the gypsy children began to swarm
about, the women lit fires in the open air, and the smell of very
appetizing breakfasts filled the atmosphere. The men also lounged into
view, standing lazily at the doors of their tents, and smoking great
pipes of tobacco. Annie lay quiet. She could see from her hiding-place
without being seen. Suddenly--and her eyes began to dilate, and she found
her heart beating strangely--she laid her hand on Tiger, who was
quivering all over.

"Stay with me, dear dog," she said.

There was a great commotion and excitement in the gypsy camp; the
children screamed and ran into the tents, the women paused in their
preparation for breakfast, the men took their short pipes out of their
mouths; every dog, with the exception of Tiger, barked ferociously. Tiger
and Annie alone were motionless.

The cause of all this uproar was a body of police, about six in number,
who came boldly into the field, and demanded instantly to search the
tents.

"We want a woman who calls herself Mother Rachel," they said. "She
belongs to this encampment. We know her; let her come forward at once; we
wish to question her."

The men stood about; the women came near; the children crept out of their
tents, placing their fingers to their frightened lips, and staring at the
men who represented those horrors to their unsophisticated minds called
Law and Order.

"We must search the tents. We won't stir from the spot until we have had
an interview with Mother Rachel," said the principal member of the police
force.

The men answered respectfully that the gypsy mother was not yet up; but
if the gentlemen would wait a moment she would soon come and speak to
them.

The officers expressed their willingness to wait, and collected round the
tents.

Just at this instant, under the hedgerow, Tiger raised his head. Annie's
watchful eyes accompanied the dog's. He was gazing after a tiny gypsy
maid who was skulking along the hedge, and who presently disappeared
through a very small opening into the neighboring field.

Quick as thought Annie, holding Tiger's collar, darted after her. The
little maid heard the footsteps; but seeing another gypsy girl, and their
own dog, Tiger, she took no further notice, but ran openly and very
swiftly across the field until she came to a broken wall. Here she tugged
and tugged at some loose stones, managed to push one away, and then
called down into the ground:

"Mother Rachel!"

"Come, Tiger," s