Zingra dropped her hold of her mother's skirt, and clasped Tim around the neck. At first Tom was afraid the dog might resent this treatment, but instead of doing so he seemed much flattered by the little girl's embrace, and licked her brown cheek.
"It isn't often a dog will hurt a child," Mrs. Lee observed; "Zingra's like her father, and has a soft spot in her heart for dumb animals."
"Don't you keep a dog?" inquired Tom.
The woman shook her head. "Our last was shot by a gamekeeper," she said, and Moses says he won't get another. "The poor creature crawled back to the caravan wounded, and died." She passed her hand across her eyes. "I can't bear to think of it," she added feelingly.
"I dare say not," Tom answered, with ready sympathy.
Mrs. Lee was a very friendly and talkative woman. She informed Tom that there were three families encamped on the Green, and that the heads of the families, with the exception of herself, had gone to attend a fair which was being held at a town some miles distant; she had been left to fulfil some domestic duties and see the children came to no harm, she explained. By and by she asked Tom if he would like to look around, and when he gave an eager assent, allowed him to go into the tents, one of which was used as a kitchen and had a stove in it, whilst the other was the sleeping quarters for the men. The gipsy children had all stopped their game and were clustered around Zingra, watching her and Tim.
"I think I must be going now," Tom remarked at last, "they don't know at home where I am; so I must say good-bye, Mrs. Lee. Come, Tim!"
"No, no!" cried Zingra, "me keep Tim!" And she held the dog tight by his collar.
There was a general laugh at this, but Zingra was quite serious. Tom, intensely amused, answered gaily: "Very well, then. That's settled. Good-bye everybody!"
He did not speak to Tim again, but scarcely had he taken half-a-dozen steps when there was an outcry from Zingra. Tim, the moment he had seen his master turn his back on the Green, had struggled himself free; he now bounded up to Tom and jumped against him in a state of great excitement.