"Come on, now! He isn't conscious,
and perhaps we can get him into the carriage before he wakes up."

And they did. Roberto did not seem to be conscious, and yet, to Ruth's
surprise, the color came and went in the boy's cheeks, and his black
brows knitted a little. It was just as though he _were_ conscious and
was endeavoring to endure the pain he felt without moaning.

They got him into the carriage in as comfortable a position as possible.
Ruth sat beside him, while Helen joined her father on the front seat.
Then the gentleman let the spirited team go, and they dashed off over
the road toward Lumberton.

At once Helen told her father who the injured youth was. Having heard
all the details of his young folks' adventures on the road to Boise
Landing, Mr. Cameron knew just who Roberto was, and he saw the
importance of learning from him, if possible, where his clan had gone.

"We want to know especially what has become of the old woman--the
queen," Mr. Cameron said. "I can't help it, if she _is_ the boy's
grandmother, she is a wicked woman. Besides, we want to get back that
necklace for Mrs. Parsons."

Unfortunately, it would be impossible for the dry goods merchant to
remain in Lumberton to watch the case. He had to return that very
evening, and could not spare the time now to see Tom.

He arranged at the hospital for Roberto to be given every care, and left
some money with Helen and Ruth for them to purchase little luxuries for
the boy when he should become convalescent.

He waited until after the doctors had made their examination and learned
that Roberto not only suffered from a broken arm, but had two ribs
broken and his right leg badly wrenched.

Mr. Cameron wrote a note to Mrs. Tellingham, asking that Helen and Ruth
might visit the hospital every day or two to see how the patient fared.

"Besides," said Ruth, eagerly, "I may get him to talk. Perhaps he has
deserted his tribe for good, and he may help us learn about the
necklace."

"You want to be very careful in trying to pump the lad," said Mr.
Cameron, with a smile.

He need not have feared on this point, however, as it turned out. The
very next afternoon Ruth and Helen hurried in to Lumberton to make
inquiries at the hospital. They saw the head physician and he was
frankly puzzled about Roberto.

"I thought I had had every kind of a case in my experience," said the
surgeon, "but there's something about this one that puzzles me."

"Is he more hur