"Hallo, little Bets!" he said in a cautious voice. "Why are you here? Have you come to see the circus?"
"No," said Bets, standing up and speaking in a low voice too. "We heard you had a friend here, Luke, and we wanted to find you and talk to you — so we thought perhaps you had gone to your friend."
"He's my uncle," said Luke. "I don't like him much, but I couldn't think of anyone else to go to. You see, I was afraid they'd put me into prison for stealing Dark Queen. So I ran away."
"But you didn't steal her, did you?" said Bets.
" 'Course not," said Luke. "As if I'd go stealing anything! I'd be too scared, let alone it's wrong. Are you alone?"
"No; the others are here too," said Bets. "They have gone to find Jake to ask if you are here."
"Oh," said Luke. "Well, I didn't tell him anything about the trouble I'm in — nothing about Dark Queen, I mean. I was afraid if I told him that he'd not hide me here. I just told him I'd got into trouble with my stepfather and wanted to run away with the circus. I showed him the bruises where my stepfather hit me last night, and he said he'd hide me till the circus went away and take me with him. He can do with a strong lad like me to help."
"Did your stepfather beat you?" said Bets, with great sympathy. "Oh, Luke, you do have a bad time, don't you? I hope the others don't say anything to Jake about the stolen cat; but I don't think they will. They were only going to say that they wanted to give you a message."
"Well, if they tell him I'm suspected of stealing anything, he'll not keep me here, that's certain," said Luke.
"No circus-folk like to be mixed up with the police. Don't you go and tell anyone I'm here, will you, Bets? I've got to keep hidden in this caravan till the circus moves off."