would make them let Tim come wif us?" added Pamela,
shivering, nevertheless. "I'd _try_ not to be frightened. Poor Tim--he
has been so good to us, us can't go and leave him all alone."

"But, my deary," said Barbara, "I don't rightly see what we can do for
him. The police might think it right to keep us all there too--and I'm
that eager to get you home to ease your dear Grandmamma and the General.
I think it's best to go on and get your Grandpapa to write about the
poor boy."

But now the idea of rescuing Tim was in the children's heads it was not
so easy to get rid of it. They stood still looking at each other and at
Mrs. Twiss with tears in their eyes; they had come by this time perhaps
half a mile from where they had met their friends. The high-road was
here shadier and less dusty, and it was anything but inviting to think
of retracing the long stretch to Monkhaven, though from where they
stood, a turn in the road hid it from them. All at once a whistle caught
their ears--a whistle two or three times repeated in a particular
way--Toby pricked up his ears, put himself in a very valiant attitude,
and barked with a great show of importance, as much as to say, "Just you
look out now, whoever you are. _I_ am on guard now." But his bark did
not seem to strike awe into the whistler, whoever he was. Again his note
sounded clear and cheery. And this time, with a cry of "It's Tim, it's
Tim," off flew Duke and Pam down the road, followed by Barbara--Toby of
course keeping up a running accompaniment of flying circles round the
whole party till at last the sight of his beloved little master and
mistress hugging and kissing a bright-eyed, clean-faced, but sadly
ragged boy was altogether too much for his refined feelings, and he
began barking with real fury, flinging himself upon Tim as if he really
meant to bite him.

Duke caught him up.

"Silly Toby," he cried, "it's Tim. You must learn to know Tim;" and old
Barbara coming up by this time and speaking to the boy in a friendly
tone, poor Toby's misgivings were satisfied, and he set to work to
wagging his tail in a slightly subdued manner.

Then came explanations on both sides. Tim had to tell how he had slipped
himself out through the window, narrow as it was, and how, thanks to an
old water-butt and some loose bricks in the wall, he had scrambled down
like a cat, and made off as fast as his legs would carry him to the
place where he had left the children.

"And when you wa