COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 345 



up ; my horse gave two jumps and I tumbled off, 

 and was so giddy I sat under a tree, while Cobbler, 

 Penn's second horseman, went to Helmsley and got 

 a carriage and I was sent ignominiously home on 

 wheels. Houston and Kitty were very good and 

 kind to me. Hounds found again, but did no good. 

 Kedholme Priory is very nice and pretty, and Penn 

 and Kitty the kindest of hosts. Robin Hill was 

 staying there, and I gave him my hunting-whip. 

 Went to York next day and slept there ; and home 

 on Wednesday the nth. 



John Horsey, Dallington, Barton, writes to my 

 daughter Rosie : — 



" I must tell you a little anecdote of your father. 

 If I recollect right, in 1864 he drew the lower end 

 of Nobottle Wood for his first Pytchley fox. I was 

 not there to see him put hounds into covert, not 

 knowing where he would start, but by the gate on 

 the road through the wood, where also congregated 

 a number of foot people, and amongst them a rough, 

 noisy, talking keeper. A fox which had ' found him- 

 self stole across the road, when Colonel Thomson 

 came galloping up the ride blowing his whistle. The 

 keeper said, ' Well, I can remember Osbaldeston 

 and every other master since, but I never heard a 

 huntsman blow a whistle before, and I don't think 

 much of him '. ' Wait a bit, old fellow,' I answered, 

 for I had waited to take stock of the new master, 

 whom I had not previously met. 



"The last season (1895) Goodall had the hounds 



