This was the less wonderful, that he generally
escaped at night to a gypsy camp, and courted a gypsy girl, who was
nearly as handsome as himself, besides being older, and far more
knowing.
His tongue went like a mill, and the whole tribe soon knew all about
him and his parents.
One morning the servants got up supernaturally early, to wash. Mr.
Reginald was detected stealing back to his roost, and reported to the
master.
Mr. Beecher had him up directly, locked him into the study alone, put
the other students into the drawing-room, and erected bars to his
bedroom window.
A few days of this, and he pined like a bird in a cage.
A few more, and his gypsy girl came fortune-telling to the servants,
and wormed out the truth.
Then she came at night under his window, and made him a signal. He told
her his hard case, and told her also a resolution he had come to. She
informed the tribe. The tribe consulted. A keen saw was flung up to
him; in two nights he was through the bars; the third he was free, and
joined his sable friends.
They struck their tents, and decamped with horses, asses, tents, and
baggage, and were many miles away by daybreak, without troubling
turnpikes.
The boy left not a line behind him, and Mr. Beecher half hoped he might
come back; still he sent to the nearest station, and telegraphed to
Huntercombe.
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