COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 179 



CHAPTER Vn. 



FIFE. 



Charlie went to Pau, and lent me his groom, 

 Collier, and two horses, the chestnut mare and 

 " Congress". 



I wrote to him from Barleythorpe : — 



"6^/z February, 1881. 



" I have had a fair week of it and have been out 

 five days. We could not hunt in Essex till Monday. 

 Pat mounted me on his grey horse. We ran two 

 hours to ground and dug. 



" Tuesday, I had ' Congress ' down from London 

 to Romford. It was such a fog" we could not hunt 

 till two o'clock, so I sent him home again and rode 

 a chestnut of Carnegy's. We did nothing. 



" Wednesday, I went back to London. 



" Thursday, started with Collier, ' Congress ' and 

 mare. Eight o'clock, got out at Kettering with the 

 mare. Woodland Pytchley (Elmhirst, master and 

 huntsman) ; ran hard for fifty minutes. I never 

 saw an inch of it till they checked. They did not 

 catch him. I came on to Oakham by train, one 

 mile from here. Collier came early. Baird has 

 taken the whole concern in for me, and gave me a 

 second horse both yesterday and Friday. 



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