390 MB. sponge's sporting tour. 



redoubtable vinegar tops. " Now we're all ready ! " exclaimed Bob, 

 working his arms as if anxious to be off, and giving a shrill shilling- 

 gallery whistle with his fingers, causing the stable-doors to fly open, 

 and the variously tackled steeds to emerge from their stalls. 



" A horse ! a horse ! my kingdom for a horse ! " exclaimed Miss 

 Glitters, running up as fast as her long habit, or rather Lady Scatter- 

 cash's long habit, would allow her. " A horse ! a horse ! my kingdom 

 for a horse ! " repeated she, diving into the throng. 



" White Surrey is saddled for the field," replied Mr. Orlando 

 Bugles, drawing himself up pompously, and waving his right hand 

 gracefully towards her ladyship's Arab palfrey, inwardly congratu- 

 lating himself that Miss Glitters was going to be bumped upon it 

 instead of him. 



"Give us a leg up, Seedey!" exclaimed Lucy Glitters to the 

 " gent." of the green coat, fearing that Miss Howard, who was a 

 little behind, might claim the horse. 



Captain Seedeybuck seized her pretty little uplifted foot and 

 vaulted her into the saddle as light as a cork. Taking the horse 

 gently by the mouth, she gave him the slightest possible touch 

 with the whip, and moved him about at will, instead of fretting 

 and fighting him as the clumsy, heavy-handed Bugles had done. 

 She looked beautiful on horseback, and for a time rivetted the 

 attention of our sportsmen. At length they began to think of them- 

 selves, and then there were such climbings on, and clutchings, and 

 catchings, and clingings, and gently-ings, and 'who-ho-ings, and who- 

 ha-ings, and questionings if " such a horse was quiet ? " if another 

 " could leap well ? " if a third " had a good mouth ?" and whether a 

 fourth " ever ran away ? " 



" Take my port-stirrup up two 'oles ! " exclaimed Captain Boun- 

 cey from the top of high Hop-the-twig, sticking out a leg to let the 

 gi-oom do it. 



The captain had affected the sea instead of the land-service, while 

 a betting-list keeper, and found the bluff sailor character very taking. 



" Avast there ! " exclaimed he, as the groom ran the buckle up 

 to the desired hole. " Now," said he, gathering up the reins in a 

 bunch, " how many knots an hour can this 'orse go ? " 



" Twenty," replied the man, thinking he meant miles. 



" Let her go then!" exclaimed the captain, kicking the horse's 

 sides with his spurless heels. 



Mr. Watchorn now mounted Harkaway ; Sir Harry scrambled 

 on to Hit-me-hard ; Miss Howard was hoisted on to Groggytoes, and 

 all the rest being " fit " with horses of some sort or other, and the 

 races in the front being over, the juveniles poured into the yard, 

 Lady Scattercash's pony-phaeton turned out, and our friends were at 

 length ready for a start. 



