COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 319 



Lady Marjoribanks. Very cold, and the only re- 

 deeming point was Charlie Balfour's luncheon. 



9th. Proctor's Smithy. Drove with Macpherson 

 to Kelso Bridge ; rode on from there. Charlie Cun- 

 ningham and George Dove out. Found directly in 

 a wood, and ran hard for some time in cover, went 

 away, got a parallel road to serve us, and ran into a 

 plantation ; fox turned back right under our horses' 

 feet. They ran into him at Lurdenlaw and Isobel 

 got the brush. They found again and ran hard 

 over Cherry Tree Hill and lost him. We then went 

 into Beaumont Forest, found, and ran about to 

 Sunlaws and Clifton. Charlie Balfour's mare fell 

 down dead in the forest. Hounds ran hard ; we 

 did not get away from the forest and got into a 

 sheep-fold. Went back to Kelso and home in 

 carriage. 



Saturday. Ashkirk. Went in victoria with Mac. 

 Very stormy wind ; a wild hilly place. Found in a 

 gorse, and lost him. Found again and ran sharp 

 over the hill to a farm, and lost him. The hill 

 spoiled with sheep drains. Isobel's horse got a 

 shoe off, and as we were going back to Ashkirk, to 

 blacksmith's, hounds ran back to us, and killed in the 

 cover where we found. We left the carriage at the 

 stable at Riddell and drove home. 



On Sunday we went to Lady Orr-Ewing at 

 Dryburgh Abbey, a lovely place and a comfortable 

 house. Miss Lewis a real sportswoman. She 

 caught a salmon before breakfast. She has four 

 hunters, and is real good at the chase. [Since then 



