He sat up and looked around. What could it all mean? When finally it dawned upon him where he was, he set up a wail and then stood in bewilderment.
“I won’t go home, you naughty frog,” Robert cried
In a moment he started in fresh horror, hearing wheels close at hand.
“Supposing it’s gypsies,” he groaned, “and they should carry me off! Oh dear! Oh dear!”
Nearer came the wheels. There was no way of escape. All he could do was to drop down beside the road and keep so still maybe they’d think he was a log of wood.
Now he heard voices. There might be twenty of them. Twenty gypsies! Could it be they were going by without noticing him? Robert hardly dared to breathe.
“Whoa there! What’s this?”
A big man leaped from the team. Robert closed his eyes and tried to pray. But all that he could think of was, “Now I lay me,” and that would never do.
A lantern was flashed in his face. “Bless my stars, if it isn’t our own Robert!”