on again, and he 'ad to lead him the matter of I
don't know 'ow many miles'; Mr. Buckram letting go the whole balance of
silver in a rush, as if to denote that it was no joke.

'The brute!' observed Mr. Waffles, in disgust, adding, 'Well, as you seem
to have a pretty good opinion of him, suppose you buy him; I'll let you
have him cheap.'

''Ord bless you--my lord--that's to say, sir!' exclaimed Buckram, shrugging
up his shoulders, and raising his eyebrows as high as they would go, 'he'd
be of no use to me, none votsomever--shouldn't know what to do with
him--never do for 'arness--besides, I 'ave a werry good machiner as it
is--at least, he sarves my turn, and that's everything, you know. No, sir,
no,' continued he, slowly and thoughtfully, dropping the silver to
half-minute time; 'no, sir, no; if I might make free with a gen'leman o'
your helegance,' continued he, after a pause,' I'd say, sell 'im to a
post-master or a buss-master, or some sich cattle as those, but I doesn't
think I'd put 'im into the 'ands of no gen'leman, that's to say if I were
_you_, at least,' added he.

'Well, then, will you speculate on him yourself for the buss-masters?'
asked Mr. Waffles, tired alike of the colloquy and the quadruped.

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF LORD BULLFROG, FORMERLY OWNER OF 'HERCULES']

'Oh, vy, as to that,' replied Mr. Buckram, with an air of the most perfect
indifference, 'vy, as to that--not bein' nouther a post-master nor a
buss-master--but 'aving, as I said before, a little hindependence o' my
own, vy, I couldn't in course give such a bountiful price as if I could
turn 'im to account at once; but if it would be any 'commodation to you,'
added he, working the silver up into full cry, 'I wouldn't mind givin' you
the with (worth) of 'im--say, deductin' expenses hup to town, and standin'
at livery afore I finds a customer--expenses hup to town,' continued Mr.
Buckram, muttering to himself in apparent calculation, 'standin' at
livery--three-and-sixpence a night, grum, and so on--I wouldn't mind,'
continued he briskly, 'givin' of you twenty pund for 'im--if you'd throw me
back a sov.,' continued he, seeing Mr. Waffles' brow didn't contract into
the frown he expected at having such a sum offered for his
three-hundred-guinea horse.

In the course of an hour, that wonderful invention of modern times,--the
Electric Telegraph--conveyed the satisfactory words 'All right' to our
friend Mr. Sponge, just as he was sitting down t