Tom's Horse

Tom’s horse is referenced as the means by which the Squire will be summoned to the inn to investigate Longfoot’s murder. Kewper’s directive to Tom—'As fast as the horse can go'—highlights the urgency of the situation and the need for swift legal intervention. The horse symbolizes the village’s reliance on traditional methods of communication and the inevitability of the strangers’ entanglement in the village’s justice system. Its role in transporting the Squire to the inn sets the stage for the formal inquiry that will follow, trapping Ben and Polly in a system already predisposed to condemn them.

Tom’s horse is mentioned as the quickest way to fetch the Squire after Longfoot’s murder. Though not physically present in the taproom, its role in the scene is implied as the means by which the official investigation will be escalated. The horse symbolizes the urgency of the situation, as Kewper directs Tom to ride it 'as fast as the horse can go' to summon the Squire. Its involvement ensures that the legal machinery of the village will be set in motion, trapping the strangers in a system biased against them.