148 REMINISCENCES OF 



rather bored with him, and jumped a high rail into 

 a potato field thinking I would get rid of him ; but 

 he would not be denied, and flew over it, landing 

 on his horse's neck. He came up to me and said 

 solemnly, " Do you always ride about people's policies 

 in this manner ? " I said " Oh, yes, I always go where- 

 ever I like, but I won't come here if you don't like 

 it ". " I did not say I did not like it." Next morning 

 I received the following letter from him : 



" DURIE, i-jth September, 1878. 



" DEAR SIR, 



" The woods and grounds around my house 

 I wish you to consider as available to you in the 

 pursuance of fox-hunting, whenever circumstances 

 bring you to the vicinity. The denseness of the 

 cover, small in extent, affords shelter to the fox. 

 " I am, dear Sir, 



" Yours truly, 



" ROBERT CHRISTIE. 



" To COLONEL THOMSON, Charleton." 



My dear old friend George Whyte- Melville was 

 killed out hunting. He and I were blooded by old 

 John Walker on the same day in 1830, and were at 

 Eton together. Archie Little sent me the following 

 account of the accident : " He was galloping across 

 a heavy ploughed field and his horse fell with him as 

 if shot. Whether he crossed his legs or stumbled 

 where the field had been cross-ploughed, no one 

 knows. Poor dear Melville fell with great force on 

 his head and was killed on the spot. His widow is 



