"Oh, I hope so," said Helen. "But that horrible old Gypsy—the queen, she calls herself—is very powerful."
"Not much she isn't!" laughed Tom. "Peck fully feels the importance of that star he wears. I think he would tackle a herd of elephants, if they were breaking the law."
So they sped on in the motor-car, feeling considerably better. The twins were very fond of each other, and were never really happy, when they were apart for long.
But when they ran down into Severn Corners, expecting to find Ruth at the constable's house, they were gravely disappointed. The forge was open and Sim Peck was shoeing a horse. He stood up, hammer in hand, when the motor-car stopped before the smithy.
"Hello!" he said to Tom. "Did you get her?"
"I got my sister. She's had an awful time. Those Gypsies ought to be all shut up in jail," said Tom, vigorously.
"Them 'Gyptians?" drawled Peck, in surprise. "What they got ter do with it?"
"Why, they had everything to do with it. Don't you know that they carried off both my sister here and Ruth Fielding?"
"Look here," said the blacksmith-constable, slowly, "let me understand this. Your sister has been with the 'Gyptians?"
"Yes. Didn't you find Ruth with them?"