, and believing that he knew the way as
well as she did.

Robby soon got up, and felt more vexed at the way he had been treated by
the young master, than hurt by his tumble. Fanny had gone round into
the garden, where she sat down on a bench in the shade, and planed her
bird by her side, quite unaware of what had happened. The bird, which
was unusually tame, seemed from the first to understand that she was to
be its future mistress. It came at once to the bars of the cage, and
put out its beak to receive the seed with which old Alec had provided
her, that she might feed it. She would have liked to have taken it out
of its cage that it might perch on her fingers, but she thought that
would not be wise, in case it might take it into its head to fly off for
an excursion, and perhaps not be willing to return to captivity.

"I wonder what name I shall give you," she said, talking to the bird.
"Old Alec did not tell me if you have got one. Shall I call you Dickey,
Flapsey, or Pecksy? I must have a name for you. Perhaps granny will
help me to find one. What name would you like to be called by, pretty
bird? I wonder what are the names of birds; I know that parrots are
called Poll and Pretty Poll, and jackdaws and magpies Jack and Mag, but
such names would not do for you. I want something that sounds soft and
pretty just like yourself." Thus she ran on, and the time went by till
at last old Alec returned to the cottage, and not finding her there,
came into the garden to look for her.

"Why, Miss Fanny, what has become of your little brother?" he inquired.

"Is not he playing with Robby on the other side of the house?" asked
Fanny, somewhat astonished.

"I can neither see him nor Robby," answered old Alec. He shouted out,
"Robby! Robby!" but received no answer.

"It seems very strange," said Fanny; "I heard them playing happily
together not long ago."

At last old Alec went round the house and again shouted. A faint cry
came from a distance, and he saw Robby running towards him.

"What is the matter?" asked old Alec, as soon as Robby got up to him.

"The young master went off with the carriage, and I ran after him to
call him back, and instead of going towards home, he has taken the way
to the peat bog. I called to him to stop, but he only went faster, and
so I came back to get you, grandfather, to follow him, for if he once
tumbled in I could not help him out again."

"You are a wise boy, Robby," answer