“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,” answered his grandfather. “Miss Fanny, if you will stay here I will go and look after the young gentleman, for if he tumbles into the bog he will not get out again without help. There is no danger, only we must not lose time.”
Saying this, old Alec hurried off in the direction from which Robby had appeared.
Fanny for a moment forgot all about her bird which she had put down in its cage on the window-sill, and ran after old Alec. He strode on at a rapid rate, so that she had a difficulty in overtaking him. After some time she heard him shouting, “Stop, boy, stop!” and saw him waving with his hand.