however, he began wondering what character of person he had
rescued and from what or from whom she was running away, it being
characteristic of Ambrose that first he had done what was required of
him, and later had desired to ask questions. In the haste and
semi-darkness it had been impossible to tell whether the child was a
gypsy or a mere ordinary waif, and she had looked so young--twelve or a
little more perhaps. There was nothing much to judge by except that she
was little and light and that her eyes were dark and shiny and she had
two braids of long hair. But by and by of its own accord the figure
under the laprobe started talking. "Don't let anybody take me
away,--say you ain't seen me if they come along," she pleaded in such a
tone that it was only possible for Ambrose to give a reassuring pat to
her head and then to drive more rapidly along. Once when there was a
moment of unusual stillness he did peep under the laprobe, only to catch
sight of a pair of grateful eyes upturned to his and to jerk back his
hand from the touch of cold lips.

Fifteen minutes of what had seemed totally unnecessary hiding, as there
were few vehicles abroad on the turnpike at this late hour, and then
both the occupants of the gig heard a furious pounding of a horse's
hoofs behind them and knew that something or some one was being pursued.

The girl's clasp tightened, and Ambrose could catch, not the words, but
the sound of a prayer. Harder than ever before in all their ten years of
friendly intimacy the boy now spurred on old Liza. It might have been
just as well had he known why he was being thus chivalrous, but there
had been no opportunity so far for finding out, and everything in
Ambrose played gallantly with this new adventure. He was still a boy
with a boy's love of mischief, of hiding, of winning in any kind of
game, and susceptibility to instant sympathy.

Old Liza was a retired racehorse, and although her retirement dated some
years back, still she was subject to spurts of speed. However, the best
of spurts won't hold out long, and soon her driver realized that the
wagon behind was gaining on him every moment.

"Keep still!" he ordered, deliberately pulling up short in the middle of
the road. With a quick movement, seeing that the truant was completely
hidden, he set his carpet-bag up on his lap, and, opening it, began
rummaging among its contents. When the other wagon was within hailing
distance he turned slowly about.