ing horsemen, charging Lord Scamperdale full tilt as he was in the act
of returning his horn to its case. Great was the collision! His lordship
flew one way, his horse another, his hat a third, his whip a fourth, his
spectacles a fifth; in fact, he was scattered all over. In an instant he
lay the centre of a circle, kicking on his back like a lively turtle.

'Oh! I'm kilt!' he roared, striking out as if he was swimming, or rather
floating. 'I'm kilt!' he repeated. 'He's broken my back--he's broken my
legs--he's broken my ribs--he's broken my collar-bone--he's knocked my
right eye into the heel of my left boot. Oh! will nobody catch him and kill
him? Will nobody do for him? Will you see an English nobleman knocked
about like a ninepin?' added his lordship, scrambling up to go in pursuit
of Mr. Sponge himself, exclaiming, as he stood shaking his fist at him,
'Rot ye, sir! hangin's too good for ye! you should be condemned to hunt in
Berwickshire the rest of your life!'

CHAPTER XXX

BOLTING THE BADGER

When a man and his horse differ seriously in public, and the man feels the
horse has the best of it, it is wise for the man to appear to accommodate
his views to those of the horse, rather than risk a defeat. It is best to
let the horse go his way, and pretend it is yours. There is no secret so
close as that between a rider and his horse.

Mr. Sponge, having scattered Lord Scamperdale in the summary way described
in our last chapter, let the chestnut gallop away, consoling himself with
the idea that even if the hounds did hunt, it would be impossible for him
to show his horse to advantage on so dark and unfavourable a day. He,
therefore, just let the beast gallop till he began to flag, and then he
spurred him and made him gallop on his account. He thus took his change out
of him, and arrived at Jawleyford Court a little after luncheon time.

Brief as had been his absence, things had undergone a great change. Certain
dark hints respecting his ways and means had worked their way from the
servants' hall to my lady's chamber, and into the upper regions generally.
These had been augmented by Leather's, the trusty groom's, overnight visit,
in fulfilment of his engagement to sup with the servants. Nor was Mr.
Leather's anger abated by the unceremonious way Mr. Sponge rode off with
the horse, leaving him to hear of his departure from the ostler. Having
broken faith with him, he considered it his duty to be 'upsides' with