n babby, stolen from
me in hinnocent hinfancy. 'And 'im over--and we'll not 'ave the law on
yer this time."

He snatched the Baby from Anthea, who turned scarlet and burst into
tears of pure rage.

[Illustration: He snatched the baby from Anthea]

The others were standing quite still; this was much the most terrible
thing that had ever happened to them. Even being taken up by the police
in Rochester was nothing to this. Cyril was quite white, and his hands
trembled a little, but he made a sign to the others to shut up. He was
silent a minute, thinking hard. Then he said--

"We don't want to keep him if he's yours. But you see he's used to us.
You shall have him if you want him"--

"No, no!" cried Anthea,--and Cyril glared at her.

"Of course we want him," said the women, trying to get the Baby out of
the man's arms. The Lamb howled loudly.

"Oh, he's hurt!" shrieked Anthea; and Cyril, in a savage undertone, bade
her "stop it!"

"You trust to me," he whispered. "Look here," he went on, "he's awfully
tiresome with people he doesn't know very well. Suppose we stay here a
bit till he gets used to you, and then when it's bedtime I give you my
word of honour we'll go away and let you keep him if you want to. And
then when we're gone you can decide which of you is to have him, as you
all want him so much."

"That's fair enough," said the man who was holding the Baby, trying to
loosen the red neckerchief which the Lamb had caught hold of and drawn
round his mahogany throat so tight that he could hardly breathe. The
gipsies whispered together, and Cyril took the chance to whisper too. He
said, "Sunset! we'll get away then."

And then his brothers and sisters were filled with wonder and admiration
at his having been so clever as to remember this.

"Oh, do let him come to us!" said Jane. "See, we'll sit down here and
take care of him for you till he gets used to you."

"What about dinner?" said Robert suddenly. The others looked at him with
scorn. "Fancy bothering about your beastly dinner when your br--I mean
when the Baby"--Jane whispered hotly. Robert carefully winked at her and
went on--

"You won't mind my just running home to get our dinner?" he said to the
gipsy; "I can bring it out here in a basket."

His brothers and sisters felt themselves very noble and despised him.
They did not know his thoughtful secret intention. But the gipsies did
in a minute.

"Oh yes!" they said; "and then fetch the police wi