COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 211 



straight in the face and burst out laughing. " By 

 God, sir, if you laugh I'll send the hounds home." 

 This was too ridiculous, and as some of the field 

 had by this time arrived, there was a universal 

 roar I 



One day when something had put him out, he 

 sent the hounds home soon after two o'clock. On 

 riding past him, Algernon Peyton said, "Good-night, 

 my lord ". " Damn it, I ain't going to bed," was his 

 reply. 



At the end of the season of 1857 we took some 

 horses and went to Badminton. The party in the 

 house were the Duke and Duchess, Lady Emily and 

 Nigel Kingscote, Paulet Somerset and his wife, 

 Walter Little Gilmour, Ferdinand St. John, self and 

 wife. 



The Duke hunted the hounds himself. Will 

 Stansby was kennel huntsman ; Will Walker, first 

 whip ; Jim Walker, second horseman. The Duke 

 was a capital huntsman ; wonderful quick eye, and 

 knew the business well ; could gallop well, but would 

 not jump. We had a very happy time there. 



I had a brown horse called " O'Donnell," a 

 wonderful timber jumper. He jumped gates stand- 

 ing. The Duchess offered me ^200 for him, intend- 

 ing to make him a present to the Duke, but as he 

 was advertised with the others to be sold at Tatter- 

 sail's, I said she had better buy him there. She 

 did so for, I think, 160. The hounds were sold 

 in the kennels at Stratton Audley, and fetched 

 ,1,008. 



H* 



