124 THE WILLEY WHIPPER-IN. 



And Squire Forester, struck by his pluck and per- 

 severance, made up his mind to secure him. He 

 sent to his master to ask if he were willing to give 

 him up, adding that he would like to see him at 

 the Hall. The message alarmed the mother, who 

 was a widow, for, knowing her son's froward 

 nature, she at once imagined Tom had got into 

 trouble. On learning the true state of the case, 

 however, and thinking she saw the way open to 

 Tom's promotion, she consented to the change in 

 his condition. His master, too, agreed to give him 

 up, and Tom was transferred to the TTilley stables, 

 where, from his good nature and other agreeable 

 qualities, he became a favourite, and from his daring 

 courage quite a sort of little hero. It was Tom's 

 duty to go on errands from the Hall, and once out- 

 side the park, feeling he had his liberty, he did not 

 fail to make use of oj)portunities for displaying his 

 skill. In riding, it was generally up hill and down 

 dale, at neck-or-nothing speed, stopping neither for 

 gate nor hedge — his horse tearing away at a rate 

 which would have given him three or four somer- 

 saults at a slip. He seldom turned his horse's 

 head if he could help it, and if he went down he 

 was soon up again. Extraordinary tales are told 



