COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 51 



men ofave " Three Cheers for Old England ". When 

 we got to Penrith Spottiswoode and I went for two 

 or three days to see Ullswater, and rode to Patter- 

 dale and Lowther Castle and rejoined them at Ken- 

 dal, A troop of the 15th Hussars were quartered 

 at Clitheroe in Lancashire, who invited us to dinner. 



Lowndes was one of the officers. He was rather 

 a rat-catcher. During dinner he said, " Should you 

 like to see a regular up-and-down fight .■* " " All 

 right," said we. A stable sentry came in without his 

 jacket with a rat-trap and a ferret. The rat was let 

 loose and we all stood on chairs. After it had run 

 about for a little the ferret was put down. It put its 

 nose to the ground, lashed its tail about, and galloped 

 off just like a little hound. Presently it came to the 

 corner where the rat was and it began to squeak. 

 The ferret ran in, caught it by the neck and killed 

 it. We sat down and finished our dinner. 



On arriving at Nottingham we put up at the Ram 

 Inn. The landlord had formerly been messman to 

 the 9th Lancers. 



I used to drive the " Commercial " coach to 

 London whenever I went. Sam Taylor was coach- 

 man. 



