'Ah, well; but there _was_ somebody on a white,' replied Sir Harry. 'Oh--ah--yes--it was old Bugles on my lady's horse. By the (hiccup) way (hiccup), gentlemen, what's got Mr. Orlando (hiccup) Bugles?' asked Sir Harry, staring wildly round. 'Oh! old Bugles! old Pad-the-Hoof! old Mr. Funker! the horse frightened him so, that he went home crying,' replied Bob Spangles. 'Hope he didn't lose him?' asked Sir Harry. 'Oh no,' replied Bob; 'he gave a lad a shilling to lead him, and they trudged away very quietly together.' 'The old (hiccup)!' exclaimed Sir Harry; 'he told me he was a member of the Surrey something.' 'The Sorry Union,' replied Captain Quod. 'He _was_ out with them once, and fell off on his head and knocked his hat-crown out.' 'Well, but I was telling you about the run,' interposed Mr. Sponge, again endeavouring to enlist an audience. 'I was telling you about the run,' repeated he. 'Don't trouble yourself, my dear sir,' interrupted Captain Bouncey; 'we know all about it--found--checked--killed, killed--found--checked.' 'You _can't_ know all about it!' snapped Mr. Sponge; 'for there wasn't a soul there but myself, much to my horror, for I had a reg'lar row with old Scamperdale, and never a soul to back me.' 'What! you fell in with that mealy-mouthed gentleman, who can't (hiccup) swear because he's a (hiccup) lord, did you?' asked Sir Harry, his attention being now drawn to our friend. '_I did_,' replied Mr. Sponge; 'and a pretty passage of politeness we had of it.' 'Indeed! (hiccup),' exclaimed Sir Harry. 'Tell us (hiccup) all about it.' 'Well,' said Mr. Sponge, laying the brush lengthways before him on the table, as if he was going to demonstrate upon it. 'Well, you see we had a devil of a run--I don't know how many miles, as hard as ever we could lay legs to the ground; one by one the field all dropped astern, except the huntsman and myself. At last he gave in, or rather his horse did, and I was left alone in my glory. Well, we went over the downs at a pace that nothing but blood could live with, and, though my horse has never been beat, and is as thorough-bred as Eclipse--a horse that I have refused three hundred guineas for over and over again, I really did begin to think I might get to the bottom of him, when all of a sudden we came to a dean.' 'Ah! Cockthropple that would be,' observed Sir Harry.