Polly sat near
her looking on with restless, eager
eyes. She had never seen anything
of her own baby but its limp newborn
and dead body being carried
away out of sight. She had not even
dared to ask what was done with such
poor little carrion. The tyranny of
the law of life made her want to paw
and touch this lately born thing, as her
agony had given her no fruit of her
own body to touch and paw and nuzzle
and caress as mother creatures will
whether they be women or tigresses
or doves or female cats.
"Let me hold her, Glad," she half
whimpered. "When she 's fed let
me get her to sleep."
"All right," Glad answered; "we
could look after 'er between us well
enough."
The thief was still sitting on the
hearth, but being full fed and
comfortable for the first time in many a
day, he had rested his head against
the wall and fallen into profound
sleep.
"Wot 's up?" said Glad when the
two men came in. "Is anythin'
'appenin'?"
"I have come up here to tell you
something," Dart answered. "Let
us sit down again round the fire. It
will take a little time."
Glad with eager eyes on him
handed the child to Polly and sat
down without a moment's hesitance,
avid of what was to come. She
nudged the thief with friendly elbow
and he started up awake.
" 'E 's got somethin' to tell us,"
she explained. "The curick 's come
up to 'ear it, too. Sit 'ere, Polly,"
with elbow jerk toward the bundle
of sacks.
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