CHAPTER XXII THE GYPSY CAMP
Cora sat in a brown study as the boat hummed its way to the home landing.
"A penny for your thoughts, fair lady," said Walter, as he lounged lazilyon the cushions.
"Why," said Cora, "I was wondering what were the special businessrelations between Mr. Morley and Mr. Baxter."
"Hard to tell," replied Walter lightly. "Perhaps Mr. Baxter is an authoror an illustrator, and they're getting up a book together on botany, orsomething of the kind."
"I hardly think it's that," put in Jack. "I told you before that Ithought he was a detective, and something that he said when Cora was lostmakes me believe it all the more. He said that he knew the authorities insome of the towns, and they'd be glad to oblige him. That sounds to memore like a detective than an author talking."
"It does for a fact," agreed Paul. "But what do you suppose a detectiveand Mr. Morley have in common?"
"Mr. Morley said that Mr. Baxter was doing some special work for him andthat he was very clever," said Cora.
"Mr. Morley may have been robbed, and he may be trying to trace therobbers," suggested Belle.
"If it were only that, there wouldn't be much romance or interest aboutit," mused Cora. "But I have an idea it's something more intimate andpersonal than that."
"It seems to me that a robbery is a pretty personal and intimate thing,"laughed Walter.
"Cora means that there's a heart interest somewhere in Mr. Morley'slife," put in Bess, "but of course you boys are too sordid to understandanything like that."
As they passed the barn on their way to the bungalow they met Joel, whohad just put up his horse. He seemed a bit out of sorts, and as this wasunusual for him, it attracted their attention.
"What's the matter, Joel?" asked Jack.
"Nuthin' much," answered Joel. "But I jest heerd thet them pesky gypsieshez pitched their camp over near Wilton, an' it's kinda rubbed my fur thewrong way. I won't hev an easy minute till I know they've packed up theirkits an' hit the trail again."
"The gypsies!" exclaimed Cora. "I wonder if it is the same camp we sawbefore."
"I suppose that's likely," returned Jack. "There isn't usually more thanone camp in the same part of the country. They spread out pretty thin andkeep apart. Besides, this fits in with the old pirate we saw the otherday. He was prospecting, all right, and he picked out the vicinity ofWilton because he saw good graft in the town and the big hotel."
"Are you sure the news is straight?" asked Paul. "How did you hear aboutit?"
"Thet Baxter feller wuz drivin' by, an' he told me," replied Joel. "Wussnews I've heerd in a dog's age."
But if the news disgruntled Joel, it gave immense satisfaction to therest of the party, especially the girls. They restrained theirjubilation, however, until they got beyond Joel's hearing.
"Isn't it darling!" exclaimed Cora. "Now we'll have a chance to see thatgypsy girl again!"
"All the good it will do you," jeered Walter. "That old horse thief willbe on the job again, and keep her from talking with you. For some reasonhe seems to have it in for us."
"Let's drive over to-morrow," suggested Bess.
"I'd like nothing better," agreed her sister.
"Let's give Joel a pleasure and take him along," put in Walter with awicked grin.
"It would make him froth at the mouth just to look at them," laughedJack. "I guess in the interest of the public peace we'd better keep Joelas far away from them as possible."
"I'm just going to make that girl talk!" declared Cora emphatically.
"Not a very hard thing as a rule," chaffed Walter. "The difficulty isusually to keep the girls from talking. But these gypsies are a cannylot. For some reason or other they're suspicious of us, and they'll keeptheir eyes on us as long as we're in camp."
"Let's go in disguise," laughed Paul. "I'll make up as a clown."
"That wouldn't be any disguise," jabbed Bess.
"That ought to hold you for a while, old man," laughed Jack. "But let'sgo in to supper. I'm ravenous. We'll have plenty of time to think of thegypsies later on."
The next day was bright and clear, and shortly after lunch the cars werebrought out and the party of young people started for Wilton.
There was a fairly good road most of the way, but there were patches thatled through the woods that were rather rough, and over these the cars hadto move more slowly.
"Suppose that bear of ours should turn up now," suggested Walter, as theypassed through an especially dense portion of the forest.
"Don't speak of it," shivered Bess, looking fearfully on either side."What on earth would we do?"
"Run for it, I guess," replied Paul laconically. "He'd have to be prettyfast to overtake us."
"But suppose he jumped out in front of us," said Belle.
"Then we'd have to put on full speed ahead and bump him," laughed Jack."He'd be as surprised as the bull that tried to throw the locomotive offthe track."
"And about as badly mussed up, I imagine," added Walter.
But at the same time he reflected that it might have been just as well tohave brought Joel's rifle along, and in his secret heart he was relievedwhen the cars got out again on the open road.
They slowed up a little as they drew near Wilton, and scanned narrowlyboth sides of the road.
"There it is!" exclaimed Bess eagerly, pointing to a large opening in thewoods a little to the right.
"So it is," acquiesced Belle. "I can see the vans through the trees."
"And we're not the only visitors, either," remarked Jack, as they caughtsight of a number of well dressed people walking about the camp.
"So much the better," replied Cora. "We won't be so conspicuous, and thegypsies will be so busy with the crowd that they'll take no specialnotice of us."
They left their cars under the shade of some trees and mingled with thethrong.
"I give them credit for having picked out a good place," remarked Jack.
"They seem to be doing a land-office business," observed Walter.
"I don't see that old fellow around that has such a grudge against us,"said Paul.
"Probably off somewhere cheating some farmer in a horse trade," grinnedJack.
They passed a group of rather fast-looking young men, who were talkingand laughing loudly, and Bess suddenly plucked Cora by the sleeve.
"Don't look now," she murmured, "but after we get behind that clump oftrees, take a look at that crowd we've just passed. There's an oldacquaintance of yours there."
Cora did as directed and gave a start of surprise.
"Why," she exclaimed, "it's the man who tried to steal my purse!"