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’leman!’ 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, others 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 doubled fists of the respective champions.
Jack having adjusted his great tortoiseshell-rimmed spectacles, and put on a most consequential air, enquired, like a gambling-house keeper, if they were ‘All done’ -- had all ‘made their game?’ And ‘Yes! yes! yes!’ resounded from all quarters.
‘Then, gen’lemen,’ said Jack, addressing Pacey and Sponge, who still kept their closed hands on the table -- ‘show!’
At the word, their hands opened, and each held money.
‘A deal! a deal! a deal!’ resounded through the room, accompanied with clapping of hands, thumping of the table, and dancing of glasses. ‘You owe me a guinea,’ exclaimed one. ‘I want half a sovereign of you,’ roared another. ‘Here’s my half-crown,’ said a third, handing one across the table to the fortunate winner. A general settlement took place, in the midst of which the ‘watch and appurts’ were handed to Mr Sponge.