The distance couldn't have been less than"-- than--what shall we say ?' asked Jack.
'Ten, twelve miles, as the crow flies,' suggested Sponge.
'No,' said Jack,' that would be too much.

Say ten'; adding, 'that will be four miles more than it was.' 'Never mind,' said Sponge, as he wrote it; 'folks like good measure with runs as well as ribbons.' 'Now we must butter old Puff,' observed Spraggon.
'What can we say for him ?' asked Sponge; 'that he never went off the road ?' 'No, by Jove!' said Jack; 'you'll spoil all if you do that: better leave it alone altogether than do that.

Say, "the justly popular owner of this most celebrated pack, though riding good fourteen stone" (he rides far more,' observed Jack; 'at least sixteen; but it'll please him to make out that he _can_ ride fourteen), "led the welters, on his famous chestnut horse, Tappey Lappey."' 'What shall we say about the rest ?' asked Sponge; 'Lumpleg, Slapp, Guano, and all those ?' [Illustration: JACK AND MR.

SPONGE WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR THE SWILLINGFORD PAPER] 'Oh, say nothin',' replied Jack; 'we've nothin' to do with nobody but Puff, and we couldn't mention them without bringin' in our Flat Hat men too--Blossomnose, Fyle, Fossick, and so on.

Besides, it would spoil all to say that Guano was up--people would say directly it couldn't have been much of a run if Guano was there.