COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 137 



telegram, " Louisa girl doing well ". (The telegrams 

 cost four shillings a word.) He wired back, " Hal- 

 lelujah ". 



1876. — Hounds met at Teasses Toll ; found in 

 Carhurlie Den ; ran well for thirty-five minutes and 

 killed ; ran another fox to ground at the Lime Hills. 



On 6th November there was an advertisement 

 of a large importation of Canadian horses. I went 

 over to Edinburgh, dined at the club, and started off 

 with James Gow, the Edinburgh dealer, and his man 

 Mike, and arrived at Liverpool on the morning of 

 the 7th, but there was nothing among the horses 

 that we cared for. I got into the train and went to 

 Market Harborough ; attended dinner and presenta- 

 tion to James Topham on 7th. 



I went to Dingley with Harry Hungerford after 

 the dinner ; next morning by train to Welford. 

 Mills gave me a mount on " Reindeer " with the 

 Pytchley Hounds at Cold Ashby. After hunting 

 I got into the train to Rugby, and then on to Oxford 

 and Chippenham on my way to Badminton. I had 

 received a letter from the Duke of Beaufort saying 

 that he had gout in his elbow and could not ride, 

 and that if I liked to come to Badminton I might 

 ride his horses for a week. 



I had had no dinner, and at Swindon ate some 

 cold beef and pickled cauliflower, which was mouldy 

 and made me sick all the time I was at Badminton. 

 I got a post chaise at Chippenham and arrived at 

 Badminton about two o'clock in the morning, and 

 found the Duke and Salisbury Ewart playing at 



