CHAPTER XII.
THE LANGUAGE OF SIGNS.
It happened just as the boys had expected. While turning her head so often to see how near these persistent pursuers were, the woman had caught her foot in a stout vine.
She had been hurled to the ground with considerable force, but apparently received no serious injury. When she tried to regain her feet, however, on each occasion the clinging vine refused to release its hold. As a consequence she went down again.
Finally, as though realizing the uselessness of further struggling against Fate, the woman stopped trying to get up.
Having twisted around in some manner, she just sat there and stared at the three boys in khaki.
"Now she's wondering what we're going to do," said Mark, as they stood with the woman between them.
"Yes, she's frightened again, poor thing," remarked Elmer. "I'm afraid it's these uniforms that have done it. She surely takes us for soldiers, and thinks we've come here just to arrest the whole bunch."
"I'm glad of one thing, though," said Lil Artha.
"What might that be?" asked Elmer.