COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 275 



quite regardless of any regulation due to the real 

 field. M. Leonini mounted us in safety on our 

 hirelings, and off we started for the meet, about 

 two miles from the town across country. They 

 hunt all over a colossal huge heath and many woods. 

 When we arrived we found a cart with the daim 

 (a kind of small white deer which bounds like a 

 kangaroo). They let it loose and off it hopped, 

 very slowly I thought. About twenty minutes 

 afterwards the hounds appeared with their English 

 huntsman, Jacks. Ask the laird whether he ever 

 heard of him. He was a stud-groom at Rugby, I 

 think, and is a very good horseman. Fourteen 

 couple quite good English hounds, rather under- 

 sized I thought ; one English, one Italian whip 

 both fools. Very good scent. We all started pretty 

 well abreast as if for a race. Etta kept as close to 

 the huntsman as possible and went gallantly, frighten- 

 ing me to death, as it is a dangerous country, full of 

 bogs and holes, and she was far too excited to look 

 where she was going to. My quad galloped me 

 bang into a blackthorn with spikes about a yard 

 long, which tore my new habit in a heartrending 

 manner. After quite a good, though short run, the 

 daim was just saved, and stuck into the cart for 

 another clay, dead beat, poor beast. 



" After that all the smart nobles changed horses, 

 and as there was nothing else we proceeded to hunt 

 a drag. Jacks, the huntsman, was formally presented 

 to me, and of course said that he knew the laird the 



moment I told him I was his child. 1 do not think 



18 * 



