'Give me money,' said he pompously. They each handed him half a crown; and
Jack added a third for himself. 'Mr. Pacey challenges Mr. Sponge's chestnut
horse, and Mr. Sponge challenges Mr. Pacey's gold watch,' observed Jack
sententiously.

'Come, old Slowman, go on!' exclaimed Guano, adding, 'have you got no
further than that?'

'Hurry no man's cattle,' replied Jack tartly, adding, 'you may keep a
donkey yourself some day.'

'Mr. Pacey challenges Mr. Sponge's chestnut horse,' repeated Jack. 'How old
is the chestnut, Mr. Sponge?' added he, addressing himself to our friend.

'Upon my word I hardly know,' replied Sponge, 'he's past mark of mouth; but
I think a hunter's age has very little to do with his worth.'

'Who-y, that depends,' rejoined Jack, blowing out his cheeks, and looking
as pompous as possible--'that depends a good deal upon how he's been used
in his youth.'

'He's about nine, I should say,' observed Sponge, pretending to have been
calculating, though, in reality, he knew nothing whatever about the horse's
age. 'Say nine, or rising ten, and never did a day's work till he was six.'

'Indeed!' said Jack, with an important bow, adding, 'being easy with them
at the beginnin' puts on a deal to the end. Perfect hunter, I s'pose?'

'Why, you can judge of that yourself,' replied Sponge.

'Perfect hunter, _I_ should say,' rejoined Jack, 'and steady at his
fences--don't know that I ever rode a better fencer. Well,' continued he,
having apparently pondered all that over in his mind, 'I must trouble you
to let me look at your ticker,' said he, turning short round on his
neighbour.

'There,' said Mr. Pacey, producing a fine flash watch from his
waistcoat-pocket, and holding it to Jack.

'The chain's included in the challenge, mind,' observed Sponge.

'In course,' said Jack; 'it's what the pawnbrokers call a watch with its
appurts.' (Jack had his watch at his uncle's and knew the terms exactly.)

'It's a repeater, mind,' observed Pacey, taking off the chain.

'The chain's heavy,' said Jack, running it up in his hand; 'and here's a
pistol-key and a beautiful pencil-case, with the Pacey crest and motto,'
observed Jack, trying to decipher the latter. 'If it had been without the
words, whatever they are,' said he, giving up the attempt, 'it would have
been worth more, but the gold's fine, and a new stone can easily be put
in.'

He then pulled an old hunting-card out of his pocket, and proceeded to make
sundry