COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 79 



little money. They did most of their own kennel 

 work, and one morning, when both were old men, they 

 arrived at a fixture with the pack some fifteen miles 

 from the kennel punctually at eleven o'clock. The 

 owner of the house where the meet was went out and 

 said, " Why, Mr. Leamon, you are here to a minute, 

 after your long ride ". " Yes, we were up early this 

 morning, killed and skinned a horse, lit the copper fire, 

 and got everything ready for feeding on our return." 

 When past sixty years of age, one night after 

 hunting one of them said to the other, " I have been 

 thinking neither of us can have much longer to 

 live in this world, and it will be a terrible thing for 

 the survivor to have to remain here alone. Don't 

 you think one of us ought to marry?" "Yes," was 

 the reply, " I have thought so for a long time." 

 "Well, do you know of any lady?" "Yes, I do. 

 Is there any one you fancy?" On comparing notes 

 it appeared they had both selected the same woman, 

 the manageress of the hotel at Okehampton. "Well," 

 said one, "we have lived together all these years 

 without a wry word, and it's a pity we should 

 fall out at our time of life." So they tossed up 

 which should marry her. The winner rode down to 

 Okehampton next morning, and was accepted. All 

 three lived together, and the wife nursed both 

 brothers in their last illness, was left their money, 

 and is, I believe, alive now, as she was only about 

 thirty years of age when this happened. 



An account of the Ivybridge Hunt dinner : 

 "Once a year the veteran M.F.H., Mr. Charles 



