At this juncture five dark swarthy men came running across the fields. With one accord the tramps took to their heels. The Gipsies started in pursuit of them, but the tramps had a lead of several yards and fear lending wings to their feet, they soon outdistanced their pursuers who finally abandoned the chase and returned to where Sybarina stood, surrounded by the Meadow-Brook Girls and their guardian.
Harriet sprang eagerly forward to thank their rescuers, but Sybarina waved her aside. Turning to the Gipsy men she spoke a few sharp words in the Romany tongue. The men nodded, talked among themselves for a moment then turned and strolled off in the direction whence they had come.
“Oh, Sybarina!” cried Harriet disappointedly. “Why didn’t you let me thank them for chasing those tramps away?”
“I, their queen, have commended them. That is sufficient,” returned Sybarina proudly. “They need no thanks for obeying my commands.”
“Then we must thank you doubly,” smiled Harriet, holding out her hand to the old Gipsy. “What would we have done if you had not been near?”
“It is well,” replied Sybarina earnestly, taking Harriet’s hand in both of hers. “But you must come with Sybarina. You must not stay here alone this night. The bad men will return again. But Sybarina’s men will stay here and watch for them. You and your kind friends will go with Sybarina to her camp.”
“But how did you happen to find us?” questioned Miss Elting.
“Sybarina has eyes. Did those eyes not see the patteran (trail of grass)? Did she not read the message of the patteran that all of her tribe know? Where did you learn to make the patteran that leads the Gipsy toward the land where the sun goes down?”
“She means the grass that we dropped in the road,” explained Harriet.
The old woman nodded.