“One of the smugglers!” whispered Jo Ann, finally recovering her speech. “He was spying on us.”
“The one that grabbed the olla from you,” Florence breathed. “Let’s hurry back.”
The girls wheeled about and ran back down the stream.
CHAPTER XIII
THE POTTERY WOMAN’S WARNING
On coming in sight of Miss Prudence and Peggy, the two girls checked their steps.
“Let’s don’t mention seeing that man before Miss Prudence,” Jo Ann warned. “No use alarming her.”
“All right,” Florence agreed. “He didn’t act as if he were dangerous, anyway. He ran, too.”
“He didn’t want us to see him—to recognize him. What’s he doing here?”
Florence shook her head, puzzled. “I can’t imagine. The pottery woman said they always went on to the city after getting the pottery.”
All at once it dawned upon Jo Ann that they had not got any ferns and would soon be back at the pool empty-handed. “Miss Prudence’ll wonder why we didn’t get some ferns,” she said. “Let’s stop this minute and pull up some.”