was nothing to be seen.

"Snakes don't talk, as ever I heard on," said the voice again, and this
time it was accompanied by a merry laugh, which brought great comfort to
poor Duke. And in another moment the mystery was explained.

From behind some stubble a few yards off rose the figure of the young
boy whom the children had seen walking behind the gipsies--whistling
while he cut at a branch he held in his hand--from their point of
observation in Spy Tower. His face was tanned and freckled by the sun,
but his fair hair and bright blue eyes showed that he was not by birth
one of the dark-skinned tribe; and something in the bright smile,
showing a row of teeth as white and even as Duke's own, and in the
cheerful voice, at once gained the little boy's confidence.

[Illustration: FROM BEHIND SOME STUBBLE A FEW YARDS OFF ROSE THE FIGURE
OF THE YOUNG BOY WHOM THE CHILDREN HAD SEEN WALKING BEHIND THE
GIPSIES--WHISTLING WHILE HE CUT AT A BRANCH HE HELD IN HIS HAND.--p.
74.]

"I've been looking for ye," he said, speaking in a rather lower tone. "I
knew he was a-going to bring ye round this way, so I hid in the bushes
till I see'd him go by. And I crep' along on my hands and knees for fear
he should look back. But he's out o' the way for a few minutes. It's
only a bit of a step to where the others is, but he said something about
the donkey, didn't he? It'll take him a bit to unload it. An' what's he
been a-doing to ye?" he went on, glancing round till his eyes for the
first time caught sight clearly of the little figure stretched on the
ground. "He's never gone and dared to hit the little lady?" and the
good-humoured face grew dark and almost fierce as he stooped down close