She was leading a small girl, whose hair seemed to be black enough, and her skin as dusky as that of the genuine gypsy, but whose eyes were a bonny blue.
She looked eagerly at the boys, and seeing Lanky, held out her hands toward him.
“What is your name, little girl?” Lanky asked, ready to give a shout, so filled with excitement did he seem.
“Effie!” was the quick reply, in a childish voice, as the little one shrank from the old queen, who must have been very cruel to her, Frank thought.
“That settles it!” yelled Lanky, as he turned on Frank, the light of a second great victory in one day filling his dancing eyes.
The Chief would take no delay. He realized that should the gypsy men return and find him arresting their queen, trouble of some sort was apt to ensue. And while Chief Hogg could look very imposing in his fine uniform, and possibly frighten boys, and hungry hoboes, everyone knew he did not particularly like a rough-and-tumble fight.
And so they all climbed up into the wagon, when the return journey to town was begun. Fortunately they happened to meet none of the gypsies on the way. And the old queen seemed to be sure that she could prove her statement, so that she would be held guiltless. If anyone was guilty of abduction it must have been the half-crazed woman who came with the child. And she had long since passed to a land where human laws could never reach her.
It turned out just as the gypsy queen had said. She had been wise enough long before to write an account of the happening, and have it published in some little country paper, that, having no circulation outside of the village where it was printed, was never seen by those who searched far and wide for traces of the long-lost daughter of the rich Elversons.
And when she produced a copy of this it was seen that she could not be held on any charge, unless that of cruelty toward the child. But she had been smart enough never to whip the little girl in a manner that would leave any traces; and so, there being no witnesses, and a mere child’s word not holding against that of the whole tribe, she was finally allowed to go.
The tribe disappeared that same hour, nor did they ever again come back to the vicinity of Columbia.