COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 117 



mouthpiece, which broke off and the end was then 

 sharp. Luckily he always hit too high and tore the 

 back of my cap, but he once hit me on the neck and 

 made it bleed. I threw him down and sat on him, 

 holding his hands, and called to George Isaacks, the 

 kennelman, to run down to Ceres and fetch the 

 policeman. I got tired of sitting on the beast. The 

 only man about the place was an old chap who had 

 been the minister's man. I called to him, " Come 

 here, David, and hold this blackguard ; I want to 

 get home ". David cautiously opened the door, 

 poked his nose out and said, *' Na, na, ye' re stronger 

 nor me, ye'll haud him yoursel' ". 



Sloane then began to cry and said he would be 

 quiet ; so I was fool enough to let him get up. He 

 immediately picked up the pickaxe ; I stepped into 

 the stable and shut the door ; old David was in the 

 stable. Sloane said, " Whichever of the two comes 



out first I'll knock his b brains out," and walked 



away swearing. Just then I heard Tom Hastings' 

 horn, and the hounds came home. I told him 

 through the window what had happened, and he 

 said, " Put that thing down and go into the mess- 

 room ". A few minutes after Sloane turned on 

 Hastings. Fred Whitehall had his coat off and his 

 arms bare mixing a bucket of gruel. He said, " Let 

 me at him," went straight at him and gave him two 

 black eyes. 



As Hastings was there I took my hack and 

 galloped home. The policeman came and hesitated 

 to take Sloane into custody, as he had seen no 



