COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 91 



Swaffham Heath, and lost him at 5.15, about twenty- 

 five miles from home. 



I had told my man to go home if I was not at a 

 certain place at about five o'clock. I got there about 

 twenty minutes late and never could overtake him, as 

 my horse was tired. I got into barracks about ten 

 o'clock, and found all the stables lighted. Asked a 

 trumpeter what was up, and he told me my troop had 

 been ordered to Lynn to quell a riot. I had had 

 nothing to eat and had been wet to the skin twice. My 

 Cornet, John Hughes, was dining out somewhere. 



I met Major Wathen at the mess-room door. 

 He said, " I am so glad you have come in — I was 

 just preparing to go myself. Are you fit to go ? " 

 " All right, sir," I said, " as soon as I have had some- 

 thing to eat." I got some bubble and squeak and a 

 bottle of claret. 



Luckily I had a fresh horse, " Cannibal ". By 

 this time Hughes had come in, so he was started 

 with the troop, and I followed after changing my 

 clothes. 



I had forty horses with me, all five-year-olds, and 

 all out of condition. Eight of them tumbled down 

 during the night. It rained part of the time and 

 froze in the morning and was very slippery. Luckily 

 I had been in the habit of driving the Lynn mail, so 

 knew the road, or we never should have got there. 

 It was so dark that we had to feel the figures on the 

 mile stones. 



The mail coach met us on the way, and Tom 

 Raynham, the coachman, said, " You'll find they are 



