Lanky followed her with his eyes. Frank could see a puzzled expression on the face of his chum, and that he was shaking his head, as though unable to make out how he had come to mistake a girl like that for a little thing begging for his assistance.
Evidently Lanky’s ambition had dropped until it was now very near the zero mark.
Frank was genuinely interested in all the wonderful arrangements which the new traveling van had for sleeping, cooking, and even writing; though a gypsy is not supposed to do much of this last.
He asked numerous questions, just as the men had done when seeking information concerning the coming athletic contests. And the old woman did not seem at all averse about telling him whatever he wanted to know.
Frank, however, was not so wrapped up in his desire to learn facts but what he could use his eyes to good advantage. And he noticed that several times while she was thus explaining things, the old gypsy would shoot a triumphant glance over in the direction of Lanky.
Apparently she must have guessed something of the motive that influenced that Columbia High student to wander out to the camp on this Sunday afternoon. And no doubt she was chuckling to herself over her success in hoodwinking Lanky. His blank face gave her satisfaction, Frank felt sure. And he believed he knew the reason for it, too.
After spending at least fifteen minutes in the big van talking with the owner, who seemed much more intelligent than Frank had ever believed any gypsy could be, the boys made a move as if to go.
“Will you come again?” she asked, seeming to direct the query toward Lanky; and that worthy took it upon himself to reply.
“I hardly think so. You see, we’re in the big run that winds up the meet, and after school we’ll have to be practicing, so as to keep in condition. Besides,” with a sigh, “I guess we’ve seen everything now.”
Lanky was plainly much disheartened as he started to leave the gypsy camp. He even failed to answer the parting remarks from several of the men, who seemed to rather look upon the two boys in the light of friends, after receiving so much information that promised to be valuable to them as horse traders. And so Frank had to wave a good-bye for both of them.