"I--won't. Help! Help!" yelled the girl, and as she did the light of
a powerful automobile lamp was directed into the gypsy wagon!

"There they are!" could be heard plainly.

"Where?" asked the anxious ones.

"In the gulch! Head them off! I saw a wagon!"

Quicker than any one save a mountaineer knew how to swing around, that
wagon swerved, turned and was again lost in the darkness.

"Thought they had us!" called the man from the seat. "Lena, you will
pay for this!"

CHAPTER XIX

THE DEN OF THE GYPSY QUEEN

Cora opened her eyes. Standing over her was a woman--or was it a
dream? A woman with flowing hair, beautiful, dark eyes, a band of gold
like a crown about her head, and shimmering, dazzling stuff on her
gown. Was Cora really awake?

"Well," said the figure, "you are not bad-looking."

"Oh, I am so--sick," moaned Cora.

"I'll ring for something. Would you take wine?"

"No, thank you; water," murmured Cora.

The moments were becoming more real to Cora, but with consciousness
came that awful sickness and that dizziness. She looked at the woman
in the flowing red robes. Who could she be? Surely she was beautiful,
and her face was kind and her manner sweet.

The woman pulled a small cord, and presently a girl appeared to answer.

"What, madam?" asked the girl.

"Some limewater and some milk. And for me, some new cigarettes. Those
Sam brought I could not use. You will find my key in my dressing
table."

She turned to Cora as the girl left. "You may have anything you want,"
she said, "and you need not worry. No harm will come to you. I rather
think we shall be great friends."

She sat down on some soft cushions on the floor.

Then Cora noticed that her own resting place was also on the floor--a
sort of flat couch--soft, but smelling so strongly of some strange
odor. Was it smoke or perfume?

"Do you mind if I smoke?" asked the woman. "I am Helka, the gypsy
queen. That is, they call me that, although I am really Lillian, and I
never had any fancy for this queening." She smiled bitterly. The girl
entered again with a tray and a small silver case. "The water is for
my friend," said the queen, and the girl walked over to Cora. "Do you
think you are strong enough to take milk? Perhaps you would like lime
in it."

"Thank you very much," murmured Cora, "but I am very sick, and I have
never been ill before."

"It is the chloroform. It is sickish stuff, and Sam said you h