tapping
the ice.

Watchorn's hurried, excited appearance produced little satisfaction among
the grooms and helpers at the stables, who were congratulating themselves
on the opportune arrival of the frost, and arranging how they should spend
their New Year's Day.

'Look sharp, lads! look sharp!' exclaimed he, clapping his hands as he ran
up the yard. 'Look sharp, lads! look sharp!' repeated he, as the astonished
helpers showed their bare arms and dirty shirts at the partially opened
doors, responsive to the sound. 'Send Snaffle here, send Brown here, send
Green here, send Snooks here,' exclaimed he, with the air of a man in
authority.

Now Snaffle was the stud-groom, a personage altogether independent of the
huntsman, and, in the ordinary course of nature, Snaffle had just as much
right to send for Watchorn as Watchorn had to send for him; but Watchorn
being, as we said before, some way connected with Lady Scattercash, he just
did as he liked among the whole of them, and they were too good judges to
rebel.

'Snaffle,' said he, as the portly, well-put-on personage waddled up to him;
'Snaffle,' said he, 'how many sound 'osses have you?'

'_None_, sir,' replied Snaffle confidently.

'How many three-legged 'uns have you that can go, then?'

'Oh! a good many,' replied Snaffle, raising his hands to tell them off on
his fingers. 'There's Hop-the-twig, and Hannah Bell (Hannibal), and Ugly
Jade, and Sir-danapalis--the Baronet as we calls him--and Harkaway, and
Hit-me-hard, and Single-peeper, and Jack's-alive, and Groggytoes, and
Greedyboy, and Puff-and-blow; that's to say _two_ and three-legged 'uns, at
least,' observed Snaffle, qualifying his original assertion.

'Ah, well!' said Watchorn, 'that'll do--two legs are too many for some of
the rips they'll have to carry--Let me see,' continued he thoughtfully,
'I'll ride 'Arkaway.'

'Yes, sir,' said Snaffle.

'Sir 'Arry, 'It-me-'ard.'

'Won't you put him on Sir-danapalis?' asked Snaffle.

'No,' replied Watchorn, 'no; I wants to save the Bart.--I wants to save the
Bart. Sir 'Arry must ride 'It-me-'ard.'

'Is her ladyship going?' asked Snaffle.

'Her ladyship drives,' replied Watchorn. 'And you. Snooks,' addressing a
bare-armed helper, 'tell Mr. Traces to turn her out a pony phaeton and
pair, with fresh rosettes and all complete, you know.'

'Yes sir,' said Snooks, with a touch of his forelock.

'And you'd better tell Mr. Leather to have a horse for his master,'
o