Squire jforester an& Zom /II^oc^\? 35 



sturdy cob time after time at the gate till he made the 

 obstinate beast leap it. 



' I must have that lad/ said Squire Forester. ' I'll 

 make something of him before I've done with him.' 



So the squire went to the boy's mother, and then to 

 his master, and finding that both were agreeable to let 

 him go to the Willey Hall stables, took Tom Moody on 

 as a help. Tom very soon became a favourite, not only 

 with his master, but with every one about the place. He 

 was good-natured and obliging, and his dare-devil 

 courage was the admiration of his fellow-servants, who 

 encouraged him in his wild pranks. Tom could not be 

 sent on the commonest errand without making an ad- 

 venture of it. It was neck or nothing with him, whatever 

 the animal he happened to be riding. 



On one occasion he had been driving some guests 

 from Willey Hall to Shifnal, the nearest point at which 

 they could pick up a coach, and coming back in charge 

 of the squire's buff-coloured chaise, he had words with 

 the pike-keeper, who did not open the gate quick 

 enough to please the impetuous Thomas. The pike- 

 keeper naturally resented the youngster's impudence, 

 and the consequence was they had a turn-up, with the 

 result that Tom, to use the Salopian vernacular, 

 ' tanselled the hide ' of the pike-keeper. Thenceforward 

 Tom resolved that he would not trouble his enemy to 

 open the gate ; and, to the amazement of the pikeman, 

 on the next occasion he came that way Moody drove 

 straight up to the gate, gave a spring, touched his horse 

 on the flanks, and went clean over, chaise and all, 

 without starting a stitch or breaking a buckle. Pleased 

 with his success Tom tried the trick again but this 



