ing laugh. "Oh, no! oh, no!" she
cried. "The pretty, rich little ladies cannot go yet. They must be the
guests of the poor old Gypsy a little longer--they must eat of her salt.
Then they will be her friends--and maybe they will help to make her
rich."

The girls stood close together, panting, afraid. Helen put her lips to
Ruth's ear, and whispered:

"Does _that_ mean she is going to hold us for ransom? Oh, dear! what did
I say this very day? I _knew_ Gypsies were like this."

"Hush!" warned Ruth. "Try and not let her see you are so afraid. Perhaps
she means only to frighten us."

"But--but when she looks at me, I seem to lose everything--speech, power
to move, even power to think," gasped Helen.

Just then the van turned suddenly from the road and came to a halt. They
had been traveling much faster than Ruth and Helen had supposed.

Lights flashed outside, and dogs barked, while the voices of men, women
and children rose in a chorus of shouts and cries.

"Oh, thank goodness!" exclaimed Helen. "They have gotten into town at
last."

Ruth feared this was not so. She tried to peer out of one of the
windows. There was a bonfire at one side, and she thought she saw a
tent. There were other wagons like the one in which they seemed to be
imprisoned.

"Now they'll _have_ to let us out," repeated Helen.

"I am afraid not," returned the girl of the Red Mill. "This is the Gypsy
camp, I am sure, dear. Do try to be brave! I think they never meant to
take us after Tom, at all. We are prisoners, dear."

At once Helen's spirits sank, but she grew angry.

"You'd better not keep us here," she cried, looking again at the old
woman. "My father has plenty of money and he will spend it all to get me
back--and to punish you."

"We will not take all his money from him, my pretty little lady,"
returned Zelaya. "Only a part of it. And the poor Gypsy has nothing,"
and once more she cackled.

The door of the van was unlocked and opened. In the lamplight appeared a
rough-looking man, with an evil face and a squint in one eye. He said
something to the queen in their own tongue, but he spoke with great
respect, and removed his hat and bowed to her, when she replied.

Ruth and Helen started for the door, but the man motioned them back and
scowled at them in an evil manner. They could see a crowd of curious
faces without, and behind this man were children, women both old and
young, and a few men.

Zelaya lifted the child from its be