COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 95 



at once, and Miss , an old friend of mine when I 



was quartered at Dorchester. They all got married 

 soon after, so we were a most cheery party. 



Bill Duff was a wonderful chap. He had been 

 in the loth Hussars. He was very good-looking, 

 tall, pale and thin, full of mischief of every sort, and 

 although I knew him intimately, I never could make 

 out when he was chaffing or when in earnest. He 

 was most fastidious in his dress and refined in his 

 manners. He knew every prize-fighter in London, 

 and was first-rate with his fists. He also knew many 

 thieves and could " patter flash," i.e., talk their lan- 

 guage. I once went with him to " The Rookery " 

 in St. Giles, where they assemble. The company 

 was presided over by a lady who sold watercress. 

 They drank gin punch out of a bucket, which they 

 dipped into with their mugs. They sang songs, 

 danced hornpipes, and when it was all over we were 

 kept back behind the bar till they had all cleared off. 

 If we had got into the crowd they would have cleaned 

 us out. 



One night Bill dined with us at Hounslow and 

 started to drive back to London. On the way he 

 quarrelled with his companion and said he would 

 walk. In the morning a greengrocer's tax-cart was 

 seen, with a pair of patent-leather boots sticking out, 

 and Bill Duff in the bottom of the cart. 



He was tried and convicted for injuring a police- 

 man. The policeman, I believe, was knocked down 

 and run over by a cab. Bill was not the culprit, but 

 he would not split on his companion. He was in the 



