And now that you know where your Happy Land actually lies, don't you
think we'd better make tracks for it as soon as we can?" said Bambo at
length, speaking out of the silence that had fallen over the group. For
both Darby and Bambo had been thinking, and Joan was asleep, with her
head resting against the dwarf's shoulder.

"Why do you say 'we'? Are you going to come with us?" asked Darby, in
great delight. "Oh, how kind you are! But won't you be very tired
walking all that long way to Firgrove and back again, and your cough so
troublesome?" he inquired with concern.

"I won't want to come back again, sonny. I've been intending to leave
Joe and Moll for a good while past. I always put off and put off. Having
no friends to go to, and there being nothing else I could fall back upon
for a living, I suppose I was timid about making a change. Now I can see
God's hand in it. He kept me on with the Harrises because He had
something He wants poor Bambo to do before he dies. If only I can hold
out until I deliver you and little missy safe into the care of your
friends, that's all I'll ask. My work will then be done; I'll be ready
for the call whenever the messenger comes."

"How? what do you mean?" asked Darby, in an eager whisper, for he was
frightened--awed, rather--he knew not why, by the look on the dwarf's
face.

"Because, deary, Bambo's soon going home--home to the dear Lord Jesus,
whose love has made the world a happy land for the poor, despised,
misshapen dwarf since first I sought and found Him waiting and willing
to claim and receive me--_me_--even me, for His own."

The ready tears coursed quickly down Darby's cheeks, but he remained
silent. He did not know rightly what he ought to say, and, guided by the
inimitable tact, the heaven-born wisdom of childhood, said simply
nothing.

"Whish! here's Moll," spoke Bambo, in a warning undertone. "Don't let on
to her what we've been talking about. Better not say anything to missy,
either; but the very first chance we get we'll give them the slip--see
if we won't! Don't fret, sonny," he added, giving Darby's hand a
reassuring squeeze. "Just you leave things to me, and never fear, for
God will certainly set us free."

Almost directly Joe and Tonio returned. Joe was ravenously hungry and
extremely cross because they had come back empty-handed, and Joe did not
like that. He had an odd and occasionally inconvenient knack of picking
up something--no matter what--wherever he