COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 251 



CHAPTER XI. 



PETERBOROUGH HOUND SHOW. 



ON 2nd July, 1889, I was President of the Peter- 

 borough Hound Show, and went to stay at Wiverton 

 with Mrs. Musters. Nicholas Charlton and his wife 

 were there. I went in a cab with Jarvis " (Two- 

 penny ") from the railway station. He said, " You 

 will have to make a speech". "What shall I talk 

 about ? " " Wire curse it ! " 



After the luncheon I said : "At end of last 

 season I was out with twelve different packs of 

 hounds and saw some of the most distinguished 

 huntsmen, both professional and amateur, and to my 

 mind the prevailing fault is the silent system. If a 

 huntsman goes into a big wood and changes his 

 direction without some noise, his men cannot tell 

 where he is or his hounds either, and then the 

 hounds are driven about without knowing where to 

 go to. You had much better hear the cheery voice 

 of a huntsman than the harsh rate of a whipper-in. 

 Some of you older sportsmen may remember old 

 Tom Seabright in Bedford purlieus carrying his 

 hounds, ' Come forward, come forward ! ' through 

 multitudes of fresh foxes without changing his fox ; 

 and I have seen and heard Jack Musters, when his 



