‘Why, you can judge of that yourself,’ replied Sponge.

‘Perfect hunter, I should say,’ rejoined Jack, ’and steady at his fences—­don’t know that I ever rode a better fencer.  Well,’ continued he, having apparently pondered all that over in his mind, ’I must trouble you to let me look at your ticker,’ said he, turning short round on his neighbour.

‘There,’ said Mr. Pacey, producing a fine flash watch from his waistcoat-pocket, and holding it to Jack.

‘The chain’s included in the challenge, mind,’ observed Sponge.

‘In course,’ said Jack; ’it’s what the pawnbrokers call a watch with its appurts.’ (Jack had his watch at his uncle’s and knew the terms exactly.)

‘It’s a repeater, mind,’ observed Pacey, taking off the chain.

‘The chain’s heavy,’ said Jack, running it up in his hand; ’and here’s a pistol-key and a beautiful pencil-case, with the Pacey crest and motto,’ observed Jack, trying to decipher the latter.  ’If it had been without the words, whatever they are,’ said he, giving up the attempt, ’it would have been worth more, but the gold’s fine, and a new stone can easily be put in.’

He then pulled an old hunting-card out of his pocket, and proceeded to make sundry calculations and estimates in pencil on the back.

‘Well, now,’ said he, at length, looking up, ’I should say, such a watch as that and appurts,’ holding them up, ’couldn’t be bought in a shop under eight-and-twenty pund.’

‘It cost five-and-thirty,’ observed Mr. Pacey.

‘Did it!’ rejoined Jack, adding, ‘then you were done.’

Jack then proceeded to do a little more arithmetic, during which process Mr. Puffington passed the wine and gave as a toast—­’Success to the handicap.’

‘Well,’ at length said Jack, having apparently struck a balance, ’hands in pocket, gen’lemen.  If this is an award, Mr. Pacey’s gold watch and appurts gives Mr. Sponge’s chestnut horse seventy golden sovereigns.  Show money,’ whispered Jack to Pacey, adding, ‘I’ll stand the shot.’

‘Stop!’ roared Guano, ‘do either of you sport your hand?’

‘Yes, I do,’ replied Mr. Pacey coolly.

‘And I,’ said Mr. Sponge.

‘Hold hard, then, gen’lemen!’ roared Jack, getting excited, and beginning to foam.  ‘Hold hard, gen’lemen!’ repeated he, just as he was in the habit of roaring at the troublesome customers in Lord Scamperdale’s field; ’Mr. Pacey and Mr. Sponge both sport their hands.’

‘I’ll lay a guinea Pacey doesn’t hold money,’ exclaimed Guano.

‘Done!’ exclaimed Parson Blossomnose.

‘I’ll bet it does,’ observed Charley Slapp.

‘I’ll take you,’ replied Mr. Miller.

Then the hubbub of betting commenced, and raged with fury for a short time; some betting sovereigns, some half-sovereigns, other half-crowns and shillings, as to whether the hands of one or both held money.

Givers and takers being at length accommodated, perfect silence at length reigned, and all eyes turned upon the double fists of the respective champions.