e you.'

'But what must I do with my horse?' asked Mr. Sponge, rubbing some of the
dried sweat off the brown's shoulder as he spoke; adding, 'I should like to
get him a feed of corn.'

'Give him some ale, and a (hiccup) of sherry in it,' replied Sir Harry;
'it'll do him far more good--make his mane grow,' smoothing the horse's
thin, silky mane as he spoke.

'Well, I'll put him up,' replied Mr. Sponge, 'and then come to you,'
throwing himself, jockey fashion, off the horse as he spoke.

'That's a (hiccup) feller,' said Sir Harry; adding, 'here's old Pea himself
come to see after you.'

So saying, Sir Harry reeled back to his comrades in the house, leaving Mr.
Sponge in the care of the farmer.

'This way, sir; this way,' said the burly Mr. Peastraw, leading the way
into his farmyard, where a line of hunters stood shivering under a long
cart-shed.

'But I can't put my horse in here,' observed Mr. Sponge, looking at the
unfortunate brutes.

'No, sir, no,' replied Mr. Peastraw; 'put yours in a stable, sir; put yours
in a stable'; adding, 'these young gents don't care much about their
horses.'

'Does anybody know the chap's name?' asked Sir Harry, reeling back into the
room.

'Know his name!' exclaimed Bob Spangles; 'why, don't you?'

'No,' replied Sir Harry, with a vacant stare.

'Why, you went up and shook hands with him, as if you were as thick as
thieves,' replied Bob.

'Did I?' hiccuped Sir Harry. 'Well, I thought I knew him. At least, I
thought it was somebody I had (hiccup)ed before; and at one's own (hiccup)
house, you know, one's 'bliged to be (hiccup) feller well (hiccup) with
everybody that comes. But surely, some of you know his (hiccup) name,'
added he, looking about at the company.

'I think I know his (hiccup) face,' replied Bob Spangles, imitating his
brother-in-law.

'I've seen him somewhere,' observed the other Spangles, through a mouthful
of beef.

'So have I,' exclaimed some one else, 'but where I can't say.'

'Most likely at church,' observed brother Bob Spangles.

'Well, I don't think he'll corrupt me,' observed Captain Quod, speaking
between the fumes of a cigar.

'He'll not borrow much of me,' observed Captain Seedeybuck, producing a
much tarnished green purse, and exhibiting two fourpenny-pieces at one end,
and three-halfpence at the other.

'Oh, I dare say he's a good feller,' observed Sir Harry; 'I make no doubt
he's one of the right sort.'

Just then in came the man him