COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 233 



CHAPTER X. 



A HUNTING TOUR. 

 (From my daughter Olive's Diary, 1889.) 



FRIDAY, ist March, 1889. Sent Henderson and 

 Peter Donaldson with "Fairy," "Harbinger" and 

 " The Swell " to Wiverton. Father and I left Edin- 

 burgh by the 9.50 train. Changed at Grantham, and 

 they stopped the express for us at Bingham. We ar- 

 rived at Wiverton Hall at about 6.50 and found Mrs. 

 Musters and Mary, both kind and nice. After we 

 had begun dinner George Musters appeared, having 

 driven his hunter for (I believe) the first time. He 

 does not appear to have had much control over it, 

 as he was quietly forced into a "public" and nearly 

 " couped " going round the corner. 



Saturday, 2nd March. Meet at Belvoir Castle. 

 A bitterly cold morning, frost and a little snow. 

 Father was rather slack about going, but I insisted, 

 so we started very late to ride to the meet, a good 

 and weary ten miles. I rode "Harbinger" in my 

 new habit; he, "Fairy". We arrived at twelve. 

 The first person we met was Mr. Nicholas Charlton. 

 We then saw Gillard and the hounds. He had been 

 ill and was feeble. Enormous pack of very good- 

 looking hounds (I think thirty-three couple) ; whip, 



