Memoir of Tom Smith, 



tween the tliatcli and the rafter, about a foot 

 below his first hold, then abandoned that and 

 made a clutch lower do^Ti, and ^^rung the 

 changes" in this way several times, although 

 of course the shock each time was terrific, and 

 seemed enough to dislocate the arm ; but he 

 persevered, and at length thus reached a beam, 

 along which he crawled until he came over 

 a wagon, into which he dropped, without 

 broken bones, but fearfully exhausted, and 

 with hands quite benumbed. 



Mr. Thomas Smith was himself a great fox- 

 hunter and a bold rider, and he allowed his 

 son, when at home for the Christmas holidays, 

 to worry the hares on his land, by '^ hmiting" 

 them with every cur that he could get. In 

 this sport Tom took great delight, and he 

 looked on himself as already a ^' Master of 

 Hounds," although his ^'pack" was rather a 

 motley one. In this sport he was joined by 

 other boys in the parish, and more than one 

 " hard rider " in after days has been heard to 



