. Well,
Diana?"

"You must go at once--no, not just at once, but as soon as the dawn
breaks. That man's coming for them at nine, and once in his hands----!"
Diana shook her head, and though she said no more the boy understood
her, that then all hope of escape would be gone.

"I'll be ready," said Tim.

CHAPTER X.

A BOAT AND A BABY.

"And now I _have_ a little boat."
_Peter Bell._

The children were still sleeping when the first straggling feeble rays
of dawn began to creep through the darkness. Diana stood at the door of
the van and looked anxiously at the sunrise. Her experienced eye soon
saw that it was going to be a fine day, and she gave a sigh of relief.
She was still dressed as she had been the night before, for she had not
slept, not lain down even--so great had been her fear of falling
asleep--at all. She had spent all the dark hours in preparing for the
flight of the little prisoners--all that her hands, untrained in such
matters as sewing and mending, could do to make the twins appear in
decent guise on their return to their own home had been done. And now
all was ready. There was nothing to do but to wake them and explain to
them what was before them. Tim was already up and off--for she had
arranged with him to meet the children a little way out of the town, and
he had tapped at the door of the van as he passed.

There was no one stirring among the queer inhabitants of the fair, as
Diana remarked with satisfaction. Everything was perfectly still, and
with a sigh the gipsy girl stepped up into the van again and went
through to the inner part. Duke and Pamela were lying much as they had
been the evening before. It seemed a pity to wake them, but it had to be
done. Diana stooped down and gently shook Duke's arm.

"Master," she said,--"master and missy, you must wake up."

Duke opened his sleepy eyes and stared before him; Pamela, more quickly
awakened, started up, crying:

"What is it, Diana? It isn't that naughty man come for us?"

"No, no," said the gipsy, glad to see that Pamela had her wits about
her. "It is that Tim is ready to run away with you, as you've so often
planned. And you must get up and dress as quick as you can before Mick
or any one is awake, for the man will be coming this morning, and I must
have you ever so far away before then."

Her words completely aroused both children. In an instant they were on
their feet, nervously eager to be