“He isn’t an Italian, he’s a Gypsy,” said the mate. “I’ve seen him before. His tribe is stopping somewhere in the woods near Bear Pond. He wants to get off at Madison’s dock. All right. I’ve got a box for there, too. All aboard!” and he hurried off.
Natalie looked into the steamer, and saw a tall, swarthy man sitting in the cabin. There were one or two other passengers.
“At Bear Pond!” she murmured. “There are Gypsies at Bear Pond! Perhaps Hadee is there. We must have a look, and we won’t tell the boys, or Mr. Jackson.”
Quickly she told her companions what she had overheard.
“Shall we try to find the camp?” she concluded.
“Yes!” agreed Mabel eagerly. “Only I should think that constable would know enough to inquire of the boat captains about the Gypsies.”
“Probably it was so simple that it didn’t occur to him,” said Mrs. Bonnell. “But I must consider about letting you girls go off on this wild-goose chase alone.”
“Oh, you’d come with us; of course!” exclaimed Marie. “I think it will be fun!”
“So do I!” agreed Alice. “And we can take along the ammonia gun, in case the dogs bark at us. There are always a lot of dogs about a Gypsy camp.”
“Wait a minute!” called Blake to the girls, as they were rowing away. “We’ll go with you. We’ve got some news for you!”