duty," as he called it. Having 

 attired himself in his best scarlet, of which he claimed three a year, 

 one for wet days, one for dry days, another for high days — 

 very natty kerseymere shorts and gaiters, with a small-striped, 

 standing collar, toilenette waistcoat, he proceeded to obey the sum- 

 mons. 



" Watchorn," said Sir Harry, as the important gentleman appeared 

 at the breakfast-room door, — " Watchorn, these young (hiccup) gen- 

 tlemen want a (hiccup) hunt." 



" ! want must be their master, Sir 'Arry," replied Watchorn, 

 with a broad grin on his flushed face, for he had been drinking all 

 night, and was half drunk then. 



" Can't you manage it ? " asked Sir Harry, mildly. 



