“Shucks! I know,” exclaimed the other, suddenly.
“I think I’ve guessed it, too,” Frank went on to say. “I remember that bill-poster said he had a few more notices of the meet to stick up; and the chances are he’s been along here in his buggy. Pudge Watkins wouldn’t stop because it was Sunday. You never saw him at church in your life.”
“That’s what!” echoed Lanky. “And looks like the gyps might be some stuck on that colored show-bill, too, Frank. Hope they like it well enough to figure on staying around this section till after the athletic stunts have been pulled off.”
“Suppose we stop here a bit, and listen to what they say?” suggested Frank.
“I’ll go you on that idea,” replied Lanky. “It may put us wise about what they mean to do.”
Accordingly the two lads drew in toward the group that stood in front of the placard tacked to the tree, where it could be easily seen from the road. Just as both of them had guessed, it was one of the posters gotten up by the wide-awake committee of arrangements, telling in glowing language of the splendid program that had been made up for the coming Wednesday afternoon.
Of course the boys had read it many times before. Indeed, they knew about the whole thing from beginning to end. And yet, as both their names occurred among the numerous entries for the prizes about to be competed for, it was only natural that they should be pleased to stand there, and listen to the various comments.
Some of the gypsy men were curious about the nature of the affair. Evidently they had never been given the privilege of witnessing such a tournament; and feeling a certain amount of interest in things that pertained to manly sports, they were even then trying to get additional information by “pumping” an old farmer, who, with his wife and three small children, happened to be sitting in a wagon near by.
As he turned out to be almost as unfamiliar with the nature of the meet as the road-roamers themselves, their success was not very flattering. A couple of very small town boys who had wandered out that way endeavored to supply the lack of knowledge, but did not seem to be making much progress when Frank and Lanky came along.
Some of the gypsy men turned to the new arrivals with a list of questions, and Lanky was only too willing to answer to the best of his ability.