ome up!" the woman urged on the great white
oxen. "It is growing late, and the good man will wonder why we are so
long returning from market. This has been our holiday," she explained
to Gigi. "And to think that the Tumblers should have happened to come
to the market this very day! The children will never forget!"

Beppo had been staring at Gigi with fascinated eyes. "How did you
learn?" he asked suddenly. "Could I do it too?"

Gigi laughed. For the first time that day his face lost its sadness,
and the brown spot on his eyelid, falling into one of the little
creases, gave him a very mischievous look. He seemed to wink.
Immediately the whole cartful of peasants began to laugh with him, they
knew not why. They could not help it. This was what happened whenever
Gigi laughed, as he seldom did.

But soon Gigi grew grave once more. "Why do you want to learn?" he
asked. "It does not make me happy. For oh! they are so cruel!"

"Do they beat you much?" asked Paolo sympathetically. Gigi nodded his
head with a sigh. "Very much," he said. "I am always black and blue."

"Am I too big to learn?" demanded Giovanni, the oldest boy, who was
perhaps twelve and heavier than Gigi. "When did you begin?"

Gigi grew thoughtful. "Ever since I remember, I have tumbled," he
said. "Ever since I was a baby, before I could even turn a somersault,
they tossed me back and forth between them and made me kiss my hand to
the people who stood about."

"And did they beat you then?" asked Beppo, doubling up his fists.

Gigi sighed again. "They always beat me," he said simply. "Whatever I
did, they beat me when they were ugly. And that was always."

"Do you belong to them?" asked the woman suddenly. "They are Gypsies,
black men. But you are fair like the people of the North. Where did
they get you, Gigi?"

Gigi shook his head. "I do not know," he said. "I have belonged to
them always, I think."

"Hark!" said Mother Margherita suddenly. "What's that?"

There was a faint noise far off on the road behind them. Gigi
trembled. "They are coming for me!" he said. "What shall I do?"

"No, no," said the woman. "I do not fear that. It is too soon,
surely. But it is growing dark here in the valley. This is a lonely
spot, and there are many wicked men about besides your masters, Gigi."

"Thieves and villains!" whispered Giovanni. "Oh, mother, hide the bag
of silver that you got at market!"

"Sh! Sh!" warned the mot