ls had fallen into
the hands of those Gypsies. Those men in the old house were two of
them----"

"I know it. We saw them at the encampment."

"But if Ruth is still with them," Tom said, "Peck will get her. He said
he knew how to handle Gyps. He's been used to them all his life. And
this tribe often come through this region, he told me."

"Who is Mr. Peck?" asked Helen, puzzled.

Tom told her of his adventures on the previous night. After returning to
the spot where the auto had been stalled earlier in the evening, Tom and
the constable had searched with the lanterns all about the place, and
had followed the footsteps of the girls and the strange woman to the
lower road.

"I had no idea then that the wagon you had evidently gotten into was a
Gypsy cart," pursued Tom. "We saw you'd gone on toward Severn Corners,
however, and we went back. But you come along with me, now, Helen, and
we'll return to that very place. I expect Uncle Ike will be waiting for
us. I telephoned him before daylight this morning--and it's now ten
o'clock. The car is right back here on the road."

"Oh! I am so glad!"

"Yes. Soon after breakfast Peck and I separated! I came this way in the
car, hoping to find some trace of you. Peck made inquiries and said he'd
follow the Gyps. Ruth will be taken away from them," declared Tom, with
conviction. "That big smith isn't afraid of anybody."

"Oh, I hope so," said Helen. "But that horrible old Gypsy--the queen,
she calls herself--is very powerful."

"Not much she isn't!" laughed Tom. "Peck fully feels the importance of
that star he wears. I think he would tackle a herd of elephants, if they
were breaking the law."

So they sped on in the motor-car, feeling considerably better. The twins
were very fond of each other, and were never really happy, when they
were apart for long.

But when they ran down into Severn Corners, expecting to find Ruth at
the constable's house, they were gravely disappointed. The forge was
open and Sim Peck was shoeing a horse. He stood up, hammer in hand, when
the motor-car stopped before the smithy.

"Hello!" he said to Tom. "Did you get her?"

"I got my sister. She's had an awful time. Those Gypsies ought to be all
shut up in jail," said Tom, vigorously.

"Them 'Gyptians?" drawled Peck, in surprise. "What they got ter do with
it?"

"Why, they had everything to do with it. Don't you know that they
carried off both my sister here and Ruth Fielding?"

"Look here,"