fear lest some one would hear what he was
saying.

"But this is our Toby pony," insisted Bunny. "We want him."

"What makes you think he's your pony?" growled the gypsy, and as he
turned to look back toward the tents and wagons Bunny and Sue saw a
gypsy woman coming toward them.

"I know he's our pony, 'cause he's got a white spot on his head,"
answered Sue.

"And he's got one white foot," added Bunny. "And he can do tricks. If I
had a handkerchief I'd show you how he can pick it up."

"Here's my handkerchief!" offered Sue.

Bunny took it and dropped it on the grass near Toby. At once the little
Shetland pony picked it up and held it out to Bunny, as he had been
taught to do.

"And here's a lump of sugar for you!" cried Bunny, as he gave Toby a
piece, for the little boy had lately always carried some in his pocket,
hoping Toby might be found.

"See!" went on Bunny. "He _is_ our pony, and he can do more tricks than
this. He can ring a bell."

By this time the gypsy woman had come up. She did not smile as she asked
the man:

"What's the matter here?"

"Oh, these children think this is their pony," he said, and he laughed,
but it was not a nice laugh.

"Their pony! Why, the very idea!" cried the woman. "This is _my_ pony,
and I'm going to keep him."

"But he's our Toby!" exclaimed Sue. "Our daddy bought him from Mr.
Tallman."

The man and woman talked in a low voice. What they said Bunny and Sue
could not hear, but soon the woman remarked:

"Perhaps this may look like your pony, my dears, but he can't be,
because he's mine. Lots of ponies look alike, even with white feet and
white marks on their heads. This one isn't yours. Now you run along
home. Maybe your pony will be in your stable when you get there."

"No, this is our pony!" said Bunny in a brave voice, "and we're going to
take him with us. A boy showed us where your camp was, and he's going to
stop for us on his way back and help us take Toby home. This is our pony
and we're going to have him."

"And we want Splash, our dog," added Bunny's Sister Sue. "And if you
don't let us take Toby maybe Splash will bite you!"

Nothing could have made Bunny and Sue braver than to think they were not
going to have their pony after they had found him. They did not feel at
all afraid of the scowling gypsies.

And the gypsies were scowling now, and seemed angry. Again they talked
together in low voices. Bunny walked close to Toby once more, and took
hold