COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 71 



out, or Hirting in the corners ; when the dance was 

 over the young lady was marched straight up to her 

 chaperon, and handed over to her with a low bow. 



The first time I saw a polka danced was at 

 Leamington in 1843. ^ chap named Bradshaw 

 danced it, and everybody looked on. When we 

 were quartered at Exeter we got a bandsman with 

 a flasfeolet to stand behind the screen in the mess- 

 room to play for us while we practised ; and we soon 

 became pretty good at it. 



20th June, 1840. — When quartered at Hounslow, 

 Frank Willoughby and I were driving a gig to Lon- 

 don with "The Flying Horse," and going about six- 

 teen miles an hour, when we met a tax-cart in the 

 middle of the road. We were on the right side, and 

 I believe the driver of the cart pulled the wrong rein. 

 We went crash into it, broke both shafts, and were 

 shied out. The horse ran away and was captured 

 somewhere in Turnham Green. I pitched on the 

 back of my head and cut a gash in it ; Willoughby 

 landed on his nose and cut it badly. We had just 

 scrambled on to our feet when a beastly man ran up 

 and gave us in charge of a policeman for furious 

 driving, so we were marched off to the police office. 

 The policeman was a very good fellow and rather 

 spoke up for us, as we were on the right side of the 

 road, and the inspector released us on payment of 

 ;^i to the man in the cart, as some of his harness 

 was broken. He had come from Windsor with the 

 Queen's plate. 



We got a fly and went on to Limmer's Hotel, and 



