COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 403 



team ; the near wheeler was a horse with one eye, 

 called "Bull's Eye". I bought him from Mr. Bull 

 at Weedon. The leaders were two cobs ; they had 

 no blinkers, only head-stalls. My little daughter Kit 

 was on the box with me ; John Pye and Fred Welch 

 behind. Going down a steep hill when I put the 

 drag on, a stone got into it, and made a tremendous 

 scream that frightened the horses. When I pulled 

 them, " Bull's Eye " turned his head and laid in 

 on the pole. When I raised the whip, both the 

 leaders jumped forward, and I had a real handful. 

 " Bull's Eye " kept edging the coach to the side of 

 the road, and it slowly and quietly went up the bank 

 till it toppled over. Kit flew away, with her hair 

 flying into the air ; I followed her, and landed on 

 my side in the middle of the road. I didn't leave 

 go of the reins ; they dragged me a yard or two 

 and stopped ; both the men tumbled out behind. 

 We got two or three men to come and help us, and 

 lifted the brake on to its wheels again. There was 

 nothing broke except the lamp iron. In the mean- 

 time Kit had collected all the hats and put them in a 

 row along the side of the road. 



On leaving Sydenham I took Lady Norbury's 

 house, on 9th July, in Onslow Gardens, next door 

 to George Whyte- Melville's, and used to sit in the 

 garden after dinner with them. 



Sir Francis began the picture while we were 

 at Sydenham. I rode "Iris" round his garden, in 

 Regent's Park, while he made the first sketch. It 

 was about fifteen inches square ; and his brother, Sir 



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