“Come!” cried Dave, as he pulled Jessie to her feet. “We’ve no time to spare! Let us get out of sight as quickly as possible!”
He glanced over his shoulder, to see that Roger had Laura by the arm and was forcing her along. All four ran among the trees, not knowing, however, in which direction they were heading.
“Oh, Dave, they are after us!” panted Jessie.
Our hero glanced back and saw that several gypsies and Nick Jasniff had just emerged from the bungalow, some with pistols and others with clubs in their hands.
“This way, quick!” he exclaimed, and pointed to a little gully but a few feet away.
He and Jessie leaped into this, and Roger and Laura immediately followed. The hollow was filled with weeds and brushwood.
“Say, can’t we hide here?” asked Roger.
“They’d be after us in a minute, Roger,” answered Dave. “Come on!” and he pushed his way down along the hollow until they reached the tiny watercourse which flowed from the spring near the roadway. Here was a heavy clump of trees, some of the branches close to the ground.
“Now then, up you go!” cried Dave, and he and Roger assisted the two girls into the nearest tree branches. Then the young men hauled themselves up.
“Now climb up as high as you can,” directed Dave to Jessie and his sister. And then all four went up the tree a distance of twenty feet or more.