Widow Rudkin, who would have had to cross madam to get at young Hopeful--a breach of good manners of which she was wholly incapable--began a series of pantomime signs, which only puzzled him; and at last, unable to contain herself longer, burst out with, "Job! Job! where's thy cap ?" "What! bean't 'ee on ma head, mother ?" replied Job, slowly extricating one hand from a pocket, and feeling for the article in question; which he found on his head sure enough, and left there, to his mother's horror and Tom's great delight.
Then there was poor Jacob Dodson, the half-witted boy, who ambled about cheerfully, undertaking messages and little helpful odds and ends for every one, which, however, poor Jacob managed always hopelessly to imbrangle.

Everything came to pieces in his hands, and nothing would stop in his head.

They nicknamed him Jacob Doodle-calf.
But above all there was Harry Winburn, the quickest and best boy in the parish.

He might be a year older than Tom, but was very little bigger, and he was the Crichton of our village boys.

He could wrestle and climb and run better than all the rest, and learned all that the schoolmaster could teach him faster than that worthy at all liked.