COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 57 



train ; went straight to Mr. Pad wick's house ; he 

 was not at home ; went to the stable, and asked 

 where " Iris" was. " He has just gone away ; he is 

 sold." " Who to? " " Mr. John Leigh at Luton." 



I was going down to Luton a few days after to 

 judge the puppies, and on going round the stables 

 saw "Iris " with all the hair clipped off his forelegs. 

 I said to the groom, " What are you going to do 

 to 'Iris'?" He said, "We are going to fire him 

 to-morrow". "What for?" "To strengthen his 

 joints." The hunt horses were a pitiful sight, many 

 of them having been recently fired. 



In the afternoon Mr. Leigh drove me round the 

 park to see the cattle. I asked him to let me have 

 "Iris" back again. He said, "I must have a 

 little time to consider, but I gave Padwick more 

 for him than he gave you ". I said, " Whatever 

 you gave him, I will give you". He said, " I gave 

 him ^"500". 



During the day I had a deal of talk with Mr. 

 Leigh's brothers and others about " Iris," and told 

 them that he was a difficult horse to ride, and about 

 his refusing a brook with me. Tom Leigh laughed, 

 and said, " Oh, he won't suit John". 



Next day I got a letter saying that I might have 

 him. I sent John Pye to fetch him, and he never 

 was fired. On the yth June I sent John Leigh a 

 cheque for ^500. I was anxious to get him back, 

 for my " testimonial " friends had decided that my 

 portrait should be painted on " Iris". 



After Sir Francis Grant had finished his picture 



