“Besides, Natalie doesn’t know any one up here who has a launch, and with whom she would go to supper,” went on Mabel.
“Now, it’s your turn to throw cold water,” objected her brother. “How do you know whom Nat might have met since she’s been up here? You girls aren’t always together, and she may have met some young fellow, and not wanted to tell you about him,” and he looked over at Blake, and nudged Phil.
“That’s right,” chimed in the latter.
“Oh, nonsense!” exclaimed his sister. “Natalie wouldn’t do such a thing as that. Oh, but what can we do?”
“Hadn’t we better notify some one—some of the constables—and have him get up a searching party?”
“Say, those constables aren’t worth their salt,” declared Jack. “They couldn’t find a lost cow, let alone a pretty girl. Why, they couldn’t even find the Gypsy camp, and that was plain enough after you girls got on the trail. The constables are no good!”
“Then what can we do?” asked Mabel. “We must do something to find her. It’s awful to stand around this way and do nothing!” and she stamped her foot in troubled vexation.
“I’ll get those young fellows at the other camp,” said Phil. “Then we’ll start some of them out in the boat, and the rest of us will search through the woods again.”
“I guess that plan is as good as any,” agreed Mrs. Bonnell. “Poor Natalie! I wonder what possessed her to go off by herself?”
“Maybe she got some clue to the lost Gypsy girl?” suggested Jack.