t to
do next. She at once assumed command of the situation, sent one of the
children, who had followed her, back to the caravan to fetch her
husband, and with his assistance set to work and patched up the
harness.

"We're tinkers by trade, lady, so we know how to put in a rivet or
two, enough to take you safely home, at any rate; but they don't ought
to send that harness out again, it's as rotten as can be. Mr.
Rivers's, did you say? Why, it's his farm as we're going to, to pick
strawberries, as soon as we can get there, with our horse lying
dead!"

A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind, and before the harness was
mended the girls had struck up quite a friendship with the gipsies,
which was further cemented by the transference of half a crown from
Raymonde's purse to the brown hand of the woman, and the bestowal of
the greater part of Aveline's chocolates into the mouths of the
dark-eyed children.

Dandy was placed between the shafts once more, and the parcels were
restored to the gig. The girls, being doubtful as to the security of
the hastily-mended harness, did not venture to mount inside, but led
the pony by the head, lest he should be inspired to race down another
hill. It was a slow progress back, and the workers were just returning
from the fields as they reached the camp. Naturally there were no
potatoes for dinner that day, though Raymonde and Aveline
congratulated themselves that the bread was just in time. They were
the heroines of the hour when they related their adventures, and even
Miss Gibbs did not scold them, though they afterwards heard her
remarking to Miss Hoyle that Miss Jones was a poor manager, and ought
to make better arrangements about catering.

"Gibbie's got to let fly at somebody!" chuckled Raymonde. "If it can't
be us, it's someone else, but she'd better not try criticizing Miss
Jones's methods to her face, or there'll be fighting in the camp."

"Wouldn't I like to see a match between them!" sighed Aveline. "I'd
stake my all on Gibbie, any day!"

"I don't know," said Raymonde reflectively. "Gibbie has fire and
spirit, and powers of sarcasm, and traditions of Scotch ancestry; but
there's a suggestion of icy stubbornness about Miss Jones that looks
capable of standing out against anybody with bulldog grit. I believe
I'd back Miss Jones, if it came to the point!"

CHAPTER XII

Amateur Detectives

The girls felt that their short week of strawberry picking was crammed
more