“She’s a queer case, that Zara,” said Dolly, with a little shiver. “If any other girl I knew said anything like that, I’d just laugh at her. But Zara’s different, somehow. She seems sort of mysterious. Perhaps it’s just because she’s a foreigner–I don’t know.”
“I spoke to you so that we could be on the lookout, Dolly. And I guess we’d better not say anything to anyone else. I think a lot of the girls would laugh at Zara if they knew that she had such ideas.”
Bessie and Dolly managed to find occasion to cover most of the beach before supper, and they went up to the spring at the top of the bluff that overlooked the beach. The water had been piped down, and there was no longer any need of carrying pails up there to get water, but it was still a pleasant little walk, for the view from the top of the path was delightful. And Bessie and Dolly remembered, moreover, that it was there that the men who had watched the camp on the night of the fire had hidden themselves. But this time they found no one there.
Supper was a merry meal. The race of the afternoon was, of course, the principal topic of conversation, and in addition there were adventures to be told by those who had missed it and gone into Bay City to shop.
But Bessie, watching Zara, noticed toward the end of the meal that her strange little friend, who happened to be sitting near the entrance of the tent in which they ate, was nervous and kept looking behind her out into the darkness as if she saw something. And so, with a whispered explanation to Dolly, she rose and crept very silently toward the door. As she passed Zara, she let her hand fall reassuringly on her shoulder, and then, gathering herself, sprang out into the night.
And, so completely surprised by her sudden appearance that he could not get out of the way, there was Jake Hoover! Jake Hoover, who was supposed to be in the city, telling his story to Charlie Jamieson! Jake Hoover, who, after having done all sorts of dirty work for Holmes and his fellow-conspirators, had told Bessie that he was sorry and was going to change sides!
“Jake!” said Bessie, sternly. “You miserable sneak! What are you doing here!”
No wonder poor Zara had had that feeling of being watched. Jake’s work for Holmes right along had been mostly that of the spy, and here he was once more engaged in it. Bessie was furious at her discovery. Big and strong as Jake was, he was whimpering now, and Bessie seized him and shook him by the shoulders.
“Tell me what you’re doing here right away!” commanded Bessie. Gone were the days when she had feared him–the well-remembered days of her bondage on the Hoover farm, when his word had always been enough to secure her punishment at the hands of his mother, who had never been able to see the evil nature of her boy.
“I ain’t doin’ no harm–honest I ain’t, Bessie,” he whined. “I–jest wanted–I jest wanted to see you and Miss Mercer–honest, that’s why I’m here!”