COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 75 



drank a pot of porter, and was a good deal over- 

 weight. My horse was a very hard puller and not 

 very fit. I was obliged to make the running, for my 

 horse would not be denied. He jumped the first 

 three or four fences beautifully. Andrew Robertson 

 then came alongside of me. The next fence was a 

 wall rather up hill. His horse refused it and so did 

 mine, but I turned him round and got over all right 

 and on to the brook, which he jumped like a bird. 

 The journey was about half over when I felt him 

 collapse, and all the others in a ruck caught me. 

 There was a grip running slant way down the field, 

 and I could not get my horse to cross it. He ran 

 down it to the end of the field. Billy Williams 

 bumped Charlie Brooke here and said, " Beg your 

 pardon, old fellow ". " Go along, this is no time for 

 buffoonery," was the reply. Piers Mostyn was first. 

 I forget how the others were placed, but I was fifth. 



On 4th April, 1841, I marched from Hampton 

 Court to Dorchester. I think that Little was in 

 command. 



The Exeter up mail used to go through Dor- 

 chester at 7 P.M. and return at 7 a.m. Bill Cherry 

 was the coachman who went to Salisbury, forty-four 

 miles and back. We arrived at Salisbury about 

 11.30, used to lie down and sleep till 3.40 a.m. and 

 then off again. 



I used to go about twice a week, and it was 

 grand going over Salisbury Plain, just when it was 

 getting daylight. The proprietors got to know me 

 pretty well, and made no objection to my driving. 



