ICULTURAL HALL. TENT-PEGGING GOING ON_.

_Stentorian Judge_ (_in Arena_). Corporal BINKS! (_The Assistants give
a finishing blow to the peg, and fall back. Corporal BINKS gallops
in, misses the peg, and rides off, relieving his feelings by whirling
his lance defiantly in the air_.) Corporal BINKS--nothing!

_A Gushing Lady_. Poor dear thing! I _do_ wish he'd struck it! he did
look so disappointed, and so did that sweet horse!

_The Judge_. Serjeant SPANKER! (_Sergeant S. gallops in, spears the
peg neatly, and carries it off triumphantly on the point of the lance,
after which he rides back and returns the peg to the Assistants as
a piece of valuable property of which he has accidentally deprived
them_) Sergeant SPANKER--eight! (_Applause; the Assistants drive in
another peg._) Corporal CUTLASH! (_Corporal C. enters, strikes the
peg, and dislodges without securing it. Immense applause from the
Crowd_.) Corporal CUTLASH--two!

_The Gushing Lady_. Only two, and when he really did hit the peg! I do
call that a shame. I should have given him more marks than the other
man--he has such a _much_ nicer face!

_A Child with a Thirst for Information_. Uncle, why do they call it
_tent_-pegging?

_The Uncle_. Why? Well, because those pegs are what they fasten down
tents with.

_The Child_. But why isn't there a tent now?

_Uncle_. Because there's no use for one.

_Child_. Why?

_Uncle_. Because all they want to do is to pick up the peg with the
point of their lance.

_Child_. Yes, but why _should_ they want to do it?

_Uncle_. Oh, to amuse their horses. (_The Child ponders upon this
answer with a view to a fresh catechism upon the equine passion for
entertainment, and the desirability, or otherwise, of gratifying it_.)

_A Chatty Man in the Promenade_ (_to his Neighbour_). Takes a deal of
practice to strike them pegs fair and full.

_His Neighbour_ (_who holds advanced Socialistic opinions_). Ah,
I dessay--and a pity they can't make no better use o' their time!
Spoiling good wood, _I_ call it. I don't see no point in it myself.

_The Chatty Man_. Well, it shows they can _ride_, at any rate.

_The Socialist_. Ride? O' course they can _ride_--we pay enough for
'aving 'em taught, don't we? But you mark my words, the People won't
put up with this state of things much longer--keepin' a set of 'ired
murderers in luxury and hidleness. I tell yer, wherever I come across
one of these great lanky louts strutting about in hi