"Do you suppose they could be the same ones who took Mrs. Brown's things, Mother?" asked Rose.
"They might be," her mother replied. "Though Mr. Brown's farm is some distance from here and I don't see how the tramps could arrive here so soon."
"They could if they had an auto like Captain Ben's," said Laddie.
"Pooh! Tramps don't have autos. Do they, Mother?" scoffed Vi.
"Not very often, I imagine," was the answer. "But don't think about the ragged men any more."
"Do you think they could have taken Captain Ben's watch?" persisted Laddie.
"No, of course not!" his mother quickly replied. "Captain Ben's watch was lost somewhere near our house, and that's almost a hundred miles from here. Besides, there were no tramps there."
"Well, anyhow, maybe the tramps took Tad Munson," suggested Laddie, who seemed bound to have the ragged men up to some mischief.
"No, poor Tad ran away by himself," Mrs. Bunker answered. "I feel very sorry for him, and I hope he is safe at home again by this time. We must go over to Avalon some day and find out."
A little later Captain Ben and Daddy Bunker came back.