'Have a hot one,' exclaimed Mrs. Springwheat, adding, 'it will be done in a minute.'
'No, thank ye,' replied Jack, with a shake of the head, adding, 'I might be done in a minute too.'
'He'll wait for you, I suppose?' observed Sponge, addressing Jack.
'Not so clear about that,' replied Jack, gobbling away; 'time and my lord wait for no man. But it's hardly the half-hour yet,' added he, looking at his watch.
He then fell to with the voracity of a hound after hunting. Sponge, too, made the most of his time, as did two or three others who still remained.
'Now for the jumping-powder!' at length exclaimed Sponge, looking round for the bottle. 'What shall it be, cherry or neat?' continued he, pointing to the two. 'Cherry for me,' replied Jack, squinting and eating away without looking up.
'I say neat,' rejoined Sponge, helping himself out of the French bottle.
'You'll be hard to hold after that,' observed Jack, as he eyed Sponge tossing it off.
'I hope my horse won't,' replied Sponge, remembering he was going to ride the resolute chestnut.
