At Southampton we changed into a much slower coach, which, however, conveyed us safely through the forest to the neighbourhood of Lyndhurst, when, waiting in the road, we espied, to our intense delight, a pony-carriage driven by Sam Barnby, who held the office of extra coachman, gamekeeper, and fisherman, besides several other employments, in the establishment at Foxholme. With us he was a prodigious favourite, as he was with all the youngsters who went to the place; and Sir Hugh, I know, trusted him completely, and employed him in numerous little private services of beneficence and charity when a confidential agent was required. He was the invariable companion of all the youngsters in our boating, fishing, and shooting excursions. It was dusk when we got into the carriage, and as our way lay for some distance through the thickest part of the forest by a cross-road which few people but Sam Barnby would have attempted to take at that late hour, we could often scarcely distinguish the track under the thick branches of the leafless trees which, stretching across it, formed a trellis-work over our heads, while the thick hollies and other evergreens formed an impenetrable wall on either side. Now and then, when the forest opened out and the forms of the trees were rather more clearly defined, they often assumed shapes so fantastic and strange, that I could scarcely prevent a sort of awe creeping over me, and half expected that the monsters I fancied I saw would move from their places and grab up Jack, Sam Barnby, the carriage, and me, and bolt off with us into some recess of the forest. Jack was talking away to Sam. I had been up bolstering the night before, and had not slept a wink. Suddenly the carriage stopped, and I heard Sam and Jack utter an exclamation. I echoed it, and pretty loudly too; for I thought that one of the monsters I had been dreaming about had really got hold of us. "Hillo! who have we got here?" exclaimed Sam. "Do you hold the reins, Master Jack, and I'll get out and see." I was now fully awake. I asked Jack what it was. "We nearly drove over somebody; but the pony shied, fortunately. There he is; I can just see him moving." "Why, I do believe it's poor silly Dick Green!" exclaimed Sam. "Is it you, Dicky? Speak out, man! How came you here?" "Yes, it be I," said the idiot. "Can't I sleep here? It's very comfortable--all clean and nice--no smoke, no noise." "Why, you would be frozen to death, man, if you did," answered Sam. "But, I ask, what brought you here?" "That's a secret I bean't a-going to tell thee," whispered the idiot. "But just do thee stop here; thee'll foind it very pleasant." "No, thank you; we'd rather not," said Sam. "But just do thee get into the carriage alongside Master William there, and we'll take thee to the Hall, and give thee some supper--that's what thee wants, lad."