MR. sponge's sporting tour. 415 



most likely " catch it " when he gets back ; and oh, wonder of 

 wonders, here's Robert Foozle himself ! 



" Well Robert, you've come to the steeple-chase ? " 



" Yes, I've come to the steeple-chase." 



" Are you fond of steeple-chases ? " 



11 Yes, I'm fond of steeple-chases." 



"I dare say, you never were at one before," observes his mother. 



" No, I never was at one before," replies Robert. 



And though last not least, here's Facey Romford, with his arm in 

 a sling, on Mr. Hobler, come to look after that sivin-p'und-ten, which 

 we wish he may get. 



Hark ! there's a row below the stand, and Viney is seen in a state 

 of excitement inquiring for Mr. Washball. Pacey has objected to a 

 gentleman rider, and Guano and Puffington have differed on the 

 point. A nice, slim, well-put-on lad (Buckram's roughrider) has 

 come to the scales and claimed to be allowed 3lbs. as the Honourable 

 Captain Boville. Finding the point questioned, he abandons the 

 " handle," and sinks into plain Captain Boville. Pacey now objects 

 to him altogether. 



" S-c-e-u-s-e me, sir ; s-c-e-u-s-e me, sir," simpers our friend Dick 

 Bragg, sidling up to the objector with a sort of tendency of his turn- 

 back- wristed hand to his hat. " S-c-e-u-s-e me, sir ; s-e-e-u-s-e me," 

 repeats he, " but I think you was wrong, sir, in objecting to Cap- 

 tain Boville, sir, as a gen'l'man rider, sir." 



" Why ? " demands Pacey, in the full flush of victory. 



" Oh, sir — because, sir — in fact, sir — he is a gen'l'man, sir." 

 + " Is a gentleman ! How do you know ? " demands Pacey, in the 

 same tone as before. 



" Oh, sir, he's a gen'l'man — an undoubted gen'l'man. Every- 

 thing about him shows that. Does nothing — breeches by Anderson 

 -r-boots by Bartley; besides which, he drinks wine every day, and 

 has a whole box of cigars in his bedroom. But don't take my word 

 for it, pray," continued Bragg, seeing Pacey was wavering; "don't 

 take my word for it, pray. There's a gen'l'man, a countryman of his 

 somewhere about," added he, looking anxiously into the surrounding 

 crowd — " there's a gen'l'man, a countryman of his somewhere about, 

 if we could but find him," Bragg standing on his tiptoes, and exclaim- 

 ing, " Mr. Buckram ! Mr. Buckram ! Has anybody seen anything of 

 Mr. Buckram ! " 



"Here/" replied a meek voice from behind; upon which there 

 was an elbowing through the crowd, and presently a most respectable, 

 rosy-gilled, grey-haired, hawbuck-looking man, attired in a new brown 

 cut-away, with bright buttons and a velvet collar, with a buff waist- 

 coat, came twirling an ash-stick in one hand, and fumbling the silver 

 in his drab trousers' pocket with the other, in front of the bystanders. 



" Oh, ! 'ere he is ! " exclaimed Bragg, appealing to the stranger 

 with a hasty " You know Captain Boville, don't you ? " 



