"There must be some one over there," declared Bess, the first to make the discovery. "See! Yes, there is a flag!"
"Oh, maybe they are those dreadful Gypsies," murmured Belle. "Let us wait for Mr. Rand and the others."
"I am too anxious to see," objected her sister. "The rest are all within calling distance. See, there are the boys. Let us hurry into the side road. Whoever they are, they have had wagons up here."
It required careful driving to cover the pass, for the roadway was newly made, and by no means well-finished. Great stones continually rolled out from under the big, rubber wheels, and Bess was on the alert to use the emergency brake, although the road was somewhat up hill. She feared the motor would stop and that they might back down.
"See!" she exclaimed, "there are children! They must be Gypsy lads and lassies."
Over in a clump of evergreens could be seen some children, playing at a campfire. Yes, they might be Gypsies.
"Wait! wait," called Jack and Ed, who had now observed that the place was inhabited. "We will go in first."
"All right," called back Bess, a little sorry that she could not have had the glory of doing the investigating alone.
By this time most of the searching party had reached the spot.
"We will get out and walk over," suggested Jack, his voice trembling with anticipation.