COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 73 



had been standing, got the print of my horse's feet, 

 and walked on " spooring heel way," and picked up 

 my watch. 



1872. In the beginning of January I went up 

 to Atherstone for a few days, and wrote a report of 

 the proceedings to my boy at Torquay. 



"CLIFF, 

 "MONDAY, i^th January, 1872. 



" MY DEAR JACK, 



" Pretty hard frost this morning ; met at 

 Red Gate. I rode an old horse of Newdegate's and 

 a thoroughbred mare of Harry Boucherett's ; lots 

 of people out. Found in a little square cover near 

 Lindley House which we drew in the frost ; ran 

 into Lindley Gorse. Three foxes came in, out at 

 top end and up to Ambion. I cut on and viewed 

 him away before the hounds got in ; ran up to 

 Stapleton Rough and lost him ; went on to Kirkby 

 and got on him again, and fresh found him ; ran to 

 Stapleton village and back fast to Ambion. Here 

 we had seven or eight on foot, and changed and 

 holload for a long time so long that I ate bread 

 and cheese and sat at the fire in old Bradfield's 

 house and at last came away towards Bosworth, 

 and stopped the hounds on account of Sir A. Dixie's 

 death. 



"We came down to the brook where I tumbled 

 in with 'Whalebone' last year. Charlie Newde- 

 gate told me the mare would not jump water, so of 

 course I expected to tumble in again, but I did not. 

 Bailey funked it and positively stopped, and Will 



