COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 63 



wards master of the Donnington Hounds. Col vile 

 lived at a place called Duffield, six miles from Derby. 

 He used to drive in and out in a trap with a little 

 bay mare. He often came in to dine with us. Spot- 

 tiswoode's brother-in-law was Lord John Scott. He 

 lived at Causton, near Rugby. He one day sent us 

 a hare, so we gave a dinner party and had a carouse. 

 Our guest was Peter Colvile, and he dined in Spot- 

 tiswoode's dressing gown. When it was time to go 

 home he put on a forage cap, got into the buggy, 

 put his legs into the boot, and his back to the splash- 

 board, twisted the reins round his hand and put his 

 hands in his pockets. At daylight Poyser, the old 

 butler, found him at the gate at Duffield in the same 

 position. 



One day the Meynell Hounds met at Kedliston 

 Inn. I saw a thin solemn man standing holding a 

 good-looking brown horse which I recognised as 

 Ellis's, who was quartered at Nottingham. Later 

 in the day my horse leaped into a new-made drain 

 and fell, and the solemn man nearly jumped on to 

 me. The rider was Captain Mildmay Clark, after- 

 wards my greatest friend in the Pytchley country. 

 He and Ellis had been together in the i6th Lancers. 



Hugo Meynell was then a schoolboy and used to 

 come out on a black pony, and Jack Leedham, the 

 second whip, used to look after him. 



About this time John Madocks joined — my 

 dearest friend all the rest of his life — the picture 

 of a soldier and a gentleman, very good looking and 

 strong as a horse, about 5 ft. 11 in., like Prince 



