COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 8i 



man's feelings. They now had with them one whom 

 they felt proud to have in their company — a man of 

 mark in all England, Captain Anstruther Thomson, 

 who, although coming from the plain country of 

 Leicester, had got over the rough country of Dart- 

 moor in the cleverest manner, always to the front 

 ready to assist the hounds. He therefore begged 

 them to drink that gentleman's health. 



"Captain Thomson, in responding, said: 'Al- 

 though I confess that I left the great grass fields and 

 the flying fences of the midland counties with great 

 regret, I congratulate myself very much that my 

 lot has fallen among so many kind friends and good 

 sportsmen. I have renewed many old acquaintances 

 and made many new friends ; I have added some- 

 what to my stock of fox-hunting knowledge, and I 

 have seen many men and many things which you 

 can only see in the western counties. First of all, 

 I have seen my dear old friend, Jack Russell, whose 

 absence to-night I much deplore. I hear that he 

 has ricked his back, but I trust he will soon recover, 

 and follow the chase with his usual vig-our. I have 

 seen Lord Portsmouth's hounds, a first-rate pack, 

 and one which would do credit to any country. I 

 have seen Mark Rolle's, also a very workman-like 

 establishment ; and Mr. Westlake's, the South 

 Devon. Although somewhat short of foxes, they 

 are under the management of a very skilful sports- 

 man. I have seen the Four Burrow in their own 

 country — a most useful working pack. Their country 

 is not like Leicestersheere, as the whipper-in malici- 



VOL. II. 6 



